'2LO' was the second
radio station to regularly broadcast in the
United Kingdom (the first was
2MT). It began
broadcasting on
11 May 1922, for one hour a day from the seventh floor of
Marconi House in
London's
Strand. This building, opposite
Somerset House, was demolished in 2006, apart from the
listed façade, which will be incorporated into a new hotel complex.
[1]
Initially the power was 100 watts on 350 metres (857kc.). 2LO was allowed to transmit for seven minutes, after which the 'operator' had to listen on the wavelength for three minutes for possible instructions to close down.
On
November 141922 the station was transferred to the new
British Broadcasting Company, which was itself replaced in
1927 by the British Broadcasting Corporation or
BBC. 2LO is also the name of the transmitter from which the station originated and now resides at the
Science Museum. The radio station was replaced by the London
BBC Regional Programme and the
BBC National Programme.
The 'LO' part of 2LO's callsign was later adopted by the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation's metropolitan radio station in Melbourne. The station,
3LO, was known as 774 3LO until 2000 and is now known as
774 ABC Melbourne.
Notes
1. Marconi House page at The Music Hall and Theatre Site
External links
★
BBC - Press Office - 2LO
★
History of the BBC - Pre-BBC
★
The Science Museum: London Calling
★
History of Marconi House where 2LO first broadcast