How did the term STATION come to be used for a TV or radio transmission center?It’s sort of a headquarters more accurately.The word channel is easier to understand.
These recent terms can usually be tracked down to one person.
recent??? References to radio and TV “stations” go back 100 years, to the earliest days of wireless. For example:
“This report was so favorable that the Department placed two ships and a torpedo boat of the North Atlantic Squadron at the disposal of Mr. Marconi for further experiments in connection with a third station, established by permission of the Treasury Department on the grounds of the Highland Lights, near the entrance to the port of New York.”
(Source: “The Marconi System of Wireless Telegraphy” section of the report of R. B. Bradford, Chief of the Bureau of Equipment, October 1, 1900, from the Annual Reports of the Navy Department for the Year 1900.)
Station just means a facility, for example train station, weather station, police station, etc. Its been the standard term for radio and TV facilities from the beginning.
I always took it to mean position within a frequency range. I don’t think it’s really used as much in this sense anymore, but wasn’t the word “station” also used to denote position?
It could also be a shortening of “stationary position”.
“It’s only common sense,
There are no accidents 'round here.”
Well, the dictionary is somewhat less helpful than usual. According to MW, there are at least nine varying uses of the word “station”.
Apparently they all come from the same root meaning “to stand” in Latin, so there may be something to the idea that they are in a fixed location (both their broadcast frequency and their location). I have heard the term “mobile station” used before too, so add that to your list of oxymorons.
“Sometimes I think the web is just a big plot to keep people like me away from normal society.” — Dilbert
I have heard the term “mobile station” used before too, so add that to your list of oxymorons.
How is “a [mobile] complete assemblage of radio or television equipment for transmitting or receiving” an oxymoron? A “mobile stationary” would be an oxymoron, but a “mobile [facility]” is not.
yeah, the station IS stationary, that much I gather.good enough.
–It should be “mobile studios.” But who expects good English from a disc jockey?
I can cut them down. I are one.
Oh, sorry. I was refering to my previous sentence…
If you assume they are called “stations” because they are in a fixed location then “mobile station” becomes an oxymoron. If you assume a different reason for being called stations then it isn’t.
“Sometimes I think the web is just a big plot to keep people like me away from normal society.” — Dilbert