Memorial Day 2017

The Silent Service

Depending on your age, William Conrad means radio's Matt Dillon, Rocky and Bullwinkle's announcer or Cannon.  He was a monster talent.

 

In the late 40s, he did a tribute to the Navy and the Silent Service.

 

The Silent Service

Longest Year - Tribute to the 19th Bombardment Group USAAF

Here's a tribute to one of the most decorated units ever. The 19th Bombardment Group  The network did a lot of programming to highlight our history.  Howard Culver tells the story. 

The Longest Year

AFRS Asmara 1972-73

Roland Richter shares his memories:

We were running a Gates BC-1G transmitter with 1 kilowatt into a quarter wave tower with a really good ground system...120 radials quarter wave long...had good processing for the time, The Gates Solid Statesman compressor and limiter at the transmitter and an older Gates Sta Level at the studio with an equalized phone line to the transmitter site. I have a couple air checks from there and one tape that was sent by a DX-er from Finland who picked us up. We were live a lot more than most stations...live from 6am-11, from 1-2, and from 4 to midnight. The AM was top 40 most of the time, with two hours of country. The top 40 had a heavy soul mix in. Weekends were mostly oldies. The FM was automated taped beautiful music except 7-10 pm weeknights when there were specialty shows...classical, folk, oldies, album rock, etc. FM was 200 watts. TV was 100 watts on Channel 2. We were on 3 pm till 1 am weeknights...noon til 2 am on weekends...did half hour of news and weather at 6 and 10 every day and a live kids show on Saturday morning...for a time did a Saturday dance show and a quiz show sort of like College Bowl. I was there 1972-73. The station was actually on before it was an AFRTS affiliate. Kagnew Station was an Army Security Agency site and we had no trouble getting anything we needed! There were 4 am studios including a news room with 2 reel to reels, cart recorder and 4 cart playbacks, FM stereo studio with 2 Scully reel to reels and cart recorder and playback, gates automation system for FM with 4 reel to reels, two carousel cart players and three single play carts...a small and large AM production studio. Control room in AM had Gatesway II, and there were Sold Statesman boards in the smaller studios and in FM control. TV control had a Grass Valley Switcher and a Sparta ten pot audio board...we had Norelco cameras but I can't remember what the film chain was. No tape in TV in those days. We did shoot both film and slides for TV and the post film processor was across the street as part of PAO and they did processing and film editing for us.

Program Shipments in the 90s

 

Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) Program Materials, DoD Directive 5120.20-R, Appendix F.

 

AFRTS-BC ships 80 hours of radio program materials to their AM outlets per week. More than half of the weekly package consists of current music programs featuring major-market DJs. The music heard on these programs is the same as played on many popular music FM stations across the United States. Another portion of the weekly package consists of recordings of the latest hits according to various music charts. To provide the widest possible variety of radio programming, AFRTS-BC includes religious, talk, drama, variety and other program formats in the weekly package.

FM stations also are furnished with program packages. The stations receive a basic FM package along with taped stereo music shipments consisting of vocals and instrumentals.

 

RADIO UNIT PACKAGE (RU)

The radio unit package (RU) contains approximately one-half (30 hours) of the total radio programming package and is generally undated. It is routed through circuits of one or two outlets. In the RU package you will find weekly religious shows, dramas, features, variety shows and information "fillers." Under normal circuiting (routing), one unit is available for broadcast and two other RUs are either at the station or enroute.

 

RADIO PRIORITY/LIBRARY PACKAGE (RP/L)

Teaming with the RU package to provide full AFRTS radio entertainment is the radio priority/library package (RP/L). This weekly package has two parts - the radio priority package (RP) and the radio library package (RL).

 

Radio Priority Package (RP)

The RP package contains approximately 45 hours of timely (dated) materials, including chart music programs, and is shipped to each authorized radio station for immediate broadcast. Because the RPs contain timely material, they have no value after they are aired and include instructions for immediate local destruction. RPs are authorized only for stations that receive the RU package.

 

Radio Library Package (RL)

The RL package contains approximately six hours of individual recorded music cuts on CD for retention as permanent library material. Because RL material is designed for permanent library retention, shipments continue during temporary periods when other programming may be suspended. A computer floppy disk, containing artist and title information, is included in each shipment. The CDs in the RL package are accountable items and periodic inventories are mandatory.

40-C

Stations authorized to receive the RP/L package also receive the American Top 40 and the American Country Countdown programs as a separate RP shipment labeled 40-C. Like the RP unit, materials in 40-C are destroyed after airing.

 

RADIO TAPE PACKAGE (RT)

The radio tape package (RT) is a weekly audiotape shipment consisting of approximately 84 hours of RU, RP, 40-C and special information items for authorized ships and selected shore-based stations. Packages contain 14 7-inch tapes recorded at 3 3/4 ips in a fro-track monaural format that can be run on simple automation or manual playback systems. At the end of each recorded track, a 25-hertz tone cues tape reversal and automatic switching to the next track, enabling small radio operations with the proper equipment to automate a full broadcast day. RT units are returned to the duplication contractor after airing so the tapes and shipping containers can be recycled. Outlets authorized to receive the RT package will not receive the RU, RL or 40-C shipments.

 

RADIO MATERIALS (RM)

Occasionally, your station may receive the radio materials (RM) shipment. It may contain entertainment or information programs, holiday specials, special features, spots or production aids. The type and timeliness of the material will determine whether the RM is shipped on CD or tape and which outlets will receive it.

 

FM TAPE SERVICES

The three packages available under the heading of FM tape services are FM library (FML), FM program (FMP) and FM religious (FMR). These tapes provide alternate programming for authorized outlets with second broadcast frequencies or cable distribution channels. Tapes are recorded in four-track stereo at 3 3/4 ips on 10 1/2-inch reels. Cue tones are prerecorded on the tapes for automation equipment.

 

FML

The FML unit is a monthly shipment of roughly 24 hours of library music in three formats - beautiful music, adult contemporary and country. It is designed for permanent retention by the station.

 

FMP

The FMP unit is a quarterly shipment consisting of about 26 hours of hosted stereo programs.

 

FMR

The FMR unit is a religious music program service that includes 12 55-minute hosted programs in each shipment.

AFN Ed Tooma 1973

Ed Tooma

 

 

Phil just transferred another great broadcast.  It's 1973 and from Berlin, Army Specialist Ed Tooma has your soul favorites on "The American Music Hall"

 

AFN - Ed Tooma 1973