(EDIT (COX) 14th – See POST#1946 . (TDX & COX work them at Writtle))
On 14th February 1922 the Marconi Company began to broadcast a five-minute program of speech and music within the weekly half-hour calibration transmission. The broadcasts were made weekly on Tuesday made using the callsign 2MT from an ex-army hut in the village of Writtle near Chelmsford. Initially, the station had only 200 Watts and transmitted on 700m (428 kHz) using an inverted-L antenna.
The enthusiastic team, led by Captain Peter Eckersley, assembled their transmitter together with a gramophone player, microphone, and on occasions a piano from the local public house, to entertain listeners. The regular announcement; “This is Two Emma Toc, Writtle testing, Writtle testing”, became quite well known.
This was the first regular wireless broadcast for entertainment in the UK and its success provided the foundation for the formation of the BBC later in 1922.
Members of Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) will operate a special event station to commemorate this historic event. A special callsign, GB100-2MT, is active during February – and on 14th February will operate from Writtle, close to where the original broadcasts were made. Operating will be on HF, as well as locally on VHF/UHF.
QSOs will be confirmed on LOTW and eQSL. Sorry no QSL cards, or bureau.
Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) – http://www.g0mwt.org.uk