W2XAB

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For the station that W2XAB evolved into, see WCBS-TV.

W2XAB is the name of the experimental television station that evolved into WCBS-TV.

The station was founded on July 31, 1931 and originally broadcast on the 2.1-2.2 mHz range, with just 60 lines of resolution (compared to NTSC's 525) and 20 frames per second (compared to NTSC's 30). The station was one of the first mechanical television stations in the world, but was silent from 1933 to 1940.

This station's initial broadcasts featured New York Mayor Jimmy Walker, Kate Smith and George Gershwin. The station boasted the first regular seven-day broadcasting schedule in American television, broadcasting 28 hours a week. On November 8, 1932, W2XAB broadcast the first television coverage of presidential election returns. The station suspended operations on February 20, 1933; it returned on September 3, 1940 with the first color broadcast in the United States.

On July 1, 1941, the station was re-launched as current-day WCBS-TV.

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