W2XBU

Some television stations of the 1920s eventually turned into corporate giants. Others shone and fizzled out during the Depression. And there were others that appeared to be not much more than something to tinker with.

That last description may fit one of the more obscure stations of the era—W2XBU.

It wasn’t in a big city like Chicago or Los Angeles. It was atop Mount Beacon, about 18 miles from Poughkeepsie, New York. Its owner was Harold E. Smith who, for many years, operated radio station WOKO, which bounced around various cities. At the time W2XBU was on the air, its studios were in the Hotel Windsor in Poughkeepsie.

Very little seems to be known about the station, so let’s see what we can learn from newspaper clippings and other sources.

An editorial in the Beacon News of June 30, 1928 reads:

Television From WOKO
Every owner of a radio set will be interested in the announcement that Harold Smith of Station WOKO has been granted a permit to set up a television station on Mt. Beacon.
While the permit is for experimental work mainly it is probable that Beaconites will be among the first radio fans in the state to secure a picture accompaniment to their programs.

We hear from the News again on March 12, 1929:

Washington, D. C.—Harold E. Smith of Beacon, was today notified by the Federal Radio Commission to appear before the commission May 8 for a hearing on his application for a television license.
If Smith can satisfy the commission that he would conduct a television station in conformity with “public interest, convenience and necessity," the license will be granted him.
Nine other applicants for television licenses are scheduled for hearings before the radio czars the same day.

But didn’t he already have a license?

Well, we’ll get there in a moment. There was a flurry of activity. First, this story appeared in both the News and the Poughkeepsie Eagle-News, May 1, 1929; the photo (oh, for a better version), was published in the latter:

Operators of Station WOKO Plan Television Demonstration
Smith and Curtis Soon To Reveal Results Of Long Experimentation in Laboratory Of Radio System on Mt. Beacon
Exhaustive research in a laboratory atop Mount Beacon, 1,545 feet above the Hudson River, by which it is hoped to make television available to the average person in his home at small expense, has just been completed by H. E. Smith and R. M. Curtis, operators of radio broadcasting station WOKO. Although this system of television has not been put on the air, radio tests will be made as soon as a license is granted by the Federal Radio Commission. Meanwhile experiments have been conducted over private wires between the station and its studio in the Hotel Windsor, a distance of about 18 miles.
Simple Apparatus
Like the radio in its infancy, television is as yet a strange thing to the lay person, but inventors and developers such as Mr. Smith and Mr. Curtis hope to make it possible within a short time to transmit television into the homes for reception by small and simple apparatus such as the present radio sets.
The radio laboratory in which this system of television was developed is perhaps the loftiest laboratory in the world, so high on the summit of Mount Beacon, Mr. Smith has given out a few facts concerning his system which he feels will be welcomed by the public interested in radio.
“The system used,” he says, “is what is known as the direct lighting, that is, the subject or person whose image is to be transmitted sits in a small recording studio which is flooded with 4,000 watts of incandescent lamps. Between the recording studio and the recording apparatus there is a small opening In the partition through which the image or subject is focused through a series of lenses upon a scanning disc.
“The signal received after being amplified by the six stages of amplification is then put into the transmitter in the usual way, or in the case of the laboratory tests just conducted, is connected to the neon tube which is placed behind a scanning disc of the same size as the transmitting disc containing the same number of holes and revolving at the same speed. By then looking at the neon tube with the disc revolving in front of it in synchronism with the transmitting disc, the picture is formed, caused by the holes in the receiving disc being between the eye of the observer and the neon tube.
"With the neon tubes now available the received picture is approximately one and one half inches square, but by using a magnifying glass it can be enlarged. But the more it is enlarged the less detail there is."

Now, the reason for the hearing. The News gave it a front-page story on May 6:

Hearing of WOKO Television License to Be Held in Washington on May 8
By GEORGE H. MANNING
Washington, D. C.—Harold E. Smith, of Beacon, N. Y., radio expert and operator of Station WOKO, Mount Beacon, is planning to extend his radio broadcasting activities into the realm of television.
The Federal Radio Commission today set a hearing for Wednesday, May 8, to permit Mr. Smith to testify in support of his application to the Commission for a television license.
The Beacon radio expert asked for permission to operate on two wave bands of 4,800 and 4,900 kilocycles, respectively, and 100 watts power.
The Commission recently renewed Smith's license to operate WOKO, Mount Beacon, pending further investigation. It appears that his broadcasting equipment deviated from his assigned frequency and caused interference on other bands. In view of his assurance that the trouble will soon be remedied, the license was renewed.

After the hearing, the News gave the station a front-page headline story:

WOKO Ready to Spend $100,000 on Television Experiments
Harold E. Smith Petitions Federal Radio Commission in Washington — Television Permit Originally Granted in July, 1928—Experiments Successful
By GEORGE H. MANNING
(Washington Correspondent of The Beacon News)
Washington, D. C.—-Harold E. Smith, operator of Station WOKO at Mt. Beacon, today told the Federal Radio Commission he is prepared to spend $100,000 on television experimentation if the commission will re-issue the station’s television license, which was rescinded last March.
In requesting the permit for experimental television transmission, Smith said that he has been at work for some time installing and perfecting the equipment for television transmission. This, he explained, is the reason he has confined transmission thus far to his private wire from the station at Mt. Beacon to the WOKO studio in Poughkeepsie.
The station’s television permit was originally granted in July, 1928, and was rescinded about a month and a half ago. The station’s application requests a frequency of 4,800-4,900 kilocycles, but at the hearing it was amended to request whatever frequency is necessary to bring it within the experimental television bands, as was the request for 100 watts power in the original application.
Station WOKO began operation in 1924 on Dyckman street, Peekskill, said Mr. Smith. Shortly afterward, when he acquired it, the station was moved to Poughkeepsie, where it remained until last year. It was then transferred to Mt. Beacon, its present location.
The commission, in permitting this change, allotted the station a frequency of 1,440 kilocycles in place of the 1,390 it previously enjoyed.
In outlining his plans for future development of television, Mr. Smith declared that within ten days he will have installed a crystal control which is expected to eliminate completely the trouble the station has encountered in remaining on its channel. He stated he has tried five different crystals in an attempt to remedy this trouble.
Evidence was adduced showing the success attained Monday of this week in transmission of images from the station at Mt. Beacon to the studio in Poughkeepsie, and examples of the present program given over the regular radio channels were submitted to show the manner in which the station has served the community.
In conclusion, Mr. Smith told the commission that he is absolutely independent of utility or other corporations, and that he has available $100,000 with which to conduct experimental television work on his own initiative.

Success came quickly. The News of May 25th:

Washington, D. C.—Harold E. Smith, owner of the broadcasting station WOKO, Mt. Beacon, today received permission from the federal radio commission to conduct television experiments over his experimental television station, W2-XBU, an hour daily.
The commission for the present will restrict Smith to experiments between 1 and 2 p.m. A license with the proviso is being issued him.
The action was taken on the recommendation of the engineering division which, according Carl H. Butman, secretary of the commission, felt that this would be a fair arrangement for Smith. Later, said Butman, the commission will, if Smith wishes it, consider a more generous allowance of time for him, although it will not at this time pledge itself as to the future.

The TV station had a regular schedule for a time, as we learn from the News of July 15, 1929 and an almost verbatim story three days later in the Eagle-News. The programming was certainly experimental, though not very entertaining.

Visual Program Being Sent Out by WOKO Daily
Visual broadcasting Station W-2XBU, located on the summit of Mt. Beacon, is now operating on a daily schedule between 1 and 2 p. m., Eastern Standard Time, or 2 and 3 p. m. Daylight Saving Time.
It is possible for the average experimenter to get great pleasure and experience by building his own television receiver, perhaps more correctly called televisor. Many people have the idea that the televisor is a complicated piece of apparatus, when in reality it is quite simple to construct. All that is necessary to receive pictures transmitted by W2XBU is a short wave receiving set and a three stage resistance coupled amplifier, scanning disc, motor and neon tube. Many of the leading Radio Magazines contain data on how to build your television receiver.
The schedule and data of W2XBU is as follows: Twenty-four lines, 1,200 revolutions per minute top to bottom and right to left. The subjects now used consist of living persons, placards, letters and so forth. The wave length used is 145 meters. Although the pictures transmitted are not perfect, still the average experimenter will find receiving television a most interesting diversion.

It would seem there was no sound as, in those days, audio and video could not be transmitted on the same frequency.

How long Smith carried on with his daily televised schedule is unknown. As time progressed, he relocated his radio station yet again, and had moved from Poughkeepsie. The Newburgh News published this story in early 1931, television being a bit of an afterthought:

More Time On Air Asked by WOKO
Washington, Feb. 26—Broadcasting Station WOKO, of Albany, formerly of Poughkeepsie, has asked the Federal Radio Commission for permission to operate simultaneously with WHEC-WABO during daytime hours and share time with same station at night. WOKO now shares time with the station both day and night on 1,440 kilocycles.
Harold E. Smith, Menands, N. Y. has asked for permission to move the transmitter of Station W2XBU from Mount Beacon to Menands.

The engineering division of the Radio Commission proposed, on December 4, 1930, realignment of 19 experimental television stations to avoid signal conflicts. It recommended Smith move his 100-watt station to Channel 2,000 to 2,100 kcs., out of the A.M. band.

It’s unlikely W2XBU ever went back on the air. The end was near. The New York Sun did not have it in its list of transmitting stations, published Sept. 19, 1931. And it reported on the action of the Commission on Sept. 12:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19— Two of the score or more of pending applicants for the privilege of broadcasting on the television wave lengths have forfeited their applications before the Federal Radio Commission by reason of failure to file the requisite papers indicating their intentions to appear for a public hearing before a commission examiner....
The forfeited applications are those of Harold E. Smith of Menands, N. Y., formerly operator of visual station W2XBU, who sought authority to rebuild his station to operate with 100 watts in the 2,000-2,100 kilocycle band, and [another applicant] ...
No reasons were given for their withdrawal, nor were any descriptions given of the proposed apparatus to be used.

So ends the story of W2XBU.

Smith, however, carried on in broadcasting. In 1939, he put together a booklet on WOKO (available on the invaluable World Radio History site) in celebration of its new studios. His profile reads:

WHEN radio was in its infancy Harold E. Smith was one of the few who really foresaw to what heights it would grow and carefully prepared for the future. Evincing an early interest in radio communication, he soon qualified as a "ham" operator and acquired a station of his own at Peekskill. Broadcasting entertainment opened a new field to Harold Smith. A violinist of real attainments, he had played all over the United States and at that time was concertmaster of the Hippodrome Orchestra. Soon he acquired Station WOKO, then located in New York City, moving it to Peekskill, and thence, for a wider field, to Poughkeepsie, New York. The transmitter, after careful experimentation, was situated atop Mount Beacon, 1500 feet above sea level and the station assumed the slogan, "The Voice from the Clouds."
Still wider fields were sought by Mr. Smith and his far-seeing eye looked toward Albany, the Capital of the Empire State. To think something, dream of it a short time and then move to its accomplishment — that is how Harold E. Smith works. So February, 1931, saw the establishment of WOKO in the Hotel Ten Eyck at Albany, and its affiliation with the Columbia Broadcasting System. To bring additional service to Albany radio listeners, in 1934 he brought WABY to the city and negotiated its affiliation with the NBC Blue network.
His most recent contribution to Albany stands on Elk Street — the beautiful new Radio Centre, embodying all the technical advances in radio art and a fine decorative scheme. From this location WOKO and WABY will continue to serve the Capital District.
Mr. Smith as general manager of the stations knows every department of the broadcasting situation. He is a radio engineer of note and a musician who demands the best in program performance. The next development in radio, television, has already had Harold Smith's attention. While WOKO was at Poughkeepsie, a television experimental station on Mount Beacon under his direction conducted some very successful tests. All around qualifications fit the subject of our brief sketch preeminently as an ideal station owner end executive.

While Smith had moved away from television, in 1939 he was pioneering in another area: WOKO was offering a facsimile service.

We’ve been able to glean other information about him from newspapers, directories and government records.

Harold Everett Smith was born in Peekskill on October 11, 1891. His parents were Everett and Estella Smith; his father was a barber. In 1910, 18-year-old Harold was living his family and teaching the violin, then added a job as a clerk with the New York Telephone Company the following year. He served in World War One, enlisting in August 1918 and discharged as a technical sergeant the following February. In 1920, he was back with his parents, working as a theatre as a musician and five years later, the Peekskill directory shows him as “sec-treas Radio Service, Inc.” but he gave his occupation to census takers that year as a violinist. He was able to put the violin to use on his radio station, as WOKO schedules in the local paper list his performances.

Smith denied to the News, in a story on Jan. 4, 1930, that he had obtained a license to marry Helen E. Schollderfer. “There are lots of Harold E. Smiths in the United States, I guess,” he said. Actually, there had been another in Arlington, near Poughkeepsie, but he and his wife, the former Helen Schollderfer, can be found in the 1931 Poughkeepsie city directory.

WOKO’s business dealings weren’t altogether forthright, either. Smith wanted a crack at a CBS affiliation but network director Sam Pickard said the station had to move to Albany to get it. Done. Some WOKO shares to Pickard helped grease the deal. The only thing is no one told the F.C.C. that Pickard had an interest in WOKO. The Commission found out 12 years after the fact and in 1945 refused to renew WOKO’s license. A new licensee took over the WOKO frequency in 1947. Smith then went into the potato chip business.

His health wasn’t good in later years. The Albany Times-Union reported in March 1951 he was in fair condition after a coronary attack. He died in Albany on July 23, 1954, age 62. A memorial service was held by the local Freemasons of Greenbush Lodge No. 337; Smith was a member of Courtland Lodge No. 34 in Peekskill and a member of the Cyprus Shrine. He was public spirited, serving on a jury in 1943 investigating election fraud and organising flights with the Civilian Air Patrol. That was the same year WOKO sent out a broadcast in German. No, Smith wasn’t some sort of Fifth Columnist. It seems A.T. and T. likely got some wires crossed and put an Office of War Information short-wave broadcast on his station by mistake.

In an era of soulless media congolerates, it’s good to remember it wasn’t that way at one time, that a small-town guy could get a TV license in the days when spinning discs with holes ruled the air.