Postwar Television

KC2XAK Bridgeport, Connecticut

RCA's experimental UHF converter

KC2XAK was the world's first UHF television station. It rebroadcast NBC's WNBT in New York City, and broadcast on UHF Channel 24. It went on the air on December 29, 1949.

RCA code-named the station "Operation Bridgeport". It was a test by RCA and NBC, to determine if the UHF spectrum was feasible to use for television broadcasting.

The station used a 1 kW transmitter with an 20 dB gain antenna, which resulted in an effective radiated power of 10 kW. It was on a 210-foot tower elevated about 450 feet above average terrain.

The test proved that UHF broadcasting was possible, but was shut down by RCA and NBC on August 23, 1952, after two and a half years of operation. Empire Coil purchased the KC2XAK transmitter and related equipment, which was dismantled in Bridgeport under supervision of RCA. Dismantling began on August 25, and the equipment was shipped to Portland, Oregon, where it was re-assembled. This became the country's first commerical UHF station, KPTV.