W2XCD - Passaic, New Jersey

W2XCD was started by radio pioneer Lee DeForest in 1930. It broadcast on 2.0-2.1 mHz using 60 lines and 20 fps. The station broadcast the first full-length feature film, "Police Patrol " (US 1925), which transmitted in six daily episodes on April 6-11, 1931. Lee DeForest was later involved in station W6XAH in Bakersfield, California.

 From Paul Lindemeyer:

W2XCD, De Forest Radio Corp., Passaic, NJ This station was affiliated with Jenkins TV Corp., which Lee De Forest acquired in 1931. Allen B. DuMont, then De Forest's chief tv engineer, described aspects of their operations and technology in Radio News for July, 1931. W2XCD was the r & d half of the operation, while Jenkins W2XCR in New York worked on broadcast technique. Each station used both static flying spot scanners (top pic) and the Jenkins movable "camera" at various times, as well as telecine. Passaic had perhaps the first dual monitor control panel (bottom pic). This was not for mixing or preview, but to compare line and off-air picture quality. Late in 1931 DuMont and Lee De Forest fell out over DuMont's pet project, the cathode ray tube, which De Forest refused to put into production. DuMont then founded DuMont Laboratories. The De Forest-Jenkins interests foundered along with mechanical tv as 1932 began. Station W2XCD burned down and was never rebuilt. W2XCR began airing more film than live pickups. RCA soon bought the whole package in an effort - largely successful - to halt mechanical tv development.

Courtesy of John Pinckney