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.

All television licenses in the United States were officially "experimental" before July 1941, as the NTSC television standard had yet to be developed. 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

Present North American broadcast television starts at 54 MHz (VHF) Present day UK TV broadcasts begin at 470 MHz (UHF)

+ Television stations Call sign(original) Call sign(current) Frequency* Channel(current) Location(city) On air Owner (original) Original broadcast system Current broadcast system Baird Television Development Company Ltd via BBC transmitter 2LO 361 meters831 kHz London, England, United Kingdom 1926–1935British Broadcasting Company Mechanical television 30 lines25 frame/s W2XB (also branded as WGY-TV from its sister radio station) WRGB 2.15 MHz 6 Schenectady New York, United States May 10, 1928 – present 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 MHz Lexington, Massachusetts, United States June 14, 1928– March 1930 The Boston Post Mechanical television 48 lines/18 frame/s W3XK 1.605 MHz & 6.42 MHz, later 2.00–2.10 MHz WheatonWashington, D.C., United States July 2, 1928– 1932 Charles Jenkins Laboratories Mechanical television 48 lines W2XAL (also branded as WRNY from its sister radio station) New York City, New York, United States August 13, 1928– 1929Experimenter Publishing Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company Mechanical television 48 lines W1WX(later became W1XAV) 2.12 MHz Boston, Massachusetts, United States Spring 1929–1931Shortwave and Television Laboratory Mechanical television 48 & 60 lines/15 frame/s W2XBS WNBC 2.75–2.85 MHz Formerly 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 New York City, New York, United States 1929–1932, 1936–present National Broadcasting Company Mechanical television 60 lines/20 frame/s 1941–2009, NTSC-M; now ATSC digital3UZ. Experiments carried out on the radio station after it had officially closed down for the night.R. R. Walker, The Magic Spark, 1973, Hawthorn Press, Melbourne.930 kHz Melbourne, Victoria, Australia1929Oliver John NilsenMechanical television3DB. Experiments carried out on the radio station after it had officially closed down for the night.1180 kHz Melbourne, Victoria, Australia1929The Herald and Weekly TimesMechanical television W9XAPWNBQ-TV (1948–1964) now WMAQ-TV VHF Channel 5 Chicago, Illinois, United States August 27, 1930– August 1933. 1948-present. National Broadcasting Company Mechanical television 1948–2009 NTSC-M; now ATSC digital VE9EC 41 MHz 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 2 Los Angeles,California, United States June 1931– 1933, 1937–1948 as experimental Don Lee station; May 6, 1948–present Don Lee Mechanical television, film only, 80 lines/20 frame/s 1948–2009, NTSC-M; now ATSC digitalAmateur radio station 4CMBruce Carty, Australian Radio History, Self-published, Sydney, 2011.136 metres Brisbane, Queensland, Australia1934Dr Val McDowallEarly experiments with electronic television W6XYZ KTLA Formerly on Channel 4, now VHF Channel 5 Los Angeles,California, United States June 1942– 1946 experimental, Jan. 22, 1947– present Paramount 1947–2009, NTSC-M, now ATSC digital W2XAB WCBS-TV 2.1–2.2 MHz Now VHF Channel 2 New York City, New York, United States July 31, 1931– February 1933,1939–present Columbia Broadcasting System Mechanical television 60 lines/20 frame/s 1941–2009, NTSC-M, now ATSC digital W2XWV WNYW Channel 4 (1938–1944), Channel 5 (1944 – present) New York City, New York, United States 1938– present Allen B. DuMont Unknown 1944–2009 NTSC-M, now ATSC digital W3XE WPTZ (now KYW-TV) – VHF Channel 3 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 12 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 1 Chicago, Illinois, United States 1939–1953 2LO (BBC Television Service) BBC One 361 meters831 kHz UHF (Channels 21–68, throughout UK) London, England, United Kingdom August 22, 1932– September 11, 1935British Broadcasting Corporation Mechanical television 30 lines/12.5 frame/s Now DVB BBC Television Service (Alexandra Palace) BBC One 45 MHz UHF (Channels 21–68, throughout UK and on Astra 2D satellite) London, England, United Kingdom November 1936– September 3, 1939, June 7, 1946 – presentBritish Broadcasting Corporation Mechanical television 240 lines (Baird system) and electronic television 405 line (Marconi-EMI system)/25 frame/s Now 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) Rome, Italy July 22, 1939– May 10, 1940 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) Milan, Italy April 12–28, 1940 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) Paris, France November 1935 – 1937 (60 lines, then 180 lines) later 1938–1939 (455 lines) then 1943–1956 (441 lines)Ministry of Information Mechanical television 60 then 180 line later electronic television 455 then 441 line/25 frame/s Now DVB Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow BerlinPotsdam, 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 band Moscow, Soviet Union, now 1931–1941 Mechanical television USSR TV (ТВ СССР) Первый канал49.75 MHz (video) 56.25 MHz (audio) TV channels:R1 (441 lines 25 fps) Moscow, USSR, now 1938–1941, 1945-1949 Ministry of Culture Electronic television Now SECAM, PAL also DVB Doświadczalna Stacja Telewizyjna Telewizja Polska TVP channels: TVP1, TVP2, etc. Warsaw, Poland 1935–1939 (test broadcasting: 1937–38) Mechanical television Now PAL and DVB Call sign(original) Call sign(current) Frequency* Channel(current) Location(city) On air Owner (original) Original broadcast system Current broadcast system

See also Timeline of the BBC History of television Timeline of the introduction of television in countries Timeline of the introduction of color television in countries Geographical usage of television Oldest radio station List of experimental television stations Narrow-bandwidth television Television systems before 1940

Individual television stations WRGB WNBC WCBS-TV KCBS-TV BBC / BBC Television

Broadcast television systems Television systems before 1940 NTSC PAL SECAM

References

External links Prewar US Stations 1936 German Olympics W1XAY at TVHistory.tv European Television Stations in 1932