Happy Friday! This week’s Radio Ink Blast From The Past features Ted Gempp at the controls of one of the first FM stations in the US in Alpine, NJ in 1948.
Originally authorized in 1945 as W2XEA, KE2XCC was an experimental FM station created by Edwin Howard Armstrong. The station shared its location with Armstrong’s initial FM station, W2XMN. While W2XMN operated on the original FM “low band” frequencies dating back to the late 1930s, W2XEA was introduced as its counterpart to broadcast on the newly designated FM “high band” frequencies set by the FCC
In 1949, W2XMN ceased operations when the “low band” was phased out. Subsequently, W2XEA changed its call sign to KE2XCC and assumed most of W2XMN’s prior roles. Initially broadcasting on 92.1 MHz, the station switched to 93.1 MHz in 1948 and continued operating on this frequency until it ended its transmissions following Armstrong’s death in early 1954.
We love sharing your broadcast history and memories at the end of every week – we even share the best in our print edition every month – and we want to see more! Carts, Reel-to-Reel Machines, and Turntables in your pictures are highly encouraged.
Send your Blast From The Past story and photo to our Online Editor Cameron Coats for your chance to be featured in Radio Ink.
