Prewar television stations

Last updated

This is a list of pre-World War II television stations of the 1920s and 1930s. Most of these experimental stations were located in Europe (notably in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, and Russia), Australia, Canada, and the United States. Some present-day broadcasters trace their origins to these early stations.

Contents

All television licenses in the United States were officially "experimental" before July 1941, as the NTSC television standard had yet to be developed, and some American television broadcasters continued operating under experimental licenses as late as 1947, although by then they were using the same technical standards as their commercial brethren.

List

Television stations
Call sign
(original)
Call sign
(current)
Frequency* Channel
(current)
Location
(city)
On airOwner (original)Original broadcast systemCurrent broadcast system
Baird Television Development Company Ltd [1] via BBC transmitter 2LO [ citation needed ]361 meters
831 kHz
[2]
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg London, England, United Kingdom British Broadcasting Company Mechanical television
30 lines
25 frame/s
[ dubious discuss ]
W2XB (also branded as WGY-TV from its sister radio station) WRGB 2.15 MHz6Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Schenectady New York, United States General Electric Co. Mechanical television 24 (later 48) lines/21 frame/s NTSC-M from 1942–2009; now ATSC digital.
W1XAY (also branded as WLEX from its sister radio station)3.5 MHzFlag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Lexington, Massachusetts, United States The Boston Post Mechanical television 48 lines/18 frame/s
W3XK 1.605 MHz & 6.42 MHz,
later 2.00–2.10 MHz
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Wheaton
Washington, D.C., United States
Charles Jenkins Laboratories Mechanical television 48 lines
W2XAL (also branded as WRNY from its sister radio station)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg New York City, New York, United States Experimenter Publishing

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company

Mechanical television 48 lines
W1WX
(later became W1XAV)
2.12 MHzFlag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Boston, Massachusetts, United States Shortwave and Television Laboratory Mechanical television 48 & 60 lines/15 frame/s
W2XBS WNBC 2.75–2.85 MHzFormerly Channel 1;
moved to VHF Channel 4 from 1946–2009 (remains PSIP virtual channel);
allocated to digital channel 28 from 1999–2018;
moved to channel share with WNJU on channel 36 from 2018–present
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg New York City, New York, United States 1929–1932, 1936–present National Broadcasting Company Mechanical television 60 lines/20 frame/s1941–2009, NTSC-M; now ATSC digital
3UZ. Experiments carried out on the radio station after it had officially closed down for the night. [3] 930 kHzFlag of Australia.svg Melbourne,
Victoria,
Australia
1929 Oliver John Nilsen Mechanical television
3DB. Experiments carried out on the radio station after it had officially closed down for the night. [3] 1180 kHzFlag of Australia.svg Melbourne,
Victoria,
Australia
1929 The Herald and Weekly Times Mechanical television
W9XAP WNBQ-TV (1948–1964) [4]

now WMAQ-TV

VHF Channel 5Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Chicago, Illinois, United States National Broadcasting Company Mechanical television 1948–2009 NTSC-M; now ATSC digital
VE9EC 41 MHzFlag of Canada (1921-1957).svg Montreal,
Quebec,
Canada
1931–1935 La Presse and CKAC radio Mechanical television 60–150 lines
W6XAO KCBS-TV Formerly on Channel 1, now VHF Channel 2Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Los Angeles,
California, United States
Don Lee Mechanical television, film only, 80 lines/20 frame/s1948–2009, NTSC-M; now ATSC digital
Amateur radio station 4CM [10] 136 metresFlag of Australia.svg Brisbane,
Queensland,
Australia
1934Dr Val McDowall Early experiments with electronic television
W6XYZ KTLA-TV Formerly on Channel 4, now VHF Channel 5Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Los Angeles,
California, United States
Paramount 1947–2009, NTSC-M, now ATSC digital
W2XAB WCBS-TV 2.1–2.2 MHzNow VHF Channel 2Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg New York City, New York, United States Columbia Broadcasting System Mechanical television 60 lines/20 frame/s1941–2009, NTSC-M, now ATSC digital
W2XWV WNYW Channel 4 (1938–1944), Channel 5 (1944 – present)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg New York City, New York, United States 1938– present Allen B. DuMont Unknown1944–2009 NTSC-M, now ATSC digital
W3XE WPTZ (now KYW-TV)VHF Channel 3Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States 1932–present Philco Corporation Mechanical television 1941–2009, NTSC-M, now ATSC digital
W9XBK WBKB (now WBBM-TV)Formerly on Channel 4, then on VHF Channel 2, Now on VHF Channel 12Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Chicago, Illinois, United States 1940–present Balaban & Katz 1944–2009, NTSC-M, now ATSC digital
W9XZV Later KS2XBS (Phonevision experimental on Channel 2)VHF Channel 1Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Chicago, Illinois, United States 1939–1953
2LO (BBC Television Service) BBC One 361 meters
831 kHz
[2]
UHF (Channels 21–68, throughout UK)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg London, England, United Kingdom British Broadcasting Corporation Mechanical television 30 lines/12.5 frame/sNow DVB
BBC Television Service (Alexandra Palace) BBC One 45 MHz
[11]
UHF (Channels 21–68, throughout UK and on Astra 2D satellite)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg London, England, United Kingdom British Broadcasting Corporation Mechanical television 240 lines (Baird system) and electronic television 405 line (Marconi-EMI system)/25 frame/sNow DVB
EIAR – Stazione sperimentale radiovisione di Monte Mario RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana 40.54 MHz (audio), 44.12 MHz (video)VHF (channel 9) and UHF (channels 25, 26, 30 and 40)Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Rome, Italy Electronic television 441 lines / 21 to 42 frame/s.Now DVB
EIAR – Stazione sperimentale radiovisione Torre Littoria (now Torre Branca)40.50 MHz (audio), 44.00 MHz (video)Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Milan, Italy Electronic television 441 lines / 21 to 42 frame/s.
Radiovision PTT (1935) later Paris Television (1943) then RTF (1946) (Eiffel Tower) TF1 37 MHz (180 & 455 lines) later 42–46 MHz (441 lines)UHF Channels 21–69 (System L + DVB throughout France and FTA on AB3 satellite)Flag of France (1794-1958).svg Paris, France Ministry of Information Mechanical television 60 then 180 line later electronic television 455 then 441 line/25 frame/sNow DVB
Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Berlin
Potsdam,
Germany
1935–1944 (tests started in 1929) Deutscher Fernseh-Rundfunk Electronic television 180 lines/25 frame/s/50 fields/sec (started broadcasting in 441 lines in mid-1937)
Moscow test broadcasting station МТЦ (from Shukhov tower) LW bandFlag of the Soviet Union (1924-1936).svg Moscow,
Soviet Union,
now
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
1931–1941Mechanical television
USSR TV (ТВ СССР) Первый канал 49.75 MHz (video) 56.25 MHz (audio)TV channels:R1 (441 lines 25 fps)Flag of the Soviet Union (1936 - 1955).svg Moscow,
USSR,
now
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
1938–1941,
1945-1949
Ministry of Culture Electronic television Now SECAM, PAL also DVB
Doświadczalna Stacja Telewizyjna Telewizja Polska TVP channels: TVP1, TVP2, etc.Flag of Poland.svg Warsaw,
Poland
1935–1939
(test broadcasting:
1937–38)
Mechanical televisionNow PAL and DVB
Call sign
(original)
Call sign
(current)
Frequency*Channel
(current)
Location
(city)
On airOwner (original)Original broadcast systemCurrent broadcast system

See also

Individual television stations

Broadcast television systems

References

  1. Burns, Russell W. (2000), "Chapter 6 Company Formation and long-distance television", John Logie Baird, Television Pioneer, IEE history of technology series, vol. 28, Stevenage, Herts, UK: The Institution of Electrical Engineers, pp.  131, ISBN   978-0-85296-797-3
  2. 1 2 Isaacs, Allan. "Dating a Radio: How Old?". Allan's Virtual Radio Museum. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. London (2LO), Nov 1922, 361m
  3. 1 2 R. R. Walker, The Magic Spark, 1973, Hawthorn Press, Melbourne.
  4. "Call Letters Switch (page 21)". Billboard. September 5, 1964. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  5. "Copy of W9XAP station license". Samuels, Rich. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  6. Parker, Bill (October 28, 1984). "transcript of Bill Parker letter, who was assigned the construction of the television studio at the Daily News building in 1929". Television Experimenters. Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  7. "Early Chicago Television-W9XAP". Hawes TV. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  8. "Early television-W9XAP-WMAQ Chicago". Early Television. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  9. "W9XAP first broadcast-transcript from Daily News story-August 28, 1930". Daily News. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  10. Bruce Carty, Australian Radio History, Self-published, Sydney, 2011.
  11. "Vintage BBC Transmitters - 2LO and AP". The British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved June 4, 2024. A high power transmitter at 45 MHz with a bandwidth of some 3 MHz was edge of technology in the 1930's