MARCHI

Ken-Rad is the name associated with Kentucky Radio Corporation and tube production in Owensboro, Kentucky. Its history began in the electric-lamp industry: experience in working glass and filaments opened the way to radio tubes. In 1930 Ken-Rad appeared among manufacturers licensed to make tubes under RCA patents. The brand thus entered the American receiving-tube and replacement markets while retaining its own commercial identity.

Production included types for radio sets and, as the field developed, other tubes for electronic and professional uses. During the Second World War the company's industrial capacity also served military orders. Owensboro is essential to understanding Ken-Rad's history, but the city's name is not part of every tube designation and cannot by itself date an example.

In 1945 the tube division was sold to General Electric. The continuation of production after the sale does not erase the Ken-Rad name retrospectively or turn GE and Ken-Rad into a single brand. A Ken-Rad-marked tube from before the acquisition, later work at the plant and a tube sold as GE belong to different phases. Attributing an example requires its visible marking, type and documentation from the period.