Wolfman, Baby

Wolfman was always a highlight. Here's something you don't hear everyday, some of the original 'dry audio' tracks that the Wolf did for us. Wolf has his shows back in syndication, they're great. Ask your oldies station why they're not running it!



Keep up on the latest news at http://www.wolfmanjack.org

And here's how it was done:
Wolfman Jack 1985


Or listen here...

Mailing list

There is a mailing list, where usually once a month I send updates on big news and what's new here. If you'd like to be added, or for that matter removed then just drop me a note. afrts@live.com

If you have any airchecks/transcriptions to share, let me know.

And finally, if you enjoy this please tell a friend!

Thom

Charlie Tuna

"Charlie Tuna, comin' back at you for another 60 minutes in the radio". Just say it, you'll feel better!

Charlie Tuna 08-02-1983

Or listen here:


Keep up with the latest Charlie Tuna happenings at http://www.charlietuna.com/

Thanks for the memories Charlie.

Give a Jingle

Our Australian friend Dyo asked if there were more jingles available. Dyo supplied us that great montage of jingles last year. I'm happy to say yes..

AFTN update

Captain Madrack sent in some nice sounding memories of the Thailand network.
AFTN April 1973

Or listen here:


I really appreciate it and I'm sure that a lot of others do when you share your airchecks with us all. I threw mine away and greatly regretted it later. Please let me know what you have.

Today the good Captain (Ralph Gebes) is still involved with the troops:

Thom I am very involved in support our deployed troops. Operation Support Our Troops Illinois www.osotil.org. We have a concert every year with Gary Sinise and the Lt Dan Band. I will send you a copy of last year’s concert. I have taken up video production I am not making a living at it but produce videos for the VFW, OSOTIL, and the local cable access channel. I enjoy the creative side of things and often wish I could be on the air again.

AFN today

AFN Openline: AFN Programming
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Do you have a question about AFN programming? Now your can ask the experts from the AFN Broadcast Center in California on AFN Europe’s PowerNet OpenLine show at 10 a.m. October 21th. Call the experts with any question you have about AFN radio or television scheduling or programs.
You can call in your questions to the experts on the AFN PowerNet's OpenLine show at 10 a.m. on October 21. You can also send us your questions in advance via e-mail.

Here you can hear the full two hours:



Hour 1
http://www.afneurope.net/Home/ArticleDisplayDD/tabid/649/Default.aspx?aid=10134

Hour 2
http://www.afneurope.net/Home/ArticleDisplayDD/tabid/649/Default.aspx?aid=10136

Mary Turner

Mary Turner had a great career as a jock and interviewer, we ran her AFRTS-LA show and her syndicated "Off the Record" show. From there she went on to big things:


Dr. Mary Turner Pattiz (CGI Psy.D. ’08)From the mid ‘70s to the early ‘90s, Mary Turner was the most popularfemale air personality on contemporary music radio. She was thehighest-rated disc jockey on L.A.’s legendary KMET, the host of “Off TheRecord,” Westwood One’s nationally syndicated interview show, which airedon more than 300 stations weekly, and the host of the “Mary Turner Show”on Armed Forces Radio. After leaving radio in 1994, Dr. Pattiz attendedUCLA where she became a certified drug and alcohol counselor and beganworking in the field of substance abuse.

Mary Turner 1991

Play it now:

More Mary Turner here

Jim Pewter

First is the most recent AFRTS-LA show in my collection. Jim Pewter had started with AFRTS in 1966 after a tour at AFKN. Thirty years later, he was sounding even younger.

Jim Pewter 1996

Press to play

"Don't bunch up"

Early memories of AFN

Here's the second part of the early AFN recordings. There was a lot of mail about the first. On that, there was a lot of Mark White. He started at AFN in the mid 50s and steadily move up until the late 80s. He still lives in Germany and somehow doesn't have a computer.
AFN sound bytes part two
Or listen here:

William Wintersole, a soldiers story

Actor William Wintersole checked in and shared his memories of AFRTS:

I was assigned to the Fort Ord Army Hospital's Bedside Network immediately after 8 week basic training in Nov 1953 with Pfc Marshall Garrett and Pfc Ben DaMotto. The closed circuit system provided captured radio entertainment as well as one channel of AFRTS recordings with some programing of our own invention...such as in-the-field interviews with celebrities and pro golfers at the Bing Crosby Invitational at Pebble Beach, CA in Feb 1954. We used the first portable tape recorders I'd ever seen...the Ampex 15 inch reel unit...weighing about 30 lbs. We got a ton of stuff
including Bob Hope, Phil Harris, Gen Omar Bradley, etc, etc. I understand it was stored at AFRTS,Hollywood, CA. In July , '54 I was sent to South Korea and assigned to AFKN HQ at station KILROY in Taegu, Korea. In addition to doing the midnight to 2am trick, I was also the Producer-Director of network programs for the 10 station operation. A few months later HQs was shifted to VAGABOND on the hill in the
8th Army compound, Seoul and I was assigned network Program Director by Lt Col Stewart who told me when I suggested we look into adding TV facilities to AFKN...."Look, Private...the only thing I know about radio or TV is where to turn it on and where to turn it off....and I want to get full bird by the time I leave here,,,you understand?" Actually I was Specialist, as I recall. Some of my broadcast buddies were Earl Clayton, Dan Chamberlin, Alan Hirschfield, Edson Foster,Frank Fagan, Jerry Terhune, Rice Paddy Ranger Army Sgt Dick Curless, John Orloff and a bunch of others. I met Roger Carroll somewhere in there but can't recall where. He got a job at KMPC...I went to KPOL and then to KTLA in '57 but decided on a career as an actor/director and have had a wonderful career working all over the world rather than behind a mike and turntables.
Bill Wintersole

Okinawa ends another broadcast day...

Early AFN

This is the first part of the very early AFN material (Thanks Garry!!). We've touched a lot of people all over the world.

Early AFN part one the 1950s

Or just listen online


In the hustle and bustle of getting something on the air, sometimes it's hard to realize how we touched our listeners.

I'll post what I can.

Armed Forces Radio - 1952 AFN-E Halloween Hoax Found at abmp3 search engine

Karoline gives a perspective:

I was born in 1947 in Berlin, Germany and from the fifth year in school we learned English. And from that year on it was not far away to AFN.
Me, my brother and our friends liked the fresh and cool presentation and of course the music, from the rock 'n roll to the beat period.

I remember espacially our ultimate DJ Army Sergeant George Hudak.
He made the afternoon show "Frolic at Five" very very well.
Later on in the mid sixties Jan Wood made the show, also very well.

We also heard the country-and western music show "Stickbody Jamboree"
with Bob Burns, that aired from AFN-Kaiserslautern and later from AFN-Stuttgart.
I also remember the Saturday afternoon show "Weekend World" from Frankfurt, the "Finsh Bandwagon" and the Music-Show in the evening "Sounds of the Sixties" and "Music in the Air".

Clem Stein on the air!

Just wanted to let you know that the Jazz NPR station in the SF Bay area is going to play my air check of my 1964 AFN full Network Weekend World insert of the United States Air Force Ambassador's Orchestra program as part of their salute to our Veterans on Nov. 11, 2009 at, get the time, 6 AM Pacific Standard Time. If anyone once to hear it they can hear it on line at: http://www.kcsm.org/ Click on Jazz 91, and then Listen Live. The show is also being aired on KWXY-AM/FM in Southern CA same day at 8 PM. Let's hear it for our Vets.

New Airchecks

In no particular order, here are some great things to hear...

Charlie Tuna 01 03 1992



Don Tracy 01 06 1986




Roland Bynum for Air Force Recruiting 1973



I also find the recruiting shows interesting, sort of a different vibe to them. Most were recorded by Roger Carroll's company over at Watermark rather than at the network.