2MT
Encyclopedia
2MT was the first British radio station
to make regular entertainment broadcasts.
Transmissions began on 14 February 1922 from an ex-Army hut next to the Marconi
laboratories at Writtle
, near Chelmsford
in Essex. Initially the station only had 200 watts and transmitted on 700m (428kHz) on Tuesdays from 2000 to 2030.
Two Emma Toc, in the spelling alphabet
of the day, was a surprising success. The presenter, producer, actor-manager and writer was Captain P. P. Eckersley, a Marconi engineer. His regular announcement; "This is Two Emma Toc, Writtle testing, Writtle testing", became in short time quite well known.
2MT led to the creation of its sister station 2LO
, and subsequently the BBC
. 2MT did not itself become part of the BBC and finally closed down on 17 January 1923.
Peter Eckersley went on to become the founding Chief Engineer at the British Broadcasting Company.
The Marconi Hut site at Writtle is commemorated by a nearby information board at Melba Court — named after Dame Nellie Melba who made Britain's first publicised entertainment broadcast from Marconi's New Street factory — unveiled in 1997 by Marconi's daughter Princess Elettra Marconi. The site was sold off and the land used for housing development in the 1990s.
A significant part of the original Writtle hut is now preserved at the Sandford Mill Museum of Science and Industry in North Chelmsford, where it forms part of a wireless and broadcasting historic exhibit.
The call has been used from then until 2004 when the Stanmore Site was closed and moved to Capability Green, Luton, Bedfordshire, under the BAE Systems banner and which is now SELEX Galileo. The call "G2MT" is not as well used as the modern building construction has severely limited the possibilities of having a permanent transmitting station. However, occasionally, one of The Marconi Radio Society members will bring along mobile transmitting equipment and give people the chance to hear (G)2MT perculating through the aether once again.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
to make regular entertainment broadcasts.
Transmissions began on 14 February 1922 from an ex-Army hut next to the Marconi
Marconi Company
The Marconi Company Ltd. was founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company...
laboratories at Writtle
Writtle
The village of Writtle lies a mile west of Chelmsford, Essex, England, it has a traditional village green, complete with duck pond and a Norman church; and was once described as: 'one of the loveliest villages in England, with a ravishing variety of ancient cottages'...
, near Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
in Essex. Initially the station only had 200 watts and transmitted on 700m (428kHz) on Tuesdays from 2000 to 2030.
Two Emma Toc, in the spelling alphabet
Spelling alphabet
A spelling alphabet, radio alphabet, or telephone alphabet is a set of words which are used to stand for the letters of an alphabet. Each word in the spelling alphabet typically replaces the name of the letter with which it starts...
of the day, was a surprising success. The presenter, producer, actor-manager and writer was Captain P. P. Eckersley, a Marconi engineer. His regular announcement; "This is Two Emma Toc, Writtle testing, Writtle testing", became in short time quite well known.
2MT led to the creation of its sister station 2LO
2LO
2LO was the second radio station to regularly broadcast in the United Kingdom . It began broadcasting on 11 May 1922, for one hour a day from the seventh floor of Marconi House in London's Strand...
, and subsequently the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. 2MT did not itself become part of the BBC and finally closed down on 17 January 1923.
Peter Eckersley went on to become the founding Chief Engineer at the British Broadcasting Company.
The Marconi Hut site at Writtle is commemorated by a nearby information board at Melba Court — named after Dame Nellie Melba who made Britain's first publicised entertainment broadcast from Marconi's New Street factory — unveiled in 1997 by Marconi's daughter Princess Elettra Marconi. The site was sold off and the land used for housing development in the 1990s.
A significant part of the original Writtle hut is now preserved at the Sandford Mill Museum of Science and Industry in North Chelmsford, where it forms part of a wireless and broadcasting historic exhibit.
G2MT in 1983
In 1983 the Marconi Company main site, in Stanmore Middlesex, found itself with an Amateur Radio Club which applied for the call "2MT" to be issued. The UK Authorities decided that they could not issue the call without the Prefix "G" and so The Marconi Radio Society re-launched (G)2MT on the airwaves with many dignitaries present for the event.The call has been used from then until 2004 when the Stanmore Site was closed and moved to Capability Green, Luton, Bedfordshire, under the BAE Systems banner and which is now SELEX Galileo. The call "G2MT" is not as well used as the modern building construction has severely limited the possibilities of having a permanent transmitting station. However, occasionally, one of The Marconi Radio Society members will bring along mobile transmitting equipment and give people the chance to hear (G)2MT perculating through the aether once again.