American Forces Network
Encyclopedia
The American Forces Network (AFN) is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces
American Forces Radio
and Television
Service (AFRTS, commonly pronounced "A-farts") for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide. The AFN worldwide radio and television broadcast network serves American service men and women, Department of Defense and other US government civilians and their families stationed at bases overseas, as well as U.S. Navy ships at sea. AFN broadcasts popular American radio and television programs from the major U.S. networks. It is sometimes referred to as the Armed Forces Network. AFRTS, American Forces Network and AFN are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Defense.
(DMA). AFN falls under the operational control of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
(OASD-PA). Editorial control is by the Department of Defense
, whereas the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS)
for example, is independent of the Ministry of Defence
and the British armed forces.
AFN employs military broadcasters as well as DoD civilians and contractors. Service personnel hold broadcasting occupational specialties
for their military branch.
Since 1997, all of AFN's military personnel receive primary training at the Defense Information School
(DINFOS) at Fort George G. Meade
in Maryland
. Prior to 1997, DINFOS was located at Fort Benjamin Harrison
in Indianapolis, Indiana
. In 1997, Fort Benjamin Harrison was largely closed as a function of the 1991 Base Closure and Realignment Commission. Additional/Advanced training is also available at Fort George G. Meade.
Some of AFN's broadcasters have previous commercial broadcasting
experience prior to enlisting in the military, but it is not a prerequisite for enlistment in the military as a broadcaster. During their training, the broadcasters are taught to use state-of-the-art audio and visual editing equipment similar to their civilian counterparts.
AFN management is located in Alexandria, Virginia, but will move to the new DMA headquarters, soon to be built, at Fort George G. Meade by September, 2011. Day-to-day AFN broadcast operations are conducted at the AFN Broadcast Center/Defense Media Center in Riverside, California
, from where all global radio and television satellite feeds emanate.
established the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS). A television service was first introduced in 1954 with a "pilot" station at Limestone AFB, Maine. In 1954, the television mission of AFRS was officially recognized and AFRS (Armed Forces Radio Service) became AFRTS (Armed Forces Radio and Television Service). All of the Armed Forces broadcasting affiliates worldwide merged under the AFN banner on 1 January 1998. On November 21, 2000, The American Forces Information Service directed a change of the AFRTS organizational title from Armed Forces Radio and Television Service back to American Forces Radio and Television Service. A timeline of the history of AFN is available online.
s, but none were officially recognized until 1942. The success of these individual radio stations helped pave the way for the AFN. As such, there was no single station that could be called the "first" to sign on as an AFN station. About two months before formal establishment of AFN, however, a station called "PCAN" began regular broadcast information service in the Panama Canal Zone
, primarily for troops on jungle bivouac
. The station, located at Fort Clayton
, was later to become part of AFRS, first simply as "Armed Forces Network" located at Albrook Field
.
The first transmission to U.S. troops began at 5:45 p.m. on July 4, 1943 and included less than five hours of recorded shows, a BBC news
and sports broadcast. That day, Corporal
Syl Binkin became the first U.S. Military broadcaster heard over the air. The signal was sent from London via telephone lines to five regional transmitter
s to reach U.S. troops in the United Kingdom as they made preparations for the inevitable invasion
of Nazi-occupied Europe.
Fearing competition for civilian audiences the BBC initially tried to impose restrictions on AFN broadcasts within Britain (transmissions were only allowed from American Bases outside London and were limited to 50 watts of transmission power) and a minimum quota of British produced programming had to be carried. Nevertheless AFN programmes were widely enjoyed by the British civilian listeners who could receive them and once AFN operations transferred to continental Europe (shortly after D-Day) AFN were able to broadcast with little restriction with programmes available to civilian audiences across most of Europe (including Britain) after dark.
As D-Day approached, the network joined with the BBC and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
to develop programs especially for the Allied Expeditionary Forces. Mobile stations, complete with personnel, broadcasting equipment, and a record library were deployed to broadcast music and news to troops in the field. The mobile stations reported on front line activities and fed the news reports back to studio locations in London.
Although the network's administrative headquarters remained in London, its operational headquarters soon moved to AFN Paris.
As Allied forces continued to push German soldiers back into their homeland, AFN moved east as well. The liberation of most of Western Europe saw AFN stations serving the forces liberating Biarritz
, Cannes
, Le Havre
, Marseille
, Nice
, Paris, and Reims
.
and Korean War
.
During the 1950s and 60's civilian audiences in Europe widely listened to AFN, as American music was very popular but rarely played on most European broadcasting stations (which at the time were largely state operated). This was particularly the case in Communist bloc countries, where (despite the language barrier) it was seen as an alternative way of maintaining contact with the west, and had the added bonus of not being subjected to radio jamming
unlike such stations as Radio Free Europe
which carried news in Eastern European languages.
Especially popular were 'There's Music in the Air' in the fifties, aired on about 19:00 CET. The program had Belle of the Ball by Leroy Anderson
as its theme tune.
In France, about a dozen AFN stations operated, with AFN Orléans, equipped with studios, as the control station. The network broadcasted music, shows, news relayed from AFN Frankfurt, locally produced shows and other features aimed at the American soldiers and their families stationed in France. In particular, a whole team of reporters and technicians was sent to Le Mans to report the 24 hours race, at a time when Ford was doing its best to beat the Ferraris, and finally succeeded. AFN France consisted in 50 watts, frequency modulated transmitters purchased from a French manufacturer (TRT)type OZ 305. The network employed a technical director, a program director, several American broadcast professionals on military duty, and some French studio operators, record librarians, secretaries and maintenance technicians. The program was fed from AFN Orléans studios to the slave transmitters via modulation lines rented from the French postmaster. AFN France was dismantled in 1967, when the US Forces left France, due to the French government's decision, under General DeGaulle, to withdraw its forces from the NATO's military command. The French employees were dismissed. They were granted a severance pay (in French Francs and taxable) of one month per year of service, paid by the US Army to the French government, in dollars (all the French employees were managed by a specially created service: le Bureau d'Aide aux Armées Alliées AAA).
, Army broadcasters set up in Seoul
, in the Banto Hotel (the old American Embassy Hotel). When the Chinese entered Seoul in December, 1950, the crew moved to a mobile unit that was just completed and retreated to Daegu, South Korea. Due to the large number of American troops in Korea, a number of stations were also started. Mobile units followed combat units to provide news and entertainment on the radio. By the time the 1953 armistice was signed, these mobile units became buildings with transmitters, and a network, American Forces Korea Network, was born.
Canadian and American television personality Jim Perry began his broadcasting career fresh out of high school with the Armed Forces Korea Network, under his birthname of Jim Dooley, spending one year in Korea before moving on to the University of Pennsylvania
to advance his education.
in the late 1950s. The office and the equipment were stationed in Saltanat-abad area of Tehran. Its listeners (and viewers) were American military personnel stationed in Iran as part of ARMISH and MAAG programs, as well as non-military Iranians and foreigners residing in Iran. The AFRTS ceased to operate on 25 October 1976 the day prior to the Shah's 57th birthday. Radio 1555 closed with presenter: Air Force Staff Sergeant Barry Cantor playing as the last record: Roger Whittaker's 'Durham Town' (The Leaving). This was followed by a closing announcement by Chief Master Sergeant and Station Manager: Bob Woodruff ("After 22 years of audio broadcasting and 17 years of telecasting in Tehran, AFRTS Radio 1555 and TV Channel 7 cease all operations in this country at this time"). The station closed with the American National Anthem. On 26 October 1976 a new government owned International Service of National Iranian Radio & Television (NIRT) began. A new TV service began on Channel 5 and the new English language radio service with two English and one American presenter, together with English and international news staff provided popular music and news (in Persian, French, German, Russian and English) for listeners of all nationalities in Tehran and throughout Iran.
increased, AFRTS opened radio and later television stations there. During the Vietnam War, the first American Forces Vietnam Network (AFVN) broadcasts were beamed to the ground from fully equipped flying studios
operated by the United States Navy
.
AFRTS stations in Vietnam were initially known by the name "AFRS" (Armed Forces Radio Saigon), but as the number of stations quickly expanded throughout South Vietnam became known as "AFVN" (American Forces Vietnam Network) and had several stations including Qui Nhơn
, Nha Trang
, Pleiku
, Da Nang
and Huế
, the latter being overrun by the NVA in 1968 and replaced by a station in Quảng Trị
. AFVN's headquarters station was located in Saigon.
In Vietnam, AFVN had a number of war related casualties. After a fierce fire fight that killed two soldiers and a civilian contractor, the remaining AFVN station staff at Huế was captured and spent five years as prisoners of war. At the height of American involvement in the war, Armed Forces Vietnam Network served over 500,000 fighting men and women at one time. AFVN developed a program along the lines of "G.I. Jive" from World War II. A number of local disc jockeys helped make hour-long music programs for broadcast. Perhaps the best known program became the morning "Dawn Buster" program, (the brainchild of Chief Petty Officer Bryant Arbuckle in 1962) thanks to the popularity of the sign-on slogan "Gooooood Morning, Vietnam" (which was initiated by Adrian Cronauer
and later became the basis for the film Good Morning Vietnam starring Robin Williams
). Among the notable people who were AFVN disc jockeys were Gary Gears, Lee Hansen, Cronauer and Pat Sajak
. Beginning in 1971 AFVN began to close some stations in Vietnam. The last station to close was the key station in Saigon in 1973. Broadcasting continued under civilian leadership on FM only and using the acronym ARS for American Radio Service. The civilian engineers were provided by Pacific Architects and Engineers [PAE]. ARS stayed on the air until the fall of Saigon in April 1975. It famously played "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" as a signal for Americans to leave the city as the fall of Saigon approached.
In April, 1970, a battle-damaged F-4 fighter-bomber, returning from a reconnaissance mission to survey a road being built by the Chinese toward Burma in northwest Laos, crashed into the AFTN station, killing nine of the Air Force broadcasters. This incident was the single worst catastrophe in the history of military broadcasting.
AFTN became the American Forces Thailand Network in the summer of 1969, and continued operations until the spring of 1976 when the remaining US troops in Thailand were withdrawn at the request of the Thai government. More than 600 broadcasters from the Air Force, Navy, and Army had served during the ten years that AFTN operated.
The history of AFTN can be found at the www.aftn.net web site along with a memorial to the nine broadcasters who gave their lives in the service of their country.
with translators located on the Atlantic side of the Canal Zone. In the early 1960s with reorganization of the command located in the Canal Zone, CFN became the Southern Command Network (SCN). SCN also broadcasted to U.S. troops stationed in Honduras
starting in 1987. SCN discontinued broadcasting in 1999 just before the turnover of the Canal Zone to the Republic of Panama when U.S. troops were removed from that country pursuant to the Torrijos-Carter Treaties
.
AFN radio broadcasts via relay sites around the world to provide service to ships, including Diego Garcia, Guam, Sigonella in Italy, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and others.
by Air Force
Television at Ramstein Air Base
, Germany. In the early 1970s, AFN assumed this responsibility for the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS).
On October 28, 1976, AFN television moved from AFTV's old black and white studios at Ramstein to the network's new color television studios in Frankfurt. In the 1980s the network added affiliates with studio capabilities in Würzburg
, Germany, and Soesterberg, the Netherlands. In 2004, AFN Europe headquarters relocated to Coleman Barracks
in Mannheim
, Germany.
, Seoul and six relay transmitters throughout the peninsula. AFKN's first live television newscast aired on January 4, 1959. Until December 2007, the channel was widely available to non-military audiences on cable television
, but following complaints from US companies trying to sell programs in South Korea
, USFK requested that the Korean Broadcasting Commission direct the removal of Pacific Prime from the Korean cable lineups.
(FEN), has one full-power VHF terrestrial TV outlet. Located on Okinawa atop the Rycom Plaza Housing area in the central part of the island, AFN-Okinawa's (U.S. channel 8) TV signal serves Marines
, Airmen
, Sailors
, Soldiers
, and their families stationed on-island. AFN-Japan also operates three low-power UHF
terrestrial transmitters at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
, Commander U.S Fleet Activities Sasebo, and Misawa Air Base
. TV viewers on military bases in the Tokyo and Kanto Plain area of Japan can view AFN via contractor-operated base cable TV services, or through AFN Direct-To-Home (DTH) dishes if they reside off-base.
AFN-Japan's radio services consist of AM and FM stereo operations at Yokota Air Base
(810 AM & cable FM), MCAS Iwakuni (1575 AM), FLTACTS Sasebo (1575 AM), Okinawa (89.1 FM & 648 AM) and Misawa Air Base (1575 AM).
With the availability of AFN's DTH service, terrestrial over-the-air TV broadcasts at all AFN outlets are slated for deactivation in the near future.
and Saudi Arabia
for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. These broadcasters reported to families of soldiers deployed from Europe, and staffed a number of the U.S. radio stations making up the Armed Forces Desert Network. The first song on the air after the start of the ground offensive was Rock the Casbah
by The Clash
.
. The first song on the air was Freedom by Paul McCartney
. Within a short period of time, Freedom Radio was broadcasting on multiple FM channels from as far south as Basra to as far north as Mosul.
AFN-Iraq, Freedom Radio began as a joint effort between the Air Force, the Marines, and the Army. The very first unit to operate the station was the 222nd Broadcast Operations Detachment, an Army Reserve unit out of Southern California. "Always There and On The Air" was the phrase that started it all, even though there were only 8 hours of live radio to kick things off.
After an introduction from Lt. Gen.
Ricardo Sanchez
, the Commander of Coalition Ground Forces in Iraq, Air Force Master Sergeant Erik Brazones was the first DJ on the air. When the 222nd BOD took the reins of the radio operations, the first two regular radio shows were "Niki Cage in the morning" and "Abbey in the Afternoon".
. Its radio frequency throughout Afghanistan is 94.1 and 97.1 in Manas and produces live local shows. Its first radio transmission was at 0630 on Friday, 21 July 2006. Beyond radio AFN Afghanistan also does television news. It produces a daily 5 minute newscast which is called Freedom Watch Afghanistan and airs on the Pentagon Channel
.
The station is typically staffed with Air Force broadcasters but also slots Army, Navy and Marine broadcasters as well. For support there is usually a four-man team of engineers to handle all transmission, decoder, and satellite issues. They typically don't answer their phone and have absolutely no iota of knowledge regarding satellite setup.
. The U.S. defense drawdown began in earnest after the Gulf War, and impacted AFN stations across Europe, as many stations were consolidated or deactivated with the closing of bases. In Europe, AFN is still on the air from Tuzla
, Bosnia
and Taszár
, Hungary to inform and entertain U.S. forces.
AFN went on the air May 29 with service at the Tirana
airport in Albania
with satellite decoders and large screen televisions placed in high traffic areas. At the same time, the AFN also advanced into the Yugoslav province of Kosovo
along with NATO.
AFN viewers abroad witnessed live television coverage of the terrorist attacks
on The Pentagon
and World Trade Center
on September 11, 2001.
During military operations in Afghanistan
and Iraq AFN provided non-stop coverage of the campaigns. AFN broadcast personnel from Europe deployed with the troops to cover events. Today AFN has a staffed affiliate in Iraq, AFN-Baghdad
(launched 2003).
Wherever large numbers of US troops are deployed, the AFN sets up operation, providing news and entertainment from home. Today AFN has several satellites and uses advanced digital compression technology to broadcast TV and radio to 177 countries and territories, as well as on board U.S. Navy vessels.
format of 525 lines. All programming delivered by satellite is PowerVu
encrypted DVB. While programming is provided to AFN by major American TV networks and program syndicators at little to no-cost, for copyright
and licensing reasons it is intended solely for U.S. Forces personnel, authorized Department of Defense civilian employees, State Department
diplomatic personnel, and their families overseas.
AFN-TV is available to authorized viewers by "Direct-To-Home" (DTH) service with set-top decoders purchased or leased through military exchanges (similar to a membership store), licensed/contracted commercial cable operators, purchased used from other military members (the cheapest option) or terrestrial signal. The advent of DTH service coincides with the phasing-out of AFN terrestrial TV broadcasts due to reclamation of frequencies by host nations.
AFN also inserts public service announcements from the Ad Council. Some of the 35 overseas AFN affiliates have the capability to cover the "worldwide" CI spots placed by the AFN Broadcast Center in California with regional or locally produced CI spots (such as localized messages from senior leadership).
Many service members welcome this approach, while others find it troublesome, especially during the airing of the Super Bowl
.
The network is allowed to broadcast commercial movie promotion trailers provided by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) and the Navy Motion Picture Service (NMPS) to promote the latest film releases in base theaters worldwide. Previously these were the only true "commercials" authorized for broadcast. AFN has recently started airing advertisements for colleges and universities, including for-profit universities such as the University of Phoenix
which has been a source of controversy.
AFN Radio and TV schedules are available at myafn.net.
. Ryan Seacrest
's AT 40
, The Rick Dees' Weekly Top 40
and the American Country Countdown
with Kix Brooks
are broadcast weekly over AFN Radio. In addition to music, AFN broadcasts syndicated talk radio
programs such as Car Talk
, Kidd Kraddick in the Morning
, Kim Komando
, The Rush Limbaugh Show
, The Motley Fool
Radio Show, A Prairie Home Companion
, Doug Stephan
,Titillating Sports with Rick Tittle, Sports Overnight America
, and other programs form a variety of sources. Weekly religious programming is offered to AFN stations via closed-circuit.
On December 5, 2005, liberal/progressive Ed Schultz
and conservative talk show host Sean Hannity
were added to the radio programs provided by the AFN Broadcast Center to its affiliate stations. Liberal Alan Colmes rounds out the political talk lineup on The Voice channel.
On April 24, 2006, AFN Europe launched AFN The Eagle, a virtually 24-hour-a-day radio service format initially modeled after "Jack FM
" but most recently a "Hot AC" format. This replaced ZFM, which had more of a CHR flavor. When the Eagle was launched AFN Europe took control of what local DJs could play.
Altogether, AFN produces 10 general-use streams for AFN stations to use. Of these, seven are music-based, two are sports-based, and one is a general news/talk channel, The Voice, which also features live play-by-play of American sports. (it's also the one heard on shortwave, if the shortwave radio has Single sideband (also known as SSB) installed). How these stations use these formats is up to them. These formats are:
, public health and safety, force protection/anti-terrorism, pride in service, and messages to the troops.
AFN produces and broadcasts eight core satellite television channels in NTSC
color. They are accessible to both military and foreign service personnel abroad. All 8 feeds are accessible in core areas, including but not limited to European, Korean, and Japanese posts. Much of the rest of the world is limited to a smaller but more widespread naval broadcast.
Unless specified, the first telecast of each channel targets the Japan/Korea region, then replayed several hours later for the Central European time zone.
The AFN transmitters in Germany are operated by different authorities but most are operated directly by the U.S. military. Some are the property of Deutsche Telekom
, while others are controlled by German public broadcasting corporations
.
. Table may be incorrect and incomplete. Please correct and expand if necessary.
The AFN FM
Transmitters in Saudi Arabia
is managed by two authorities, the U.S. military and Saudi Aramco
.
AFN Rota Radio - The Eagle
AFN Prime Atlantic/AFN Benelux (NTSC)
Radio:
AFN Benelux
AFN Benelux - The Eagle
resource:
See: AFN Shortwave Frequencies
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
American Forces Radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and Television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
Service (AFRTS, commonly pronounced "A-farts") for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide. The AFN worldwide radio and television broadcast network serves American service men and women, Department of Defense and other US government civilians and their families stationed at bases overseas, as well as U.S. Navy ships at sea. AFN broadcasts popular American radio and television programs from the major U.S. networks. It is sometimes referred to as the Armed Forces Network. AFRTS, American Forces Network and AFN are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Defense.
Organization
The American Forces Network (AFN) is the operational arm of the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS), an office of the Defense Media ActivityDefense Media Activity
The Defense Media Activity falls under the Department of Defense and tries to modernize DoD media operations by consolidating military service and DoD media components into a single, integrated and transformed organization.-Divisions:...
(DMA). AFN falls under the operational control of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
Public affairs (military)
Public Affairs is a term for the formal offices of the branches of the United States Department of Defense whose purpose is to deal with the media and community issues. The term is also used for numerous media relations offices that are created by the U.S. military for more specific limited purposes...
(OASD-PA). Editorial control is by the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, whereas the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS)
British Forces Broadcasting Service
The British Forces Broadcasting Service provides radio and television programmes for HM Forces, and their dependents, in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Kosovo, the Middle East, Northern Ireland and Tristan da Cunha as well as a live satellite...
for example, is independent of the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
and the British armed forces.
AFN employs military broadcasters as well as DoD civilians and contractors. Service personnel hold broadcasting occupational specialties
Military Occupational Specialty
A United States military occupation code, or a Military Occupational Specialty code , is a nine character code used in the United States Army and United States Marines to identify a specific job. In the U.S. Air Force, a system of Air Force Specialty Codes is used...
for their military branch.
Since 1997, all of AFN's military personnel receive primary training at the Defense Information School
Defense Information School
The Defense Information School, or DINFOS, is a United States Department of Defense school located at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. Members from all branches of the U.S...
(DINFOS) at Fort George G. Meade
Fort George G. Meade
Fort George G. Meade is a United States Army installation that includes the Defense Information School, the United States Army Field Band, and the headquarters of United States Cyber Command, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Courier Service...
in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. Prior to 1997, DINFOS was located at Fort Benjamin Harrison
Fort Benjamin Harrison
Fort Benjamin Harrison was a U.S. Army post located in suburban Lawrence, Indiana, northeast of Indianapolis. It is named for the 23rd United States President, Benjamin Harrison. Land was purchased in 1903, with the post being officially named for President Harrison in honor of Indianapolis being...
in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. In 1997, Fort Benjamin Harrison was largely closed as a function of the 1991 Base Closure and Realignment Commission. Additional/Advanced training is also available at Fort George G. Meade.
Some of AFN's broadcasters have previous commercial broadcasting
Commercial broadcasting
Commercial broadcasting is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media, as opposed to state sponsorship...
experience prior to enlisting in the military, but it is not a prerequisite for enlistment in the military as a broadcaster. During their training, the broadcasters are taught to use state-of-the-art audio and visual editing equipment similar to their civilian counterparts.
AFN management is located in Alexandria, Virginia, but will move to the new DMA headquarters, soon to be built, at Fort George G. Meade by September, 2011. Day-to-day AFN broadcast operations are conducted at the AFN Broadcast Center/Defense Media Center in Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, from where all global radio and television satellite feeds emanate.
History
The American Forces Network can trace its origins back to May 26, 1942, when the War DepartmentUnited States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
established the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS). A television service was first introduced in 1954 with a "pilot" station at Limestone AFB, Maine. In 1954, the television mission of AFRS was officially recognized and AFRS (Armed Forces Radio Service) became AFRTS (Armed Forces Radio and Television Service). All of the Armed Forces broadcasting affiliates worldwide merged under the AFN banner on 1 January 1998. On November 21, 2000, The American Forces Information Service directed a change of the AFRTS organizational title from Armed Forces Radio and Television Service back to American Forces Radio and Television Service. A timeline of the history of AFN is available online.
Origins
The first Radio station began in Delta Jct, Alaska on what was then known as Ft. Greely. It was called KODK and was operated by on base personnel. In the years just preceding World War II there were several radio stations based in American military baseMilitary base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
s, but none were officially recognized until 1942. The success of these individual radio stations helped pave the way for the AFN. As such, there was no single station that could be called the "first" to sign on as an AFN station. About two months before formal establishment of AFN, however, a station called "PCAN" began regular broadcast information service in the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, primarily for troops on jungle bivouac
Bivouac shelter
A bivouac traditionally refers to a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter or protection from enemy fire or such a site where a camp may be built. It is also commonly used to describe a variety of improvised camp sites such as those used in scouting and...
. The station, located at Fort Clayton
Fort Clayton
Fort Clayton was a United States Army base in the former Panama Canal Zone, later part of the Republic of Panama. Fort Clayton was located northwest of Balboa, Panama, with the Panama Canal located nearby. It closed in 1999 pursuant to the Torrijos-Carter Treaties...
, was later to become part of AFRS, first simply as "Armed Forces Network" located at Albrook Field
Albrook Air Force Base
Albrook Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force facility in Panama. It was closed on 30 September 1997 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties which specified that United States military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zone be closed and the facilities be turned over to the...
.
World War II
The U.S. Army began broadcasting from London during World War II, using equipment and studio facilities borrowed from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).The first transmission to U.S. troops began at 5:45 p.m. on July 4, 1943 and included less than five hours of recorded shows, a BBC news
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
and sports broadcast. That day, Corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
Syl Binkin became the first U.S. Military broadcaster heard over the air. The signal was sent from London via telephone lines to five regional transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
s to reach U.S. troops in the United Kingdom as they made preparations for the inevitable invasion
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
of Nazi-occupied Europe.
Fearing competition for civilian audiences the BBC initially tried to impose restrictions on AFN broadcasts within Britain (transmissions were only allowed from American Bases outside London and were limited to 50 watts of transmission power) and a minimum quota of British produced programming had to be carried. Nevertheless AFN programmes were widely enjoyed by the British civilian listeners who could receive them and once AFN operations transferred to continental Europe (shortly after D-Day) AFN were able to broadcast with little restriction with programmes available to civilian audiences across most of Europe (including Britain) after dark.
As D-Day approached, the network joined with the BBC and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
to develop programs especially for the Allied Expeditionary Forces. Mobile stations, complete with personnel, broadcasting equipment, and a record library were deployed to broadcast music and news to troops in the field. The mobile stations reported on front line activities and fed the news reports back to studio locations in London.
Although the network's administrative headquarters remained in London, its operational headquarters soon moved to AFN Paris.
As Allied forces continued to push German soldiers back into their homeland, AFN moved east as well. The liberation of most of Western Europe saw AFN stations serving the forces liberating Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
, Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, Paris, and Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
.
Post war contraction and expansion
On December 31, 1945, AFN London signed off the air, and in 1948 AFN closed all its stations in France. This started the cycle of AFN stations where they would be built up during wartime then torn down or moved after the war was over. Of the 300 stations in operation worldwide in 1945, only 60 remained in 1949.After World War II
AFN continued its mission of connecting troops with home and boosting morale in both the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Europe
A large number of AFN stations continued broadcasting from American bases in Europe (particularly Germany) after World War II. (Eight remain on-air today. See German Wikipedia).During the 1950s and 60's civilian audiences in Europe widely listened to AFN, as American music was very popular but rarely played on most European broadcasting stations (which at the time were largely state operated). This was particularly the case in Communist bloc countries, where (despite the language barrier) it was seen as an alternative way of maintaining contact with the west, and had the added bonus of not being subjected to radio jamming
Radio jamming
Radio jamming is the transmission of radio signals that disrupt communications by decreasing the signal to noise ratio. Unintentional jamming occurs when an operator transmits on a busy frequency without first checking whether it is in use, or without being able to hear stations using the frequency...
unlike such stations as Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
which carried news in Eastern European languages.
Especially popular were 'There's Music in the Air' in the fifties, aired on about 19:00 CET. The program had Belle of the Ball by Leroy Anderson
Leroy Anderson
Leroy Anderson was an American composer of short, light concert pieces, many of which were introduced by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Arthur Fiedler...
as its theme tune.
In France, about a dozen AFN stations operated, with AFN Orléans, equipped with studios, as the control station. The network broadcasted music, shows, news relayed from AFN Frankfurt, locally produced shows and other features aimed at the American soldiers and their families stationed in France. In particular, a whole team of reporters and technicians was sent to Le Mans to report the 24 hours race, at a time when Ford was doing its best to beat the Ferraris, and finally succeeded. AFN France consisted in 50 watts, frequency modulated transmitters purchased from a French manufacturer (TRT)type OZ 305. The network employed a technical director, a program director, several American broadcast professionals on military duty, and some French studio operators, record librarians, secretaries and maintenance technicians. The program was fed from AFN Orléans studios to the slave transmitters via modulation lines rented from the French postmaster. AFN France was dismantled in 1967, when the US Forces left France, due to the French government's decision, under General DeGaulle, to withdraw its forces from the NATO's military command. The French employees were dismissed. They were granted a severance pay (in French Francs and taxable) of one month per year of service, paid by the US Army to the French government, in dollars (all the French employees were managed by a specially created service: le Bureau d'Aide aux Armées Alliées AAA).
Korean War
When war broke out in KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Army broadcasters set up in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, in the Banto Hotel (the old American Embassy Hotel). When the Chinese entered Seoul in December, 1950, the crew moved to a mobile unit that was just completed and retreated to Daegu, South Korea. Due to the large number of American troops in Korea, a number of stations were also started. Mobile units followed combat units to provide news and entertainment on the radio. By the time the 1953 armistice was signed, these mobile units became buildings with transmitters, and a network, American Forces Korea Network, was born.
Canadian and American television personality Jim Perry began his broadcasting career fresh out of high school with the Armed Forces Korea Network, under his birthname of Jim Dooley, spending one year in Korea before moving on to the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
to advance his education.
Iran
An AFRTS radio station, and later a television station, became operational in TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
in the late 1950s. The office and the equipment were stationed in Saltanat-abad area of Tehran. Its listeners (and viewers) were American military personnel stationed in Iran as part of ARMISH and MAAG programs, as well as non-military Iranians and foreigners residing in Iran. The AFRTS ceased to operate on 25 October 1976 the day prior to the Shah's 57th birthday. Radio 1555 closed with presenter: Air Force Staff Sergeant Barry Cantor playing as the last record: Roger Whittaker's 'Durham Town' (The Leaving). This was followed by a closing announcement by Chief Master Sergeant and Station Manager: Bob Woodruff ("After 22 years of audio broadcasting and 17 years of telecasting in Tehran, AFRTS Radio 1555 and TV Channel 7 cease all operations in this country at this time"). The station closed with the American National Anthem. On 26 October 1976 a new government owned International Service of National Iranian Radio & Television (NIRT) began. A new TV service began on Channel 5 and the new English language radio service with two English and one American presenter, together with English and international news staff provided popular music and news (in Persian, French, German, Russian and English) for listeners of all nationalities in Tehran and throughout Iran.
Vietnam
As the American military presence in VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
increased, AFRTS opened radio and later television stations there. During the Vietnam War, the first American Forces Vietnam Network (AFVN) broadcasts were beamed to the ground from fully equipped flying studios
Stratovision
Stratovision was an airborne television transmission relay system from aircraft flying at high altitudes. In 1945 the Glenn L. Martin Co. and Westinghouse Electric Corporation advocated television coverage of small towns and rural areas as well as the large metropolitan centers by fourteen aircraft...
operated by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
AFRTS stations in Vietnam were initially known by the name "AFRS" (Armed Forces Radio Saigon), but as the number of stations quickly expanded throughout South Vietnam became known as "AFVN" (American Forces Vietnam Network) and had several stations including Qui Nhơn
Qui Nhon
Qui Nhơn , also Quy Nhơn, is a coastal city in Binh Dinh province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of 286 km². Quy Nhon is the capital of Bình Định province. As of 2009 its population was 280,900. Historically, the commercial activities of the city...
, Nha Trang
Nha Trang
Nha Trang is a coastal city and capital of Khanh Hoa province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bounded on the North by Ninh Hoà district, on the East by the South China Sea, on the South by Cam Ranh town and on the West by Diên Khánh district...
, Pleiku
Pleiku
Pleiku is a town in central Vietnam, located in that nation's central highland region. It is the capital of the Gia Lai Province; it is inhabited primarily by the Bahnar and Jarai ethnic groups, sometimes known as the Montagnards or Degar....
, Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
and Huế
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
, the latter being overrun by the NVA in 1968 and replaced by a station in Quảng Trị
Quang Tri
Quảng Trị is a town district of Quang Tri province in the North Central Coastal region of Vietnam. Significantly, it was the only South Vietnamese provincial capital to be captured by the North Vietnamese forces for a limited period in the 1972 offensive....
. AFVN's headquarters station was located in Saigon.
In Vietnam, AFVN had a number of war related casualties. After a fierce fire fight that killed two soldiers and a civilian contractor, the remaining AFVN station staff at Huế was captured and spent five years as prisoners of war. At the height of American involvement in the war, Armed Forces Vietnam Network served over 500,000 fighting men and women at one time. AFVN developed a program along the lines of "G.I. Jive" from World War II. A number of local disc jockeys helped make hour-long music programs for broadcast. Perhaps the best known program became the morning "Dawn Buster" program, (the brainchild of Chief Petty Officer Bryant Arbuckle in 1962) thanks to the popularity of the sign-on slogan "Gooooood Morning, Vietnam" (which was initiated by Adrian Cronauer
Adrian Cronauer
Adrian Cronauer is a former United States Air Force sergeant and radio personality best known as the inspiration for the 1987 film Good Morning, Vietnam in which he was portrayed by Robin Williams....
and later became the basis for the film Good Morning Vietnam starring Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
). Among the notable people who were AFVN disc jockeys were Gary Gears, Lee Hansen, Cronauer and Pat Sajak
Pat Sajak
Pat Sajak is a television personality, former weatherman, actor and talk show host, best known as the host of the American television game show Wheel of Fortune.-Early life:...
. Beginning in 1971 AFVN began to close some stations in Vietnam. The last station to close was the key station in Saigon in 1973. Broadcasting continued under civilian leadership on FM only and using the acronym ARS for American Radio Service. The civilian engineers were provided by Pacific Architects and Engineers [PAE]. ARS stayed on the air until the fall of Saigon in April 1975. It famously played "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" as a signal for Americans to leave the city as the fall of Saigon approached.
Thailand
In Thailand, the Department of Defense began the planning for the Armed Forces Thailand Network in 1964 with Project Lamplighter and Project Limelight. By late 1966, implementation of the network began by the US Air Force with stations on the air at Korat, U-Tapao, Ubon, Udon, Tahkli, and Nahkon Phanom (NKP). In addition, there were more than 20 satellite stations that rebroadcast one or more of the primary stations and that included one or more clandestine locations in Laos.In April, 1970, a battle-damaged F-4 fighter-bomber, returning from a reconnaissance mission to survey a road being built by the Chinese toward Burma in northwest Laos, crashed into the AFTN station, killing nine of the Air Force broadcasters. This incident was the single worst catastrophe in the history of military broadcasting.
AFTN became the American Forces Thailand Network in the summer of 1969, and continued operations until the spring of 1976 when the remaining US troops in Thailand were withdrawn at the request of the Thai government. More than 600 broadcasters from the Air Force, Navy, and Army had served during the ten years that AFTN operated.
The history of AFTN can be found at the www.aftn.net web site along with a memorial to the nine broadcasters who gave their lives in the service of their country.
Caribbean
American Forces Radio and Television broadcast radio and television programming on Puerto Rico from Ramey Air Force Base and primarily from studios at U.S. Naval Station Roosevelt Roads (now decommissioned) as the American Forces Caribbean Network from the 1960s through the 1970s. Programming was also transmitted over a repeater transmitter located at San Juan.Central America
Radio, and later television, to U.S. troops stationed in the Panama Canal Zone was provided initially by Armed Forces Radio (AFN) at Albrook Field and later as the Caribbean Forces Network at Fort ClaytonFort Clayton
Fort Clayton was a United States Army base in the former Panama Canal Zone, later part of the Republic of Panama. Fort Clayton was located northwest of Balboa, Panama, with the Panama Canal located nearby. It closed in 1999 pursuant to the Torrijos-Carter Treaties...
with translators located on the Atlantic side of the Canal Zone. In the early 1960s with reorganization of the command located in the Canal Zone, CFN became the Southern Command Network (SCN). SCN also broadcasted to U.S. troops stationed in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
starting in 1987. SCN discontinued broadcasting in 1999 just before the turnover of the Canal Zone to the Republic of Panama when U.S. troops were removed from that country pursuant to the Torrijos-Carter Treaties
Torrijos-Carter Treaties
The Torrijos–Carter Treaties are two treaties signed by the United States and Panama in Washington, D.C., on September 7, 1977, which abrogated the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty of 1903...
.
Shortwave Radio
With the advent of satellite broadcasting, AFRTS has shifted its emphasis away from shortwave. Currently, the U.S. Navy provides the only shortwave single sideband shortwaveShortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
AFN radio broadcasts via relay sites around the world to provide service to ships, including Diego Garcia, Guam, Sigonella in Italy, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and others.
European operations
Until the early 1970s, U.S. military television service was provided in Central EuropeCentral Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
by Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Television at Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
, Germany. In the early 1970s, AFN assumed this responsibility for the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS).
On October 28, 1976, AFN television moved from AFTV's old black and white studios at Ramstein to the network's new color television studios in Frankfurt. In the 1980s the network added affiliates with studio capabilities in Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, Germany, and Soesterberg, the Netherlands. In 2004, AFN Europe headquarters relocated to Coleman Barracks
Coleman Army Airfield
Coleman Barracks/Coleman Army Airfield is a United States Army military installation located in the Sandhofen district of Mannheim, Germany. It is assigned to U.S. Army, Europe and administered by the U.S. Army Installation Management Command-Europe...
in Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
, Germany.
Pacific operations
Over-the-air TV for U.S. Forces in the Pacific is currently provided by AFN-Korea, AFN-Japan and AFN-Kwajalein. All local operations merged under the AFN banner effective January 1, 1998.Korea
AFN-Korea, formerly American Forces Korea Network (AFKN), is the largest of AFN's Pacific TV operations, although there are also AM and FM operations from military bases around Korea. AFKN began TV operations on September 15, 1957, and consists of an originating studio at Yongsan GarrisonYongsan Garrison
United States Army Garrison Yongsan is located in Seoul, South Korea and is home to the headquarters for the U.S. military presence in Korea, known as United States Forces Korea , as well as the headquarters for the Eighth United States Army and Installation Management Command Korea Region...
, Seoul and six relay transmitters throughout the peninsula. AFKN's first live television newscast aired on January 4, 1959. Until December 2007, the channel was widely available to non-military audiences on cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
, but following complaints from US companies trying to sell programs in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, USFK requested that the Korean Broadcasting Commission direct the removal of Pacific Prime from the Korean cable lineups.
Japan
AFN-Japan, formerly the Far East NetworkFar East Network
The Far East Network was a network of American military radio and television stations, primarily serving U.S Forces in Japan, Okinawa, the Philippines, and U.S...
(FEN), has one full-power VHF terrestrial TV outlet. Located on Okinawa atop the Rycom Plaza Housing area in the central part of the island, AFN-Okinawa's (U.S. channel 8) TV signal serves Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, Airmen
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, Sailors
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, Soldiers
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and their families stationed on-island. AFN-Japan also operates three low-power UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
terrestrial transmitters at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni or MCAS Iwakuni is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, southeast of the Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi in Japan.-Tenant commands:...
, Commander U.S Fleet Activities Sasebo, and Misawa Air Base
Misawa Air Base
right|thumb|A US Navy C-2 at Misawa is a United States military facility located northeast of the railway station in Misawa, west of the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Towada, northwest of Hachinohe, and north of Tokyo, in Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region in the northern part of the...
. TV viewers on military bases in the Tokyo and Kanto Plain area of Japan can view AFN via contractor-operated base cable TV services, or through AFN Direct-To-Home (DTH) dishes if they reside off-base.
AFN-Japan's radio services consist of AM and FM stereo operations at Yokota Air Base
Yokota Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the city of Fussa, one of 26 cities in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo.The base houses 14,000 personnel. The base occupies a total area of and has a runway...
(810 AM & cable FM), MCAS Iwakuni (1575 AM), FLTACTS Sasebo (1575 AM), Okinawa (89.1 FM & 648 AM) and Misawa Air Base (1575 AM).
Kwajalein Atoll
AFN-Kwajalein at the Reagan Missile Test Range on Kwajalein Atoll is the only civilian-run affiliate in AFN, broadcasting on U.S. channel 13 for military personnel and civilian contractor employees and their families. AFN-Kwajalein's signal is beamed by microwave to the nearby atoll of Roi Namur and rebroadcast on channel 8.With the availability of AFN's DTH service, terrestrial over-the-air TV broadcasts at all AFN outlets are slated for deactivation in the near future.
Gulf War
In January 1991, the network dispatched news teams and technicians to KuwaitKuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. These broadcasters reported to families of soldiers deployed from Europe, and staffed a number of the U.S. radio stations making up the Armed Forces Desert Network. The first song on the air after the start of the ground offensive was Rock the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
"Rock the Casbah" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash in 1982. It was released as the third single from their fifth album, Combat Rock. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. and, along with the track "Mustapha Dance," it also reached number eight on...
by The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
AFN-Iraq began broadcasting in December 2003 on the FM band shortly after the fall of SaddamSaddam
–Saddam is an Arabic name which means "One who confronts", other meanings include: "One who frequently causes collisions", "Powerful collider", "One who causes a collision that had bad results", "Powerful confronter", "One who frequently crashes", or "Powerful commander"...
. The first song on the air was Freedom by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
. Within a short period of time, Freedom Radio was broadcasting on multiple FM channels from as far south as Basra to as far north as Mosul.
AFN-Iraq, Freedom Radio began as a joint effort between the Air Force, the Marines, and the Army. The very first unit to operate the station was the 222nd Broadcast Operations Detachment, an Army Reserve unit out of Southern California. "Always There and On The Air" was the phrase that started it all, even though there were only 8 hours of live radio to kick things off.
After an introduction from Lt. Gen.
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Ricardo Sanchez
Ricardo Sanchez
Ricardo Sanchez is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General and a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for the Senate election in 2012 for the seat of retiring Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.-Early life and education:...
, the Commander of Coalition Ground Forces in Iraq, Air Force Master Sergeant Erik Brazones was the first DJ on the air. When the 222nd BOD took the reins of the radio operations, the first two regular radio shows were "Niki Cage in the morning" and "Abbey in the Afternoon".
Operation Enduring Freedom
AFN Afghanistan operates out of a building on Bagram Air BaseBagram Air Base
Bagram Airfield, also referred to as Bagram Air Base, is a militarized airport and housing complex that is located next to the ancient city of Bagram, southeast of Charikar in Parwan province of Afghanistan. The base is run by a US Army division headed by a major general. A large part of the base,...
. Its radio frequency throughout Afghanistan is 94.1 and 97.1 in Manas and produces live local shows. Its first radio transmission was at 0630 on Friday, 21 July 2006. Beyond radio AFN Afghanistan also does television news. It produces a daily 5 minute newscast which is called Freedom Watch Afghanistan and airs on the Pentagon Channel
Pentagon Channel
The Pentagon Channel is a TV channel broadcasting military news and information for the 2.6 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is widely available on US Public, educational, and government access cable tv channels, can be viewed FTA in most Central and Western European countries ,...
.
The station is typically staffed with Air Force broadcasters but also slots Army, Navy and Marine broadcasters as well. For support there is usually a four-man team of engineers to handle all transmission, decoder, and satellite issues. They typically don't answer their phone and have absolutely no iota of knowledge regarding satellite setup.
Operations in Western Europe
AFN in Germany and SEB (Southern European Broadcasting) in Italy provided broadcasting to U.S. troops in Western Europe throughout the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. The U.S. defense drawdown began in earnest after the Gulf War, and impacted AFN stations across Europe, as many stations were consolidated or deactivated with the closing of bases. In Europe, AFN is still on the air from Tuzla
Tuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants...
, Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Taszár
Taszár
Taszár is a village in Somogy county, Hungary.The Taszár Air Base located here.The village structure of the traditional Hungarian village were radically changed in the 1950s when they built the military air base. The military objects occupy a significant part of the town. This is particularly the...
, Hungary to inform and entertain U.S. forces.
AFN went on the air May 29 with service at the Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
airport in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
with satellite decoders and large screen televisions placed in high traffic areas. At the same time, the AFN also advanced into the Yugoslav province of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
along with NATO.
AFN viewers abroad witnessed live television coverage of the terrorist attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
on The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
and World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
on September 11, 2001.
During military operations in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
and Iraq AFN provided non-stop coverage of the campaigns. AFN broadcast personnel from Europe deployed with the troops to cover events. Today AFN has a staffed affiliate in Iraq, AFN-Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
(launched 2003).
Wherever large numbers of US troops are deployed, the AFN sets up operation, providing news and entertainment from home. Today AFN has several satellites and uses advanced digital compression technology to broadcast TV and radio to 177 countries and territories, as well as on board U.S. Navy vessels.
Media Services
AFN's television service is broadcast in standard North American NTSCNTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
format of 525 lines. All programming delivered by satellite is PowerVu
PowerVu
PowerVu is a conditional access system for digital television developed by Scientific Atlanta. It is used for professional broadcasting, notably by Retevision, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Channel, AFRTS and American Forces Network...
encrypted DVB. While programming is provided to AFN by major American TV networks and program syndicators at little to no-cost, for copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
and licensing reasons it is intended solely for U.S. Forces personnel, authorized Department of Defense civilian employees, State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
diplomatic personnel, and their families overseas.
AFN-TV is available to authorized viewers by "Direct-To-Home" (DTH) service with set-top decoders purchased or leased through military exchanges (similar to a membership store), licensed/contracted commercial cable operators, purchased used from other military members (the cheapest option) or terrestrial signal. The advent of DTH service coincides with the phasing-out of AFN terrestrial TV broadcasts due to reclamation of frequencies by host nations.
AFN programming
While the audience tunes into AFN to watch their favorite shows or listen to the latest Stateside hits, entertainment is the "candy coating" used to attract the military viewer/listener. AFN's primary mission is to provide access for worldwide, regional and local command information (CI) spots, which air during commercial breaks in programming instead of commercial advertisements. These CI spots run the gamut from reminding servicemembers to register to vote, promoting local command-sponsored recreation events & off-duty educational programs, providing health and wellness tips, and listing what's playing at local base movie theaters.AFN also inserts public service announcements from the Ad Council. Some of the 35 overseas AFN affiliates have the capability to cover the "worldwide" CI spots placed by the AFN Broadcast Center in California with regional or locally produced CI spots (such as localized messages from senior leadership).
Many service members welcome this approach, while others find it troublesome, especially during the airing of the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
.
The network is allowed to broadcast commercial movie promotion trailers provided by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) and the Navy Motion Picture Service (NMPS) to promote the latest film releases in base theaters worldwide. Previously these were the only true "commercials" authorized for broadcast. AFN has recently started airing advertisements for colleges and universities, including for-profit universities such as the University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix
The University of Phoenix is a for-profit institution of higher learning. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group Inc. which is publicly traded , an S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona...
which has been a source of controversy.
AFN Radio and TV schedules are available at myafn.net.
Radio
AFN also offers a variety of radio programming over its various frequencies throughout the world. Not only is there local programming (with military disc jockeys), but there is satellite programming, as well. Music programming spans Classic Rock, Rhythmic R&B, Jack FM, Techno/Trance and country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
's AT 40
American Top 40
American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
, The Rick Dees' Weekly Top 40
Rick Dees Weekly Top 40
Rick Dees' Weekly Top 40 is an internationally-syndicated radio program created and hosted by American radio personality Rick Dees. It is currently heard on over 200 radio stations worldwide and the American Forces Network. It is distributed domestically by Citadel Media Networks and...
and the American Country Countdown
American Country Countdown
American Country Countdown, also known as ACC or American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks, is an internationally syndicated radio program which counts down the top 30 country songs of the previous week, from No. 30 to No. 1, according to the Mediabase country chart...
with Kix Brooks
Kix Brooks
Leon Eric "Kix" Brooks III , is an American country music artist, best known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn.-Early life:...
are broadcast weekly over AFN Radio. In addition to music, AFN broadcasts syndicated talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
programs such as Car Talk
Car Talk
Car Talk is a radio talk show broadcast weekly on National Public Radio stations throughout the United States and elsewhere. Its subjects are automobiles and repair, and it often takes humorous turns...
, Kidd Kraddick in the Morning
Kidd Kraddick in the Morning
Kidd Kraddick in the Morning is an American morning radio show hosted by Kidd Kraddick on Cumulus Media Networks...
, Kim Komando
Kim Komando
Kim Komando is the host of an American talk radio program based on the popularity of personal computers, the use of the Internet, and the complexities of consumer electronics. The Kim Komando Show is broadcast and syndicated on over 450 radio stations in the U.S. and two stations in Ontario, Canada...
, The Rush Limbaugh Show
The Rush Limbaugh Show
The Rush Limbaugh Show is an American talk radio show hosted by Rush Limbaugh on Premiere Radio Networks...
, The Motley Fool
Motley Fool
The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company that provides financial solutions for investors through various stock, investing, and personal finance products. The Alexandria, Virginia-based private company was founded in July 1993 by co-chairmen and brothers David and Tom Gardner, and...
Radio Show, A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
, Doug Stephan
Doug Stephan
Doug Stephan is an American radio talk show personality and hosts the nationally syndicated Doug Stephan's Good Day.-Radio Programs:Doug Stephan's Good Day is a "call-in" and interview show airing live Monday through Saturday featuring a fast paced format covering variety of topics...
,Titillating Sports with Rick Tittle, Sports Overnight America
Sports Overnight America
Sports Overnight America is a live, national sports radio show airing Monday through Friday from 10pm-1am PST . The show is part of the Sports Byline USA network in San Francisco, California, and is hosted by Chris Townsend...
, and other programs form a variety of sources. Weekly religious programming is offered to AFN stations via closed-circuit.
On December 5, 2005, liberal/progressive Ed Schultz
Ed Schultz
Edward Andrew "Ed" Schultz Is an American television and radio host and a liberal political commentator . He is the host of The Ed Show, a daily news talk program on MSNBC, and The Ed Schultz Show, a talk radio show, nationally syndicated by Dial Global, promising "straight talk."-Early...
and conservative talk show host Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
were added to the radio programs provided by the AFN Broadcast Center to its affiliate stations. Liberal Alan Colmes rounds out the political talk lineup on The Voice channel.
On April 24, 2006, AFN Europe launched AFN The Eagle, a virtually 24-hour-a-day radio service format initially modeled after "Jack FM
Jack FM
JACK FM is the alternative name and on-air brand of 60 radio stations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. Jack stations play a mix of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s hits with some current hot adult contemporary singles. Jack's slogan "playing what we want" can also be...
" but most recently a "Hot AC" format. This replaced ZFM, which had more of a CHR flavor. When the Eagle was launched AFN Europe took control of what local DJs could play.
Altogether, AFN produces 10 general-use streams for AFN stations to use. Of these, seven are music-based, two are sports-based, and one is a general news/talk channel, The Voice, which also features live play-by-play of American sports. (it's also the one heard on shortwave, if the shortwave radio has Single sideband (also known as SSB) installed). How these stations use these formats is up to them. These formats are:
- Hot AC (mainstream hits and yesterday's favorites)
- The Nerve (new rock)
- TrancePort (trance/techno)
- Country (country/western)
- Gravity (urban rhythmic)
- AFN Legacy - Deep Classic Rock Gems Programmed and delivered from the AFN Broadcast Center in Southern California
- MAX FM (80, 90's)
- The Voice (News, Talk and Information)
- ESPN Plus (sports programming from ESPN and Sporting News Radio)
- FOX Sports Plus (sports programming from FOX)
Television
Like its radio counterpart, AFN TV tries to air programming from a variety of sources to replicate programming on a typical U.S. TV channel; sourcing from U.S. commercial networks (including PBS), and program syndicators at little to no-cost since AFN does not air commercials and in that regards cannot profit from airing shows like stations in the U.S. can. In their place, AFN inserts public service announcements on various subjects; these can be civilian "agency spots" created by The Ad Council, nationally-recognized religious and public health charities, AFN's own "command information" spots produced by the AFRTS Radio-Television Production Office (RTPO), or announcements by a regional/local AFN affiliate. The most common PSAs shown deal with sexual harassmentSexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
, public health and safety, force protection/anti-terrorism, pride in service, and messages to the troops.
AFN produces and broadcasts eight core satellite television channels in NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
color. They are accessible to both military and foreign service personnel abroad. All 8 feeds are accessible in core areas, including but not limited to European, Korean, and Japanese posts. Much of the rest of the world is limited to a smaller but more widespread naval broadcast.
Channels
Unless specified, the first telecast of each channel targets the Japan/Korea region, then replayed several hours later for the Central European time zone.
- AFN Prime. Formerly AFN Atlantic and AFN Pacific. The standard AFN feed airs current sitcoms, dramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
s, syndicated "judge" shows, talk showTalk showA talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
s, game showGame showA game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
s, and reality shows popular in the United States, with a time delay from 24 hours to 6 months or more behind the United States airdates. In addition, popular US soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s such as General HospitalGeneral HospitalGeneral Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
are aired by AFN on a one-week tape delay. This stream is divided into three feeds (AFN Prime Atlantic, AFN Prime Freedom (Middle East), and AFN Prime Pacific); the difference between the three is that they are time-shifted so that programs air at the same local time in each of the major regions served: Japan/Korea, Central Europe and Iraq. Many regional feeds (such as AFN-Europe and AFN-Korea) are based on AFN Prime and add local programming to it; thus, in a way, AFN Prime mimics the regular network TV concept. AFN Prime Pacific footage of the Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
and of The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
are used by BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian cable channel GNTGNTThis article is about a Brazilian TV channel. For other uses, see Gnt .GNT is a Brazilian cable/satellite television channel. Originally launched as GNT: Globosat News Television, a news and information network. With the launch of Globo News, in 1996, the GNT acronym became meaningless, and the...
for rebroadcasting of the programs in the country, usually with a one-week delay behind the original U.S. air date. - AFN Spectrum. AFN Spectrum started out as more of a conservative culture-oriented channel with programming from cable networks and classic TV series. In a way, it mimicked the "superstation" concept from cablecasters TBSTBS (TV channel)TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
and WGN America. However the Spectrum lineup currently contains more conventional programming, like American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
and Ugly BettyUgly BettyUgly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
, as some of the public television and classic fare that made up Spectrum is being reduced but remain the primary constant on the channel. - AFN Xtra. Launched in February 2006, AFN Xtra is young adult oriented channel with shows from Comedy Central, VH1, MTV, and more. It is AFN's exclusive home for UFCUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
and WWEWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
programming, including all Pay-Per-View events, as well as motor sports including NASCAR, NHRA, Motocross and other auto and motorcycle racing series. AFN Xtra also airs sports programming on the weekends and for eight hours a day on the weekdays. - AFN News. AFN News is a rolling-news channel providing news from all major news outlets. Newscasts, such as the NBC Nightly NewsNBC Nightly NewsNBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
, Fox News, ABC World News Tonight, and CBS Evening NewsCBS Evening NewsCBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
, were all scheduled to air in the mornings so viewers could watch the headlines live, but now they air on a tape delay in the regular early evening slot, back to back. - AFN Family. AFN Family is a general entertainment channel providing programming for children 2–17 years old. Although the name of the channel suggests programming appropriate for all family members at any time, the channel more closely resembles ABC Family or Nickelodeon, with programming targeted at specific age groups during the course of the day. Programming during the day targets pre-schoolers but "ages" as older children become available to watch in the afternoon after school. By 8:00 p.m. local time, programming is targeted at older teens.
- AFN Movie. AFN Movie is a channel showcasing movies as well as film-oriented programming. It is targeted primarily at adults and contains programs with a parental rating from TV-G to TV-MA.
- AFN Sports. AFN Sports is a rolling-sports channel, providing sports news and events, including ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's SportsCenterSportsCenterSportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
and live and delayed broadcasts of the NFL, NBA, NASCAR, MLB, NHL, NCAA College Football, men and women's NCAA College Basketball, FIFA Soccer, and PGA Tour, as well as other highly rated team competitions. - Pentagon ChannelPentagon ChannelThe Pentagon Channel is a TV channel broadcasting military news and information for the 2.6 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is widely available on US Public, educational, and government access cable tv channels, can be viewed FTA in most Central and Western European countries ,...
. This is the only AFN channel that is available in the USA to the general public. It airs Department of Defense military news and information programming 24 hours a day.
Germany
Table of AFN-transmitters in Germany. Table may be incorrect and incomplete. Please correct and expand if necessary.AM
Frequency | Power | Location | Description of transmitter site | Geographical location | Remarks | |
873 kHz | 150 kW | Weisskirchen | 3 guyed lattice steel masts insulated against ground, height: 86 metres (282.2 ft), Directional Antenna Mode | 50°10'59"N 8°36'45"E | ||
1107 kHz | 10 kW | Grafenwöhr | 66 metres (216.5 ft) guyed tubular steel mast insulated against ground, dismantled in 2009 | 49°42'47"N 11°54'42"E | ||
1107 kHz | 10 kW | Vilseck | 65 metres (213.3 ft) guyed tubular steel mast insulated against ground | 49°38'41"N 11°47'1"E | ||
1107 kHz | 10 kW | Berlin-Dahlem | 126 metres (413.4 ft) guyed lattice steel mast insulated against ground | 52°27'47"N 13°17'26"E | demolished on December 14, 1996 | |
1107 kHz | 10 kW | Nürnberg | 122 metres (400.3 ft) guyed lattice steel mast insulated against ground | shut down | ||
1107 kHz | 10 kW | Otterbach | 136 metres (446.2 ft) guyed lattice steel mast insulated against ground | 49°29'27"N 7°43'3"E | ||
1107 kHz | 40 kW | Ismaning | 2 guyed lattice steel masts insulated against ground, height: 94 metres (308.4 ft) | 48°14'40"N 11°44'42"E | shut down | |
1143 kHz | 1 kW | Bitburg | 54 metres (177.2 ft) guyed mast radiator | 49°56'35"N 6°32'29"E | ||
1143 kHz | 5 kW | Bremerhaven | 65 metres (213.3 ft) guyed mast radiator | shut down | ||
1143 kHz | 10 kW | Hirschlanden Hirschlanden transmitter The Hirschlanden transmitter is a facility of the Deutsche Telekom AG for mediumwave broadcasting south of Ditzingen-Hirschlanden situated at 48°49'47" N and 9°02'15" E.The Hirschlanden transmitter was inaugurated in 1963 as a transmitter for the programming of AFN on 1142 kHz The... |
40 metres (131.2 ft) guyed lattice steel mast insulated against ground | 48°49'43"N 9°2'11"E | Telekom transmitter | |
1143 kHz | 1 kW | Heidelberg | 65 metres (213.3 ft) guyed tubular steel mast insulated against ground | 49°25'58"N 8°38'42"E | ||
1143 kHz | 1 kW | Hof | 45 metres (147.6 ft) guyed mast radiator | shut down | ||
1143 kHz | 1 kW | Karlsruhe | 61 metres (200.1 ft) guyed mast radiator | shut down | ||
1143 kHz | 1 kW | Mönchengladbach | 45.5 metres (149.3 ft) guyed lattice steel mast insulated against ground | 51°10'2"N 6°23'56"E | ||
1143 kHz | 300 W | Göppingen | 37 metres (121.4 ft) guyed mast radiator | shut down | ||
1143 kHz | 300 W | Würzburg | 40 metres (131.2 ft) guyed lattice steel mast insulated against ground | 49°47'26"N 9°58'54"E | shut down | |
1143 kHz | 300 W | Bamberg | 40 metres (131.2 ft) guyed lattice steel mast insulated against ground | 49°53'17"N 10°55'24"E | ||
1143 kHz | 300 W | Schweinfurt | 40 metres (131.2 ft) guyed mast radiator? | |||
1143 kHz | 300 W | Bad Kissingen | 48 metres (157.5 ft) guyed mast radiator | shut down | ||
1143 kHz | 300 W | Wildflecken | 45 metres (147.6 ft) guyed mast radiator | shut down | ||
1143 kHz | 300 W | Fulda | 54 metres (177.2 ft) guyed mast radiator | shut down | ||
1143 kHz | 300 W | Bad Hersfeld | 25 metres (82 ft) free-standing tower insulated against ground | shut down | ||
1143 kHz | 300 W | Giessen | 61 metres (200.1 ft) guyed lattice steel mast insulated against ground | 50°35'27"N 8°43'6"E | shut down | |
1485 kHz | 1 kW | Augsburg | 56 metres (183.7 ft) guyed lattice steel mast insulated against ground | 48°21'8"N 10°51'19"E | shut down, mast was demolished in 2008 | |
1485 kHz | 300 W | Crailsheim | 65 metres (213.3 ft) guyed mast radiator | shut down | ||
1485 kHz | 300 W | Hohenfels | 40 metres (131.2 ft) guyed lattice steel mast insulated against ground | 49°13'14"N 11°51'12"E | ||
1485 kHz | 300 W | Ansbach | 67 metres (219.8 ft) guyed tubular steel mast insulated against ground | 49°19'17"N 10°35'44"E | ||
1485 kHz | 300 W | Regensburg | Long wire antenna on wooden 20 metres (65.6 ft) tower | shut down | ||
1485 kHz | 300 W | Garmisch-Partenkirchen | 30 metres (98.4 ft) guyed mast radiator | shut down | ||
1485 kHz | 300 W | Berchtesgaden | 34 metres (111.5 ft) guyed mast radiator | shut down |
FM
Frequency | Power | Location | Description of transmitter site | geographical location | Remarks |
87.9 MHz | 1 kW | Berlin | now used by Star FM Maximum Rock | ||
89.4 MHz | Hohenfels | ||||
90 MHz | 0.245 kW | Amberg | |||
90.3 MHz | Garmisch-Partenkirchen | ||||
90.3 MHz | 0.02 kW | Prien | |||
93.5 MHz | 1 kW | Sögel | |||
97.7 MHz | 0.1 kW | Bad Aibling | |||
98.5 MHz | 0.1 kW | Grafenwoehr | |||
98.7 MHz | 60 kW | Grosser Feldberg | |||
100 MHz | 15 kW | Augsburg | |||
100.2 MHz | 5 kW | Kaiserslautern-Vogelweh | |||
102.3 MHz | 100 kW | Stuttgart | 193 metres (633.2 ft) concrete tower | 48°45'49"N 9°12'20"E | Telekom transmitter |
103.0 MHz | 0.500 kW | Pirmasens | |||
104.1 MHz | Grafenwöhr | ||||
104.6 MHz | 0.375 kW | Heidelberg | Aerial on AM broadcasting mast | 49°25'58"N 8°38'42"E | |
104.9 MHz | Illesheim | ||||
104.9 MHz | 0.16 kW | Würzburg | Aerial on AM broadcasting mast | 49°47'26"N 9°58'54"E | |
105.1 MHz | Spangdahlem | Aerial on AM broadcasting mast | 49°56'35"N 6°32'29"E | ||
106.1 MHz | Kalkar | ||||
107.3 MHz | 0.05 kW | Heidelberg | |||
107.3 MHz | 1 kW | Ansbach | |||
107.3 MHz | Mannheim-Käfertal | ||||
107.4 MHz | 0.3 kW | Fürth | |||
107.6 MHz | Vilseck | ||||
107.6 MHz | Bad Godesberg | ||||
107.9 MHz | Bremerhaven |
The AFN transmitters in Germany are operated by different authorities but most are operated directly by the U.S. military. Some are the property of Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom AG is a telecommunications company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is the largest telecommunications company in Europe....
, while others are controlled by German public broadcasting corporations
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Table of AFN-transmitters in Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. Table may be incorrect and incomplete. Please correct and expand if necessary.
FM
Frequency | Power | Signal Type | City | Transmitter site | Approximate Geographical Location | Channel Name (Slogan) | Genre |
103.1 MHz | 100 W | Mono | Riyadh Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a... |
Eskan Village (Al-Kharj Rd.) | 24°34′59"N 46°51′39"E | Voice Channel (NPR NPR NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting... News) |
News, Talkshows Talk show A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host.... , Jazz Jazz Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th... & Oldies Oldies Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day.... |
103.9 MHz | 100 W | Mono | Riyadh Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a... |
Eskan Village (Al-Kharj Rd.) | // | Mainstream Country Mainstream Country (radio network) Mainstream Country, known on air as The Best of the New and Gold: Your Kind of Country, is a 24-hour music format produced by Dial Global. Its playlist is composed of classic and modern country music in the mid 1980s to the present... |
Country Country music Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music... |
105.1 MHz | 100 W | Mono | Riyadh Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a... |
Eskan Village (Al-Kharj Rd.) | // | Z Rock Z Rock Z-Rock was a nationally syndicated radio network based out of Dallas, Texas, USA, in the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s that played heavy metal and hard rock music. The format was one of ABC Radio Network's 24-hour satellite formats... |
Alternative rock Alternative rock Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s... |
105.9 MHz | 100 W | Mono | Riyadh Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a... |
Eskan Village (Al-Kharj Rd.) | // | Gravity | Urban Rhythmic (R&B Rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a... , Pop Pop music Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop... & Hip-Hop) |
107.9 MHz | 100 W | Mono | Riyadh Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a... |
Eskan Village (Al-Kharj Rd.) | // | Hot AC (Today's Best Hits Today's Best Hits Today's Best Hits is an American radio network with a Hot Adult Contemporary format. It plays many contemporary songs. It also features many retro hits, and on Saturday night, it plays only requested retro songs. The network was previously known as Best Hits, Best Variety... ) |
Young adult alternative/80's and 90's |
103.1 MHz | 21 W | Stereo | Riyadh Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a... |
Riyadh U.S. Embassy | 24°40′52"N 46°37′13"E | Voice Channel (NPR NPR NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting... News) |
News, Talkshows Talk show A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host.... , Jazz Jazz Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th... & Oldies Oldies Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day.... |
105.1 MHz | 10 W | Stereo | Riyadh Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a... |
Riyadh U.S. Embassy | // | Z Rock Z Rock Z-Rock was a nationally syndicated radio network based out of Dallas, Texas, USA, in the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s that played heavy metal and hard rock music. The format was one of ABC Radio Network's 24-hour satellite formats... |
Alternative rock Alternative rock Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s... |
107.9 MHz | 30 W | Stereo | Riyadh Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a... |
Riyadh U.S. Embassy | // | Mainstream Country Mainstream Country (radio network) Mainstream Country, known on air as The Best of the New and Gold: Your Kind of Country, is a 24-hour music format produced by Dial Global. Its playlist is composed of classic and modern country music in the mid 1980s to the present... |
Country Country music Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music... |
93.7 MHz | 250 W | Mono | Jeddah Jeddah Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The... |
Jeddah U.S. Embassy | 21°31′33"N 39°09′52"E | Hot AC (Today's Best Hits Today's Best Hits Today's Best Hits is an American radio network with a Hot Adult Contemporary format. It plays many contemporary songs. It also features many retro hits, and on Saturday night, it plays only requested retro songs. The network was previously known as Best Hits, Best Variety... ) |
Young adult alternative/80's and 90's |
100.7 MHz | 250 W | - | Jeddah Jeddah Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The... |
Jeddah U.S. Embassy | // | Voice Channel (NPR NPR NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting... News) |
News, Talkshows Talk show A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host.... , Jazz Jazz Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th... & Oldies Oldies Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day.... |
103.9 MHz | 50 W | Stereo | Jeddah Jeddah Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The... |
Jeddah U.S. Embassy | // | Jack FM Jack FM JACK FM is the alternative name and on-air brand of 60 radio stations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. Jack stations play a mix of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s hits with some current hot adult contemporary singles. Jack's slogan "playing what we want" can also be... |
1980s & 1990s |
91.4 MHz | 250 W | Stereo | Khobar Khobar Khobar is a large city located in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the Persian Gulf. It has a population of 360,000 and forms part of the greater Dammam metropolitan area along with Dhahran, which together have a combined population of over two million... |
Saudi Aramco | // | News, Hot AC (Today's Best Hits Today's Best Hits Today's Best Hits is an American radio network with a Hot Adult Contemporary format. It plays many contemporary songs. It also features many retro hits, and on Saturday night, it plays only requested retro songs. The network was previously known as Best Hits, Best Variety... ) |
Young adult alternative/80's and 90's |
The AFN FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
Transmitters in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
is managed by two authorities, the U.S. military and Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco , officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, is the national oil company of Saudi Arabia.Saudi Aramco is the world's largest and most valuable privately-held company, with estimates of its value in 2011 to be $7 trillion USD.Saudi Aramco has both the largest proven crude oil reserves,...
.
Iraq - "Freedom Radio"
- 93.3 MHz FM
- BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
(FOB Union IIIGreen ZoneThe Green Zone is the most common name for the International Zone of Baghdad. It is a area of central Baghdad, Iraq, that was the governmental center of the Coalition Provisional Authority and remains the center of the international presence in the city...
) — Transmitter Under Construction - FallujahFallujahFallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Jewish academies for many centuries....
(Camp BahariaDreamland (Fallujah, Iraq)Once a Baathist resort in Iraq, Camp Baharia was the smaller of two major U.S. bases maintained just outside Fallujah. The facility, specifically named after the Marine Corps, uses an Arabic word for the Marine Corps, 'mushaat al-baharia,' which translates into 'walkers of the navy' or naval infantry...
) - Al Taqaddum Airbase (TQ)
- Baghdad
- 101.1 MHz FM
- TikritTikritTikrit is a town in Iraq, located 140 km northwest of Baghdad on the Tigris river . The town, with an estimated population in 2002 of about 260,000 is the administrative center of the Salah ad Din Governorate.-Ancient times:...
(COB SpeicherCOB SpeicherCOB Speicher formerly FOB Speicher is a US Army Contingency Operating Base captured from the Iraqi Army during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. It was reassigned from a Forward Operating Base to a COB because of its large size...
)
- Tikrit
- 104.5 MHz FM
- Baquba (FOB Warhorse) — Transmitter Under Construction
- 105.1 MHZ FM
- MosulMosulMosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
(Camp DiamondbackLogistics Support AreaIn the United States Army, a Logistics Support Area is a military term which refers to military facilities which act as depot, barracks, and transportation hubs, providing supplies and personnel to facilities closer to or within arenas of armed conflict...
/FOB Marez2004 Forward Operating Base Marez bombingThe Forward Operating Base Marez bombing took place on December 21, 2004. Fourteen U.S. soldiers, four U.S. citizen Halliburton employees, and four Iraqi soldiers allied with the U.S. military were killed in an attack on a dining hall at the Forward Operating Base next to the main U.S...
) — 1 kW
- Mosul
- 107.3 MHz FM
- Al Asad Airbase
- BaladBalad, IraqBalad is a city north of Baghdad in the Salah ad Din Governorate Iraq. It is located within the borders of the so-called Sunni Triangle; however, Balad is a primarily Shiite town of approximately 100,000...
(LSA Anaconda) — 250 W - NasiriyahNasiriyahNasiriyah is a city in Iraq. It is on the Euphrates about 225 miles southeast of Baghdad, near the ruins of the ancient city of Ur. It is the capital of the province of Dhi Qar...
(Tallil Air BaseAli Air BaseAli Air Base is a military airbase located near Nasiriyah, Iraq. It is also known as Tallil Air Base. At present, the base is being used by United States Armed Forces. It is called Camp Adder by the U.S. Army; the name "Ali Air Base" is used chiefly by the U.S...
) — 200 W - Qayyarah Airfield WestQayyarah Airfield WestQayyarah Airfield West is a former Iraqi Air Force base in the Nineveh Governorate of Iraq. It was captured by Coalition forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.-Overview:...
(Q-WEST) — 250 W - RamadiRamadiRamadi is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate.-History:Ramadi is located in a fertile, irrigated, alluvial plain.The Ottoman Empire founded Ramadi in 1869...
(FOB Blue Diamond) - SamarraSamarraSāmarrā is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
(FOB Brassfield-Mora) - Camp TajiCamp TajiCamp Taji is a military installation, also known as Camp Cooke used by coalition forces near Taji or Al Taji , Iraq. The camp is located in a rural region approximately north of the city of Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate.-History:...
- Tall Afar (FOB SykesFOB SykesFOB Sykes is a US Army Forward Operating Base in Iraq located approximately five miles south of the Iraqi city of Tall'Afar and 40 miles east of the Iraq-Syria border....
) - Umm QasrUmm QasrUmm Qasr , is a port city in southern Iraq. It stands on the canalised Khawr az-Zubayr, part of the Khawr Abd Allah estuary which leads to the Persian Gulf. It is separated from the border of Kuwait by a small inlet...
(Camp BuccaCamp BuccaCamp Bucca was a detention facility maintained by the United States military in the vicinity of Umm Qasr, Iraq. As of June 2011, a group of entrepreneurial Iraqis and Americans are re-building Camp Bucca as Basra Gateway, a logistics city and environmentally-friendly industrial hub to lead the new...
)
- 107.7 MHz FM
- BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
(Camp SlayerCamp SlayerCamp Slayer is part of the Victory Base Complex outside of Baghdad. On the southeastern corner of the Baghdad International Airport, it is part of the former Al Radwaniyah Presidential Complex and contains several man-made lakes, a man-made hill, the Ba'ath Party House, the Victory Over Iran and...
) — 1 kW
- Baghdad
Spain
Radio:AFN Rota Radio - The Eagle
- 102.5 FM: Naval Station Rota (5.0 kW)
- 92.1 FM: Moron Air BaseMorón Air BaseMorón Air Base is located at in southern Spain, approximately southeast of the city of Seville and northeast of Naval Station Rota. The base gets its name from the nearby town of Morón de la Frontera - although its is actually located in the municipality of Arahal.Morón's massive flight line,...
in Moron de la Frontera, Seville. ( 0.015 kW)
SHAPE (Belgium)
Television:AFN Prime Atlantic/AFN Benelux (NTSC)
- 33H: EverbergEverbergEverberg is a town in the Belgian province Flemish-Brabant and is part of the municipality of Kortenberg. The territory contains an area of 925 ha. The neighbouring towns or municipalities are Leefdaal, Kortenberg, Erps-Kwerps, Meerbeek, Sterrebeek, Moorsel and Tervuren...
, (Kortenberg) oriented towards EvereEvereEvere is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. On January 1, 2006 the municipality had a total population of 33,462...
(2 kW) - 34V: SHAPESupreme Headquarters Allied Powers EuropeSupreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
, CasteauCasteauCasteau is a village of Belgium in the French-speaking region. With the others villages Chaussée-Notre-Dame-Louvignies, Horrues, Naast, Neufvilles, Soignies , and Thieusies, they compose the municipality of Soignies....
(4.5 kW) - 34V: FlorennesFlorennesFlorennes is a Walloon municipality located in Belgium in the province of Namur. On January 1, 2006 Florennes had a total population of 10,754...
(10 W)
Radio:
AFN Benelux
- 101.7 FM: EverbergEverbergEverberg is a town in the Belgian province Flemish-Brabant and is part of the municipality of Kortenberg. The territory contains an area of 925 ha. The neighbouring towns or municipalities are Leefdaal, Kortenberg, Erps-Kwerps, Meerbeek, Sterrebeek, Moorsel and Tervuren...
, Kortenberg (900 W) - 106.2 FM: Kleine Brogel, Peer (200 W)
- 104.2 FM: SHAPE, Casteau (4 kW)
- 107.7 FM: Florennes (100 W)
AFN Benelux - The Eagle
- 101.7 FM: Brussels (Evere)
- 107.9 FM: ChièvresChièvresChièvres is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Chièvres had a total population of 6,198. The total area is 46.91 km² which gives a population density of 132 inhabitants per km²....
(100 W) - 106.5 FM: SHAPE, Casteau (200 W)
Television
- 19UHF
- Paju-riPajuPaju is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county .The city is located just south of Panmunjeom on the 38th parallel. To defend the Korean capital, Seoul, many US and Korean army bases are set up in the city. In 2002, the northernmost...
, Gyeonggi
- Paju-ri
- 34UHF
- Yongsan-guYongsan-guYongsan-gu is a district of Seoul, South Korea. Its name means "Dragon Hill", derived from the hanja characters for dragon and hill/mountain . It sits to the North of the Han River under the shadow of Seoul Tower. Geographically, it is located right in the center of Seoul. It is home to roughly...
, SeoulSeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
(USAG YongsanYongsan GarrisonUnited States Army Garrison Yongsan is located in Seoul, South Korea and is home to the headquarters for the U.S. military presence in Korea, known as United States Forces Korea , as well as the headquarters for the Eighth United States Army and Installation Management Command Korea Region...
, Camp Market, K-16 Airbase) (30 kW)
- Yongsan-gu
- 49UHF
- DongducheonDongducheonDongducheon is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city located in the north of Seoul is strategically important for the defence of the Korean capital.The main camps of the US Second Infantry Division are located in the city with the division command at Uijeongbu City.-History:During...
, Gyeonggi (Camp Red CloudCamp Red CloudCamp Red Cloud is a United States Army camp located in the city of Uijeongbu, between Seoul and the Korean Demilitarized Zone . The installation was renamed after Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr...
, Camp CaseyCamp Casey, South KoreaCamp Casey is an American military camp in Dongducheon , South Korea, north of Seoul, South Korea. Camp Casey was named in 1952 after Major Hugh Boyd Casey, who was killed in an airplane crash near Camp Casey during the Korean War. Camp Casey is one of several U.S. Army bases in South Korea near...
, Camp StanleyCamp StanleyCamp Stanley is a U.S. Army military camp located just east of the city of Uijeongbu, South Korea. The camp is part of the Red Cloud Garrison which is composed of Army installations near the Korean demilitarized zone...
) (1 kW) - MunsanMunsanMunsan is an eup in Paju City, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It lies along the edge of the Demilitarized Zone, near Panmunjom and the Joint Security Area. Munsan lies along the south bank of the Imjin River. At the time of the Korean War it was known as Munsan-ni.Munsan has a heavy military presence...
, Gyeonggi (5 kW) - SongtanSongtanSongtan is an area in the northern end of Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggido, South Korea. Songtan achieved city status in its own right in 1981, five years earlier than Pyeongtaek, but merged, along with Pyeongtaek County, into Pyeongtaek City in May 1995. Most residents still consider it to have an identity...
, Gyeonggi (Osan Air BaseOsan Air BaseOsan Air Base , is a United States Air Force facility located in the Songtan section of Pyeongtaek City, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan City, which is to the north. The base is the home of the Pacific Air Forces' 51st Fighter Wing, and a number of tenant...
, USAG Humphreys) (1005 W) - GunsanGunsanGunsan is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is located on the south bank of the Geum River just upstream from its exit into the Yellow Sea. Gunsan is served by frequent railway service on the Gunsan Line from Iksan. It is also connected to the Seohaean Expressway.Kunsan Air Base...
, North Jeolla (Kunsan Air BaseKunsan Air BaseKunsan Air Base , is a United States Air Force base located on the west coast of the South Korean peninsula bordered by the Yellow Sea. It is at the town of Gunsan about 150 miles south of Seoul. The town can be romanized as both Gunsan and Kunsan...
...) and GwangjuGwangjuGwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
(2.5 kW) - WaegwanWaegwanWaegwan is the seat of government for Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea. It consists primarily of the administrative district of Waegwan-eup. It is situated on both sides of the Nakdong River, which is traversed by railroad, automobile and pedestrian bridges.Waegwan is home...
, North Gyeongsang (Camp Carroll, South KoreaCamp CarrollCamp Carroll was a United States Marine Corps artillery base during the Vietnam War. It was located at , 8 km southwest of the town of Cam Lo. Camp Carroll was also at the centroid of a large arc of the strategic Highway 9 corridor south of the DMZ, which made it a key facility.-History:The...
) (100 W)
- Dongducheon
- 58UHF
- UijeongbuUijeongbuUijeongbu is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city is located just north of Seoul with many U.S. and Korean military bases for the defense of the Korean capital. The U.S. Second Infantry Division has established its headquarters in the city with main troops deployed in Dongducheon...
, Gyeonggi (Camp Red CloudCamp Red CloudCamp Red Cloud is a United States Army camp located in the city of Uijeongbu, between Seoul and the Korean Demilitarized Zone . The installation was renamed after Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr...
, Camp SearsCamp SearsCamp Sears was a United States Army base located less than two miles outside the city of Uijongbu, approximately north of Seoul. The installation housed military and civilian personnel who provided combat support for the 2nd Infantry Division....
, Camp StanleyCamp StanleyCamp Stanley is a U.S. Army military camp located just east of the city of Uijeongbu, South Korea. The camp is part of the Red Cloud Garrison which is composed of Army installations near the Korean demilitarized zone...
) (100 W) - PyeongtaekPyeongtaekPyeongtaek is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Located in the southwestern part of the province, Pyeongtaek was founded as a union of two districts in 940 AD, during the Goryeo dynasty. It was elevated to city status in 1986, and is home to a South Korean naval base and a large...
, Gyeonggi (USAG Humphreys) (100 W) - WonjuWonjuWonju is the most populous city in Gangwon province, South Korea.Wonju is a city approximately east of Seoul and the capital can be reached within 1hr 30minutes by bus or train. Wonju is home to three major universities which attract many students from Seoul and elsewhere. They provide facilities...
, GangwonGangwon-do (South Korea)Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
(100 W)
- Uijeongbu
- 2VHF
- ChuncheonChuncheonChuncheon is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the northeast of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some large lakes around the city, most notably Lake Soyang and Lake Uiam...
, GangwonGangwon-do (South Korea)Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
(100 W) - JinhaeJinhaeJinhae is a district in Changwon City, South Korea. This region is served by the Korean National Railroad, and is famous for its annual cherry blossom festival every spring....
, South Gyeongsang (100 W)
- Chuncheon
- 12VHF
- DaeguDaeguDaegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
(Camp Walker, Camp Henry, Camp CarrollCamp Carroll, South KoreaCamp Carroll is located on the south east portion of South Korea, in Waegwan, close to the city of Daegu. It is named after Sergeant First Class Charles F. Carroll, a posthumous recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his acts of heroism during the Korean War.Camp Carroll is located at the...
) (1 kW)
- Daegu
FM Radio (AFN Eagle)
- 88.1 MHz
- BusanBusanBusan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
(250 W)
- Busan
- 88.3 MHz
- DongducheonDongducheonDongducheon is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city located in the north of Seoul is strategically important for the defence of the Korean capital.The main camps of the US Second Infantry Division are located in the city with the division command at Uijeongbu City.-History:During...
, Gyeonggi (Camp Red CloudCamp Red CloudCamp Red Cloud is a United States Army camp located in the city of Uijeongbu, between Seoul and the Korean Demilitarized Zone . The installation was renamed after Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr...
, Camp CaseyCamp Casey, South KoreaCamp Casey is an American military camp in Dongducheon , South Korea, north of Seoul, South Korea. Camp Casey was named in 1952 after Major Hugh Boyd Casey, who was killed in an airplane crash near Camp Casey during the Korean War. Camp Casey is one of several U.S. Army bases in South Korea near...
, Camp StanleyCamp StanleyCamp Stanley is a U.S. Army military camp located just east of the city of Uijeongbu, South Korea. The camp is part of the Red Cloud Garrison which is composed of Army installations near the Korean demilitarized zone...
) (250 W) - PyeongtaekPyeongtaekPyeongtaek is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Located in the southwestern part of the province, Pyeongtaek was founded as a union of two districts in 940 AD, during the Goryeo dynasty. It was elevated to city status in 1986, and is home to a South Korean naval base and a large...
, Gyeonggi (USAG Humphreys) (50 W) - WonjuWonjuWonju is the most populous city in Gangwon province, South Korea.Wonju is a city approximately east of Seoul and the capital can be reached within 1hr 30minutes by bus or train. Wonju is home to three major universities which attract many students from Seoul and elsewhere. They provide facilities...
, GangwonGangwon-do (South Korea)Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
(50 W)
- Dongducheon
- 88.5 MHz
- UijeongbuUijeongbuUijeongbu is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city is located just north of Seoul with many U.S. and Korean military bases for the defense of the Korean capital. The U.S. Second Infantry Division has established its headquarters in the city with main troops deployed in Dongducheon...
, Gyeonggi (Camp Red CloudCamp Red CloudCamp Red Cloud is a United States Army camp located in the city of Uijeongbu, between Seoul and the Korean Demilitarized Zone . The installation was renamed after Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr...
, Camp StanleyCamp StanleyCamp Stanley is a U.S. Army military camp located just east of the city of Uijeongbu, South Korea. The camp is part of the Red Cloud Garrison which is composed of Army installations near the Korean demilitarized zone...
, Camp JacksonCamp JacksonCamp Jackson may refer to:* Camp Jackson a post located near Ione, Amador County, California during the American Civil War* Initial name for Fort Jackson, a US Army base in South Carolina...
) (100 W) - MunsanMunsanMunsan is an eup in Paju City, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It lies along the edge of the Demilitarized Zone, near Panmunjom and the Joint Security Area. Munsan lies along the south bank of the Imjin River. At the time of the Korean War it was known as Munsan-ni.Munsan has a heavy military presence...
, Gyeonggi and Paju-riPajuPaju is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county .The city is located just south of Panmunjeom on the 38th parallel. To defend the Korean capital, Seoul, many US and Korean army bases are set up in the city. In 2002, the northernmost...
, Gyeonggi (50 W) - ChuncheonChuncheonChuncheon is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the northeast of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some large lakes around the city, most notably Lake Soyang and Lake Uiam...
, GangwonGangwon-do (South Korea)Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
(50 W) - SongtanSongtanSongtan is an area in the northern end of Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggido, South Korea. Songtan achieved city status in its own right in 1981, five years earlier than Pyeongtaek, but merged, along with Pyeongtaek County, into Pyeongtaek City in May 1995. Most residents still consider it to have an identity...
, Gyeonggi (Osan Air BaseOsan Air BaseOsan Air Base , is a United States Air Force facility located in the Songtan section of Pyeongtaek City, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan City, which is to the north. The base is the home of the Pacific Air Forces' 51st Fighter Wing, and a number of tenant...
, USAG Humphreys) (30 W) - GunsanGunsanGunsan is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is located on the south bank of the Geum River just upstream from its exit into the Yellow Sea. Gunsan is served by frequent railway service on the Gunsan Line from Iksan. It is also connected to the Seohaean Expressway.Kunsan Air Base...
, North Jeolla (Kunsan Air BaseKunsan Air BaseKunsan Air Base , is a United States Air Force base located on the west coast of the South Korean peninsula bordered by the Yellow Sea. It is at the town of Gunsan about 150 miles south of Seoul. The town can be romanized as both Gunsan and Kunsan...
) (50 W) - GwangjuGwangjuGwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
(505 W) - DaeguDaeguDaegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
and WaegwanWaegwanWaegwan is the seat of government for Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea. It consists primarily of the administrative district of Waegwan-eup. It is situated on both sides of the Nakdong River, which is traversed by railroad, automobile and pedestrian bridges.Waegwan is home...
, North Gyeongsang (Camp Walker, Camp Henry, Camp CarrollCamp Carroll, South KoreaCamp Carroll is located on the south east portion of South Korea, in Waegwan, close to the city of Daegu. It is named after Sergeant First Class Charles F. Carroll, a posthumous recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his acts of heroism during the Korean War.Camp Carroll is located at the...
)(1 kW) - JinhaeJinhaeJinhae is a district in Changwon City, South Korea. This region is served by the Korean National Railroad, and is famous for its annual cherry blossom festival every spring....
, South Gyeongsang (50 W)
- Uijeongbu
- 102.7 MHz
- Yongsan-gu, SeoulSeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
(USAG YongsanYongsan GarrisonUnited States Army Garrison Yongsan is located in Seoul, South Korea and is home to the headquarters for the U.S. military presence in Korea, known as United States Forces Korea , as well as the headquarters for the Eighth United States Army and Installation Management Command Korea Region...
, Camp Market, K-16 Airbase...) (5 kW)
- Yongsan-gu, Seoul
AM Radio (Thunder AM)
- 1080 kHz
- DaeguDaeguDaegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
(Camp Walker, Camp Henry, Camp CarrollCamp Carroll, South KoreaCamp Carroll is located on the south east portion of South Korea, in Waegwan, close to the city of Daegu. It is named after Sergeant First Class Charles F. Carroll, a posthumous recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his acts of heroism during the Korean War.Camp Carroll is located at the...
) (5 kW) - WaegwanWaegwanWaegwan is the seat of government for Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea. It consists primarily of the administrative district of Waegwan-eup. It is situated on both sides of the Nakdong River, which is traversed by railroad, automobile and pedestrian bridges.Waegwan is home...
, North Gyeongsang (Camp Carroll, South KoreaCamp CarrollCamp Carroll was a United States Marine Corps artillery base during the Vietnam War. It was located at , 8 km southwest of the town of Cam Lo. Camp Carroll was also at the centroid of a large arc of the strategic Highway 9 corridor south of the DMZ, which made it a key facility.-History:The...
) (250 W)
- Daegu
- 1161 kHz
- UijeongbuUijeongbuUijeongbu is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city is located just north of Seoul with many U.S. and Korean military bases for the defense of the Korean capital. The U.S. Second Infantry Division has established its headquarters in the city with main troops deployed in Dongducheon...
, Gyeonggi (Camp Red CloudCamp Red CloudCamp Red Cloud is a United States Army camp located in the city of Uijeongbu, between Seoul and the Korean Demilitarized Zone . The installation was renamed after Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr...
, Camp StanleyCamp StanleyCamp Stanley is a U.S. Army military camp located just east of the city of Uijeongbu, South Korea. The camp is part of the Red Cloud Garrison which is composed of Army installations near the Korean demilitarized zone...
, Camp JacksonCamp JacksonCamp Jackson may refer to:* Camp Jackson a post located near Ione, Amador County, California during the American Civil War* Initial name for Fort Jackson, a US Army base in South Carolina...
) (250 W)
- Uijeongbu
- 1197 kHz
- DongducheonDongducheonDongducheon is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city located in the north of Seoul is strategically important for the defence of the Korean capital.The main camps of the US Second Infantry Division are located in the city with the division command at Uijeongbu City.-History:During...
, Gyeonggi (Camp Red CloudCamp Red CloudCamp Red Cloud is a United States Army camp located in the city of Uijeongbu, between Seoul and the Korean Demilitarized Zone . The installation was renamed after Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr...
, Camp CaseyCamp Casey, South KoreaCamp Casey is an American military camp in Dongducheon , South Korea, north of Seoul, South Korea. Camp Casey was named in 1952 after Major Hugh Boyd Casey, who was killed in an airplane crash near Camp Casey during the Korean War. Camp Casey is one of several U.S. Army bases in South Korea near...
, Camp StanleyCamp StanleyCamp Stanley is a U.S. Army military camp located just east of the city of Uijeongbu, South Korea. The camp is part of the Red Cloud Garrison which is composed of Army installations near the Korean demilitarized zone...
, Camp JacksonCamp JacksonCamp Jackson may refer to:* Camp Jackson a post located near Ione, Amador County, California during the American Civil War* Initial name for Fort Jackson, a US Army base in South Carolina...
) (1 kW)
- Dongducheon
- 1260 kHz
- BusanBusanBusan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
(5 kW)
- Busan
- 1359 kHz
- SongtanSongtanSongtan is an area in the northern end of Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggido, South Korea. Songtan achieved city status in its own right in 1981, five years earlier than Pyeongtaek, but merged, along with Pyeongtaek County, into Pyeongtaek City in May 1995. Most residents still consider it to have an identity...
, Gyeonggi (Osan Air BaseOsan Air BaseOsan Air Base , is a United States Air Force facility located in the Songtan section of Pyeongtaek City, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan City, which is to the north. The base is the home of the Pacific Air Forces' 51st Fighter Wing, and a number of tenant...
, USAG Humphreys) (1 kW)
- Songtan
- 1440 kHz
- MunsanMunsanMunsan is an eup in Paju City, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It lies along the edge of the Demilitarized Zone, near Panmunjom and the Joint Security Area. Munsan lies along the south bank of the Imjin River. At the time of the Korean War it was known as Munsan-ni.Munsan has a heavy military presence...
, Gyeonggi and Paju-riPajuPaju is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county .The city is located just south of Panmunjeom on the 38th parallel. To defend the Korean capital, Seoul, many US and Korean army bases are set up in the city. In 2002, the northernmost...
, Gyeonggi (5 kW) - ChuncheonChuncheonChuncheon is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the northeast of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some large lakes around the city, most notably Lake Soyang and Lake Uiam...
, GangwonGangwon-do (South Korea)Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
(250 W) - PyeongtaekPyeongtaekPyeongtaek is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Located in the southwestern part of the province, Pyeongtaek was founded as a union of two districts in 940 AD, during the Goryeo dynasty. It was elevated to city status in 1986, and is home to a South Korean naval base and a large...
, Gyeonggi (USAG Humphreys) (1 kW) - WonjuWonjuWonju is the most populous city in Gangwon province, South Korea.Wonju is a city approximately east of Seoul and the capital can be reached within 1hr 30minutes by bus or train. Wonju is home to three major universities which attract many students from Seoul and elsewhere. They provide facilities...
, GangwonGangwon-do (South Korea)Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
(250 W) - GunsanGunsanGunsan is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is located on the south bank of the Geum River just upstream from its exit into the Yellow Sea. Gunsan is served by frequent railway service on the Gunsan Line from Iksan. It is also connected to the Seohaean Expressway.Kunsan Air Base...
, North Jeolla (Kunsan Air BaseKunsan Air BaseKunsan Air Base , is a United States Air Force base located on the west coast of the South Korean peninsula bordered by the Yellow Sea. It is at the town of Gunsan about 150 miles south of Seoul. The town can be romanized as both Gunsan and Kunsan...
) (1 kW)
- Munsan
- 1512 kHz
- JinhaeJinhaeJinhae is a district in Changwon City, South Korea. This region is served by the Korean National Railroad, and is famous for its annual cherry blossom festival every spring....
, South Gyeongsang (250 W) - PohangPohangPohang is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River...
, South Gyeongsang (250 W) - JejuJeju-doJeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
(50 W)
- Jinhae
- 1530 kHz
- Yongsan-gu, SeoulSeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
(USAG YongsanYongsan GarrisonUnited States Army Garrison Yongsan is located in Seoul, South Korea and is home to the headquarters for the U.S. military presence in Korea, known as United States Forces Korea , as well as the headquarters for the Eighth United States Army and Installation Management Command Korea Region...
, Camp Market, K-16 Airbase) (5 kW)
- Yongsan-gu, Seoul
resource:
Italy
- 106.0 FM
- AFN Livorno (The Eagle) LivornoLivornoLivorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
/PisaPisaPisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa... - AFN Livorno-Power 107 LivornoLivornoLivorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
- AFN Naples-The Eagle Napoli-CamaldoliNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
- AFN Vicenza-The Eagle RiminiRiminiRimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
- AFN Vicenza-The Eagle AvianoAvianoAviano is a town and comune of province of Pordenone at the foot of the Dolomites mountain range in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy.-History:...
- AFN Vicenza-The Eagle PiancavalloPiancavalloPiancavallo is a ski resort in the Dolomites of northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Aviano, in the province of Pordenone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.- Geography:...
- AFN The Eagle San VitoSan Vito dei NormanniSan Vito dei Normanni is an Italian town of 19,947 inhabitants of the province of Brindisi in Puglia. The inhabitants are called Sanvitesi and the town is sometimes referred to as San Vito....
- AFN The Eagle DecimomannuDecimomannuDecimomannu is a comune in the Province of Cagliari in the Italian autonomous region of Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea ....
- AFN Sigonella-The Eagle Sigonella
- AFN Vicenza-The Eagle Monte Rubbio
- AFN Vicenza-The Eagle VeronaVeronaVerona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
- AFN Livorno (The Eagle) Livorno
- 106.1 FM
- AFN Livorno-Power 107La MaddalenaLa MaddalenaLa Maddalena is a town and comune located on the island with the same name, in northern Sardinia, part of the province of Olbia-Tempio, Italy.-The town:...
106.0?
- AFN Livorno-Power 107La Maddalena
- 107.0 FM
- Power Network (AFN) Sigonella
- AFN Naples Power 107 Napoli-CamaldoliNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
- AFN Vicenza Power 107 PiancavalloPiancavalloPiancavallo is a ski resort in the Dolomites of northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Aviano, in the province of Pordenone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.- Geography:...
- AFN Vicenza Power 107 AvianoAvianoAviano is a town and comune of province of Pordenone at the foot of the Dolomites mountain range in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy.-History:...
- AFN Vicenza Power 107 GhediGhediGhedi is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on November 24, 2001....
- AFN Power 107 San VitoSan Vito dei NormanniSan Vito dei Normanni is an Italian town of 19,947 inhabitants of the province of Brindisi in Puglia. The inhabitants are called Sanvitesi and the town is sometimes referred to as San Vito....
- AFN Livorno Power 107 Livorno-CastellaccioLivornoLivorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
- AFN Vicenza Power 107 Monte Rubbio
- AFN Vicenza Power 107 VeronaVeronaVerona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
- 107.1 FM
- AFN Livorno-The Beach (The Eagle) La MaddalenaLa MaddalenaLa Maddalena is a town and comune located on the island with the same name, in northern Sardinia, part of the province of Olbia-Tempio, Italy.-The town:...
- AFN Livorno-The Beach (The Eagle) La Maddalena
Japan
- 648 kHz AM
- Camp KinserCamp KinserCamp Kinser is a United States Marine Corps base in Okinawa, Japan. Another military installation is located south of Camp Kinser, but it belongs to the US Army.-External links:* *...
: Urasoe, OkinawaUrasoe, Okinawais a city located in Okinawa, Japan. The neighboring municipalities are Naha to the south, Ginowan to the north, and Nishihara to the east.Urasoe was the original capital of the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan for several centuries until it was supplanted by Shuri in the late 14th or early 15th century...
. 10 kilowatts (kW).
- Camp Kinser
- 810 kHz AM
- Yokota Air BaseYokota Air Base, is a United States Air Force base in the city of Fussa, one of 26 cities in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo.The base houses 14,000 personnel. The base occupies a total area of and has a runway...
: Western Tokyo. 50 kW transmitted from Wakō, SaitamaWako, Saitamais a city located in the southern part of Saitama, Japan, bordering on Tokyo.As of 1 May 2008, the city has an estimated population of 76,221. The total area is 11.04 km²....
. Serves the Greater Tokyo AreaGreater Tokyo AreaThe Greater Tokyo Area is a large metropolitan area in Kantō region, Japan, consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tokyo . In Japanese, it is referred to by various terms, including the , , and others....
.
- Yokota Air Base
- 1575 kHz AM
- Marine Corps Air Station IwakuniMarine Corps Air Station IwakuniMarine Corps Air Station Iwakuni or MCAS Iwakuni is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, southeast of the Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi in Japan.-Tenant commands:...
: Iwakuni, YamaguchiIwakuni, Yamaguchiis a city located in Yamaguchi, Japan.On March 20, 2006, the old city of Iwakuni absorbed the towns of Kuga, Mikawa, Miwa, Nishiki, Shūtō and Yū, and the village of Hongō, all from Kuga District, to form the new, expanded city of Iwakuni.- History :...
. 1 kW. - Misawa Air BaseMisawa Air Baseright|thumb|A US Navy C-2 at Misawa is a United States military facility located northeast of the railway station in Misawa, west of the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Towada, northwest of Hachinohe, and north of Tokyo, in Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region in the northern part of the...
: Misawa, AomoriMisawa, Aomoriis a city located in eastern Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 42,399 and a density of 353 persons per km²...
. 600 W. - United States Fleet Activities SaseboUnited States Fleet Activities SaseboU.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo is a United States Navy naval base, in Sasebo, Japan, on the island of Kyūshū. It provides facilities for the logistic support of forward-deployed units and visiting operating forces of the United States Pacific Fleet and designated tenant activities.- History :Sasebo...
: Sasebo, NagasakiSasebo, Nagasakiis a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
. 250 W.
- Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
- 89.1 MHz FM
- Kadena Air BaseKadena Air Base, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...
: Kadena, OkinawaKadena, Okinawais a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa, Japan.As of 2005, the town has an estimated population of 13,624 and a density of 915.9 persons per km². The total area is 15.04 km². Approximately 85% of the town is controlled by the US Government including Kadena Air Base, the second-largest...
. 20 kW.
- Kadena Air Base
- US Television channel 11
- Camp FosterCamp FosterCamp Foster, formerly known as Camp Zukeran, is a United States Marine Corps camp located in Ginowan City on the Japanese prefecture island of Okinawa. It is part of the Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler complex, and named after the Medal of Honor recipient PFC William A...
: Okinawa.
- Camp Foster
Shortwave (USB)
- Diego GarciaDiego GarciaDiego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
:- 12,579 kHz daytime
- 4,319 kHz nighttime
- GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
:- 13,362 kHz daytime
- 5,765 kHz nighttime
- Key West, FloridaNaval Air Station Key WestNaval Air Station Key West , is a naval air station and military airport located on Boca Chica Key, four miles east of the central business district of Key West, Florida, United States....
:- 12,133.5 kHz day & night
- 7,811.0 kHz day & night
- 5,446.5 kHz day & night
- Pearl Harbor, HawaiiPearl HarborPearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
(site currently out of service):- 10,320 kHz daytime
- 6,350 kHz nighttime
See: AFN Shortwave Frequencies
See also
- Pentagon ChannelPentagon ChannelThe Pentagon Channel is a TV channel broadcasting military news and information for the 2.6 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is widely available on US Public, educational, and government access cable tv channels, can be viewed FTA in most Central and Western European countries ,...
- AFN BerlinAFN BerlinAFN Berlin was a US-American military broadcast station located at Saargemünder Str 28 in Berlin-Dahlem. It started broadcasting at noon on August 4, 1945, with the Rhapsody in Blue from George Gershwin....
- British Forces Broadcasting ServiceBritish Forces Broadcasting ServiceThe British Forces Broadcasting Service provides radio and television programmes for HM Forces, and their dependents, in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Kosovo, the Middle East, Northern Ireland and Tristan da Cunha as well as a live satellite...
- Canadian Forces Radio and TelevisionCanadian Forces Radio and TelevisionEnglish: Canadian Forces Radio and Television , French: Radiotélévision des Forces canadiennes , is a television and radio network system broadcast by satellite to those members of the Canadian Forces ground forces who are serving overseas in places such as the Middle East, Africa and Europe and,...
- Israel Army RadioIsrael Army RadioArmy Radio or Galei Tzahal known in Israel by its acronym Galatz , is a nationwide Israeli radio network operated by the Israel Defense Forces....
- Far East NetworkFar East NetworkThe Far East Network was a network of American military radio and television stations, primarily serving U.S Forces in Japan, Okinawa, the Philippines, and U.S...
Literature
- Patrick Morley: This Is the American Forces Network': The Anglo-American Battle of the Air Waves in World War II. Praeger Publishing (2001).
- Trent Christman: Brass Button Broadcasters: A Lighthearted Look at Fifty Years of Military Broadcasting. Turner Publishing (1992).
- History of AFRTS: The first 50 years. U.S. Government Printing Office (1993).
External links
- American Forces Network
- AFN & AFRTS Satellite Setup page with help link
- AFVN - American Forces Vietnam Network (Archived 2009-10-25)* American Forces Radio and Television Service
- AFN Korea
- AFN Afghanistan
- AFN Europe
- AFN Berlin – unofficial website for remembrance (mirror site)
- AFN Berlin.com Private website about AFN Berlin
- AFN Tokyo
- AFN Sasebo
- AFN Okinawa
- AFN Iwakuni
- British Army Garrison Radio (GR)
- Armed Forces Radio Service collection of broadcast recordings, at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
- Southern Command Network Panama