Talk:American Forces Network/Archive 1

Last half of the page
Appears fairly clearly to be copied from some AFN website. It's government produced, so it's not copyright, but we should identify where we got it from, and perhaps provide a backlink. --Baylink 04:31, 15 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Added tags
I added 2 tags. This page needs to be expanded so that it includes the Vietnam War and other areas where AFN exists. --Woohookitty 00:21, 18 May 2005 (UTC)

Would it make sense to create a historical timeline? IMHO, the article might be getting cluttered and bogged down with too much data. Jbetak 08:51, 18 May 2005 (UTC)

Probably a good idea. Otherwise, yes, it's a bit much. --Woohookitty 03:20, 19 May 2005 (UTC)

OK, I'll see if I can knock a draft together. I think your efforts to shape this up are appreciated -- where would we be without AFN? :-) Jbetak 16:20, 19 May 2005 (UTC)

Sounds good. Well it falls into the "important article" catagory. Can't be legit without it. So thanks. --Woohookitty 22:08, 19 May 2005 (UTC)

Untitled
Especially in Germany AFN has been of great influence during the time after Worldwar II in getting more knowledge about the English language even it has been the American way of English. Nowadays AFN unfortunately is really restricted to areas close the big air bases of US-AirforcePm 11:13, 11 Apr 2004 (UTC) I live in Stuttgart, Germany (HQ USEUCOM) on a US military base and it's primarily Army, not Air Force. All service members can get AFN. I don't know what you mean by saying only Air Force.--Mimbster 12:25, 26 February 2006 (UTC)

Japan
The Japan section implies that the station is only big in Okinawa and Kyushu, when in reality it stretches across the country, most notably in Tokyo on the Kanto Plain, and as far north as Misawa. Mike H. That's hot 19:37, 26 February 2006 (UTC)

Material from Far East Network
The article Far East Network is listed in the backlog of articles needing wikifying from May 2006. The problem with that article, however, seems to be that most of it belongs in this one. There is text about AFN-Japan, post 1997 when FEN ceased to exist, which could perhaps be merged with what is said here about AFN-Japan. I was going to do just that, but I think you regular editors here would do a much better job. There is also a long chunk of unwikified history of the predecessors of FEN from 1942 to 1945 that might also come in here to complement the history of the same period in Europe. I know nothing about these subjects, just trying to help clear the wikification backlog. Thanks. Itsmejudith 17:15, 24 September 2006 (UTC)

Question regarding bias
If I understand it correctly, the AFN is a government institution, since the military is one too, of course. Then how come the AFN broadcasts politically biased shows, such as Rush Limbaugh's? I thought government media are supposed to be neutral. Wouter Lievens 13:23, 24 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Not something that can be sorted out in Wikipedia. Suggest you write to the head of the station with your question. Itsmejudith 19:31, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

Forrest Gump
As far as I can remember, there is a brief scene in Forrest Gump where Forrest is watching a network that is apparently AFN and another soldier tells him something to the effect of "turn that junk off." May be worth noting just as trivia or to illustrate an anti-AFN attitude in Vietnam (if there was one). 71.211.48.49 22:06, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

The actual line was someone asking "How can you watch that stupid shit??" when Gump was watching Gomer Pyle. While there was certainly an anti-AFN attitude when I served overseas about twenty years after this scene took place, I believe the context of the scene questions how anyone with combat service in Vietnam could possibly watch something like Gomer Pyle, which offered a very corny and unrealistic portrayal of military service during that era.

There's an anti-AFN attitude in every war, not just Vietnam and in every country, I know many other servicemembers will agree when I slur AFN with several derogatory insults and expletives. You have no idea how bad the broadcasting is until you must endure it yourself. - 203.205.122.196 22:58, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Propaganda Network?
I spent three years overseas in varous postings from 1989-1992 and AFN was the only english language TV available. Most of the programming, with the exception of news and sports, was at least six months old. Moreover, instead of commericals, they air pentagon produced public service announcements, many of which were corny and rediculously condescending. This makes me wonder if entertaining the troops was actually a secondary goal of the service. I did applaud their effort to bring live sports to the troops overseas, however, the disadvantage to this is that in Japan, Sunday football broadcasts would begin at 2AM Monday and Monday night football would begin at 10 AM Tuesday Morning.

Oh c'mon I live in Japan and the games are nothing, (when the good ones are even shown on TV) whats even better is when they are tape delayed by 15 hours - 203.205.122.196 23:00, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Armed Forces or American Forces Network
I see references to both names throughout the article. I always thought the A stood for "Armed", but the logo clearly says "American". Was the name changed at some point? I know nothing about this, and will refrain from editing the article myself, but perhaps someone with a little more knowledge can clarify the ambiguity. Sme3 (talk) 15:27, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Radio Free Europe and The Voice of America
Radio Free Europe and The Voice of America, being called here broadcasters who brought news AND PROPAGANDA to the east countries, and by ignorant people often labeled as "propaganda broadcasters" in stead were just trying to build up credibility and to promote critical judgment against their leaders among the people in the east bloc countries by providing neutral and objective information, not only critical towards the communist regimes but also towards numerous situations in the US. The reporting of such broadcasters can thus never be called propagandist, at the most there is a bias in the selection of news, which is the case with every medium.

They who call these "propaganda broadcasters", often forget that also BBC and other actual European broadcaster have their mission defined by governments and parliaments (and by nobody else) and are financed by those governments. If someone says "Radio Free Europe is a propaganda broadcaster and adds to it "I am watching BBC World for my information", then this person has probably never listend to a RFE broadcasting ànd doesn't realise in the second place that also BBC is a state broadcaster. This is why i changed the locution "news and propaganda" into "news". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.164.5.129 (talk) 14:28, 14 September 2008 (UTC) [user:wikirud]

Cleanup Work
I added info on Korea and Vietnam and trimmed other sections of the article. Is there anything else that we need here? Kerowyn 06:21, 12 July 2005 (UTC)


 * Actually I'm going to do some major copyediting. it's still WAY too obvious that this article was lifted from the AFN site. --Woohookitty 06:57, 12 July 2005 (UTC)


 * I was originally given this one, so I'll close it. Thanks for the help. It looks much better. --Woohookitty 07:36, 12 July 2005 (UTC)

I did some cleanup work on the paragraph regarding DINFOS since it was...not untrue, but borderline (professionals in the broadcast field? Most are former/current military broadcasters) and misleading (not all broadcasters go through the advanced broadcast operations courses).

It appears that a new head of AFN needs to be identified as Allison Barber's link indicates she has relinquished her duties as of October 20th of this year. Deckman74 (talk) 23:12, 19 November 2008 (UTC)

String of words impersonating a sentence
What does this string of words mean? "As of 2005 the Network has not liberal/progressive talkers Al Franken from Air America Radio and Ed Schultz from Jones Radio Network"? It has a link to an external Web site, but that site has nothing to do with those words. ➥the Epopt 13:35, 10 April 2006 (UTC)
 * More gobbledygook: its entertainment and command internal information networks. I know what an entertainment network is, but what on earth is a "command internal information network"? -- Picapica (talk) 19:59, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

Mistake in location of "Grafenwöhr"
The location of the station "Grafenwöhr" can't be right, 11°54'42"N 49°42'47"E is the Horn of Africa. Is N and E swapped? --91.36.168.155 (talk) 18:50, 4 June 2009 (UTC)

More in-depth information about programming.
For example, while I was stationed in Germany, I was able to watch soft core porn late at night on one of the AFN channels. It was said that the purpose of the program was to give military members a safe release, and reduce sexual assaults or similarly carnal crimes.Nullpersona (talk) 03:55, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Saudi Arabia has been added
I'm a Saudi citizen living in Riyadh and likes to listen to AFN, I have visited Jeddah last week and tuned in FM to discover AFN in the city. There's other AFN stations are being broadcasted across the country but I haven't listened to all of them so I can identify them.

First thing first, this URL (may be down currently) http://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil/Affiliates.aspx?b=1&c=53 is where I got the exact locations that AFN is broadcasting from. Also, it helped identify some of the frequencies I didn't know about.

I have learned (in freenode's Wikipedia) that the coordinates I have used isn't a wiki-standard, it is working like a charm with Google Maps though.

What I want is to list this URL as the official source of the AFN locations but I don't know where to put it exactly in the main article (I'm a new Wikipedia user, so bear with me please). That about it, I'll sure work on the table (and get another source) to make it more appealing, informative and less confusing (if it is). —Preceding unsigned comment added by CEnTR4L (talk • contribs) 01:38, 19 April 2010 (UTC)

Role of AFRS in preserving 40s/50s radio programming
I was looking for information about the role of AFRS of preserving "old-time radio" programming from the 1940s and 50s (live music, dramas, comedies, news, etc.). AFAIK, many of these programs wouldn't be available today if they hadn't been "transcribed" (recorded to 16 RPM acetate discs) for rebroadcast to servicemembers overseas. I have no references, and was hoping to find references/links here. Anyone? Bueller? ErnestValdemar (talk) 00:37, 24 December 2010 (UTC)

Forgotten stations and early history
The unlicensed station at Fort Ray, Sitka, Alaska is not even mentioned? I am the founder of KRAY, the voice of Fort Ray, Sitka Alaska. Later to be known as WVCX, licensed and formal US Military radio station (Part of the new AFRS) ( I will leave out all personal information until questioned or asked for more details) KRAY and WVCX was operated by the military personnel of Fort Ray. First, the station location on the base was fixed and built. Full station with legal wattage transmitter, engineers, control room, studio, stage,and all necessary equipment for a full operational station. Plus, an array of such good and professional live talent that made that station a special network location. Live shows and tx shows were professionally scheduled and maintained. I worked at the station for two years.

In early 1944 I had the good fortune of being assigned to AFN Munich, Germany. That was already a on going spectical of professionalism and programing. I was able to remain at AFN Munich until I returned to the USA in October of 1946 for Honorable Discharge. War Stories...a million of them Frank A. Kasala e-mail: anacapa007@hotmail.com — Preceding unsigned comment added by 27.141.11.103 (talk) 07:10, 8 December 2012 (UTC)

External links modified
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 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20141213035803/http://www.afnkorea.net/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=MNmAXjYs0AA%3d to http://www.afnkorea.net/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=MNmAXjYs0AA%3d

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 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20120220153149/http://afrts.dodmedia.osd.mil/facts/1.pdf to http://afrts.dodmedia.osd.mil/facts/1.pdf
 * Corrected formatting/usage for http://www.geocities.com/afvn
 * Added tag to http://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil/Affiliates.aspx?b=1&c=53
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Article split June 2017
American Forces Radio and Television Service is not an alias of AFN: It is the team that operates AFN. It's like how the U.K.'s Services Sound and Vision Corporation operates its British Forces Broadcasting Service channels. AFN is one of AFRTS' services; other AFRTS services include film theaters. JSH-alive/talk/cont/mail 12:29, 4 June 2017 (UTC)

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AFN in Alaska
Does AFN (AFRN, AFRTS) still operate in Alaska? if not, when did the network "go dark?" 104.152.76.106 (talk) 13:43, 29 June 2023 (UTC)