The AFRTS Story - 1962

In 1962 the network sent out their 20th anniversary broadcast.  Marvin Miller does a wonderful job.  Only thing that puzzles me is the muddy transfers of shows from the 1940s.   Good listening, time to reenlist!

The AFRTS Story 1962

Introduction to AFN Europe

Post 1000

1,000 posts.  A bare minimum of 500 hours to listen to everything again.  Thank you for your part in our history.  Thank you for visiting.  Thank you for visiting our sponsors.  Be sure to tip the waitstaff!

AFRTS Anniversaries

AFN - Dave Malone - 1978 CMA Awards

We're up to the last part of the 1978 Network wide broadcast to celebrate the CMA awards.  From Frankfurt, here's Dave Malone.

AFN Frankfurt - Dave Malone 1978 CMA Awards

Thanks Hans Knot for making these available!

AFN Berlin - Rik De Lisle 1978 CMA Awards

AFN's tribute to the 1978 CMA awards continues from Berlin with Rik De Lisle.

AFN Berlin - Rik De Lisle 1978 CMA Awards

Small World - George Church - 1965

Some light music, interviews and companionship.  It's Small World with George Church.

Small World - 1965

Adventures in Good Music - 1970

Detroit's Karl Haas was excited about his job.  For many years he put excitement into music from long gone composers.

AFRTS brought it worldwide.  Here's a 1970 visit.

Adventures In Good Music - 1970

AFKN Reunion

Brian Hartzell

10/21/13

To: Thom Whetston

From:	Brian Hartzell
Sent:	Mon 10/21/13 10:27 PM
To:	Thom Whetston (afrts@live.com)

I've been chatting with a couple of ex-AFKN vets who would like me to reopen the question of organizing an AFKN Reunion sometime in 2014 (probably September or October).  

Could you send out an email or Facebook message asking former AFKN staffers to make some suggestions as to what city (or part of the country) they would prefer such a reunion to be held? It is thought that we would have more success if we hosted the reunion in a city that is centrally located, although I don't necessarily believe that is true.  We are open to suggestions.

I, for instance, live in Ohio.  I know you live in Minnesota.  Dave McAlary lives in northern Virginia. Gary Theiman lives in southern California.  Etc., etc.  Some of our associates also live in Texas (seems popular to many as a retirement favorite).

Any thoughts...care to be a part of this conspiracy?

Brian E. Hartzell
Hartzell Consulting
"Fundraising & Public Relations Counsel to Nonprofits since 1979"

FEN - Teens on Parade - 1960

The kids were dancing on the weekend in Tokyo.  From 1960 Dave Robinson and Ray Goodwin hosting a live show fun for the dependents.  Danny and the Red Coasters is our in studio band.  

FEN - Teens on Parade - 1960

AFN 1978 Country Music Awards - Jim Johnson

 

Our tribute to the 1978 Country Music awards continues (Thanks Hans Knot).  This time we go to AFN Bremerhaven and Jim Johnson

 

AFN - CMA- Jim Johnson

Just Music - 1967

Peaceful music for the dinner hour?  Music to keep the Colonels off our back?  We ran a lot of it.  During WWII we had a program called "At Ease", 15 minutes of uninterrupted orchestral music.  In 1967 it was the same thing, called "Just Music". 

Just Music - 1967

More Just Music

Sound Off - Bill Goodwin 1942

Here's the other side of a disk from a couple of months ago.  Before we had a network the government was sending radio shows to the field.  Announcer Bill Goodwin shows us a precursor to American Top 40:

 

Sound Off - 1942

 

 

AFN - Dick Beacham - Country Awards Show

Hans sent this one in.  In 1978 AFN Europe celebrated the Country Music Awards with a series of shows from all over the network.  Here's Dick Beacham with the first part

AFN - Dick Beacham 1978

 

 

 

 

 

AFRS Canal Zone schedule 1950

The Army Hour - 1963 "Korea, A Decade of Courage"

AFKN was an Army "Meritorious Unit".  Everyone was authorized an additional ribbon while there.  The ribbon was authorized because of the war coverage.  Troops went to the field with huge tube powered recorders.  I've heard short clips of this before but this is the most complete version that I've ever heard.

The Army Hour was on NBC during WWII, ending up on Mutual by the 1960s. 

Army Hour - 1963

Moog logos

This would be from roughly 1971. Parts of this have been posted before but this is complete.  The "TotalSound" Moog-logos.

Moog logos

AFN Munich - Dick Dale 1981

And now "The Old Sarge"

 

 

I started like most, joining the Service, then attended Armed Forces Radio School, in Ft Ben. Harrison. That was by far..... the Best Schooling, anyone could receive. Bar None.  I was in the Service for only the 3 years enlistment. Spent all of my time, in Europe, except for one Year.. I'm thinking, was "On The Air" for Two of those Years. My final Year, was spent in the Information Office, on Okinawa/Japan.

 

Following my ETS, worked in Lexington, Ky, Sioux City, Iowa, and Kansas City.

That's It.

 

Retired from Radio, in 2008. I'm currently living in Northern California.

 

Many times I've been asked if I'm the Dick Dale, of the Del-Tones. (Misserloo)

I just say "No.....but I can play Wipe Out, with my thumbs on the Dashboard of

My Car" That usually ends the conversation!

 

Best Regards,

Dick Dale

  

AFN Munich - Dick Dale 1981

Brian Hartzell - AFKN 1972

My AFKN story isn't the most exciting, although I enjoyed my nine-plus month tour of duty in the Land of the Mourning Clam. Arrived in country the day after Thanksgiving 1972.  Was assigned to AFKN News, prepared and announced newscasts for AM radio, occasionally assigned to handle a "Ten O'Clock News" on weekend  TV and the all-important "Newsbeat: Korea" which I once called "Nosebleed Korea" on-air (purely by accident).  After about five months, I asked for a transfer to serve as Program Director for AFKN-FM which was pretty much a one-man job programming the FM automated system, create some one-hour programs, etc.  

I worked with Bobby Zix (now Kamasami Kong in Japan), Jim Kane (AF-SSG who moved on to AFN-Ramstein, etc.) and Dave McAlary (career at VOA) and Wally Cornelison (who went back to AFKN in the role of civilian director of TV operations), both retired and still in touch on occasion.  Bruce Dortin was a contemporary. Have lots of stories, but little tape.  

Somewhere, oh, somewhere, I've got a couple of reel-to-reel tapes with airchecks  that I thought might be helpful finding a part-time radio job during grad school, but never used them.  My broadcasting career was brief. I got the assignment originally because I had radio experience in college and a few months before the lottery called my number.

Received early discharge in late August 1973 to attend graduate school at Kent State (just three years after the shootings). Studied journalism/public relations. Went into public relations counseling full-time for eight years, switched to non-profit work as executive director of two Ronald McDonald Houses, gaining fundraising skills over 19 years.  Worked in fundraising for two additional hospitality house programs (another ten years), then a hospice and finally as a consultant (now) as I approach semi-retirement. 

Brian E. Hartzell
Hartzell Consulting
"Fundraising & Public Relations Counsel to Nonprofits since 1979"

Laurie Allen 1990

Laurie's trek began in Morris, Minnesota.  Then it was a journey through the Midwest.  California called then San Francisco and Los Angeles and AFRTS.  Laurie can be heard now on Go Country 105 an in syndication over Dial Global.

But this was a classic rocking Thursday...

Laurie Allen - 1990

AFRTS Adak Alaska - Michael Brown 1970

A while back Michael Brown send a bunch of shows that he did in Adak.  Time for another, this was shortly after he arrived...

 

AFRTS Adak - Michael Brown 1970

Sound Off - 1942

Johnson Mercer has more of the countdown you called for in "Sound Off".  Sound Off is older than AFRS.  These programs were distributed on 12" vinyl like V-Disks.  I've heard there were disks with rebroadcasts of network shows, I've just never actually seen one.  The joint is jumpin'... Sound Off!!

Sound Off - 16 -1942

Frank Bresee is on the air!

Some good news in the mail...

 

08/25/2013

 

Hi Thom,

 

I am Frank Bresee's producer on the Yesterday USA Radio networks.  Frank was on AFRTS from 1965 to 1994 with his Golden Days of Radio show.  Roger Carroll mentioned you to Frank and I am dropping you a note.  Frank is still on the air with me on Friday night at 7-30 Pm West coast and his Golden Days Radio show is heard during the week at different times on our networks at www.yesterdayusa.com 

Take care,
Walden Hughes 

Sagebrush Theatre 1970

From 1942 onward the radio networks sent their shows to AFRTS for rebroadcast to the troops.  The network saved those and over the years repackaged them many times.  I'd love to see a picture of what the library looked like at McCadden Place.  Comedy shows, Mystery shows.  This is from Western shows.  "Fort Laramie" starred a pre Perry Mason/Ironside Raymond Burr. 

 

Sagebrush Theatre - 1970

Countdown August 2013

Here are the most popular shows of the last two weeks!

Frank Bresee update

Good news from Roger Carroll.  Frank Bresee had a stroke a while back.  Rehab is going so well that he will be vacationing in England.

  In the late 1960s and early 70s, Frank Bresee would stop by Roger's KMPC show and share memories of the Golden Days of Radio.  Here are a couple of visits.  Thanks RC!

KMPC Golden Days Of Radio

Anywhere Unlimited - The Air Transport Command

This is from the mid 1940s.  ATC was renamed in 1948.

Anywhere Unlimited - The Air Transport Command

Downbeat 1942

We didn't quite exist yet, but there were plans. The War Department was distributing radio programming on 12" disks. These disks could be sent wherever the troops were. Welcome to Box B.
 

Downbeat - Jimmy Dorsey

More Downbeat

AFN has cool promo items

When I was doing this on the other side of the mic, one of my biggest complaints was the lack of promo items.  Sean sent a bundle of what they're doing now.  Stickers, temporary tattoos, bags, pencils, key chains and such.  Promo items have always re-enforced the branding.  More and more like stateside radio, in a good way..

AFN Bremerhaven 1992

In 1992 AFN Bremerhaven took the Keith L Ware award.

Here's why:

AFN Bremerhaven 1992

Great sounding station!  Thanks Bill Boyd!

AFKN 1969 Year End Show - Roger Schulman

And now from Yongsan, Roger Schulman who later did big things in Tampa radio.  In 1969 he escorted us through decades of hits!.

 

AFKN - Roger Schulman

 

I can't find a current location for Roger, but this was a couple of years ago: