Enchantment of Music - 1961

"Dinner Music" we ran that many different shows.  In 1961 KCBH-FM was experimenting with what to do with FM.  The matchless high fidelity was a draw.  Bruce Wendell brought a nice mix of mostly uptempo orchestral music.

Enchantment of Music - 1961

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FEN - Wakkanai 1961 Jim Pritchard

Thom, as a graduate of AFRTS, I give thanks ever everyday that I was in a place where I could break in.  I went on to spend 15 years behind the mic with stops in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Salt Lake City and some smaller locales, thanks to my year of experience with FEN-Wakkanai.

Wakkanai is as far north in Japan as you can get.  The USAF facility there was part of the "Security Service".  USAFSS had a string of "listening posts" surrounding the USSR, from Scotland to Japan.  Sometime around 1959 or so, the guys at the base decided they needed a radio station to help pass the time in this "remote" location.  Since it was a listening facility, it was loaded with electronic gear and troops that knew how to use it.

They built a small, low power AM station without bothering to tell the Far East Network (FEN-Japan).  Things went along OK for several months and then one strange night, as AM stations will do the signal took off and skipped right into the middle of downtown Tokyo, blocking out a major AM station there.

Needless to say, this started a major international fuss.  After much discussion, FEN offered to step in and set up one of their outlets in full cooperation with the Japan version of the FCC.

They shipped all the needed equipment along with the music library and one Army Spec-4 to supervise and got the whole thing going.  It was a 24/7 operation, since the base was working every hour of every day.  With no staff announcers, it was up to volunteers to do the on-air work.  Shifts were 4 hours long and the troops usually had about 2 or so every week.

I showed up in January, 1961, part of a group of just-graduated accounting and finance clerks.  I had enlisted right after I graduated high school since I had no grades to make college my future.  I was a pretty serious follower of the pop music of the day and had even had a by-line column about the hits in my school newspaper.

It turned out that one of my roommates, Jerry, was working the 5-9 AM shift on a regular basis.  When he found out that I was a real music fan, he invited me over to the studio to look through the AFRTS transcription library.  I did so a few times and then one day, he told me to put on the earphones and see what I sounded like when I opened the mic.  All I had to do was give the station ID between two radio dramas that were on the schedule.  Finally the time came, I opened the mic and uttered the immortal words "Serving American forces overseas, this is the Far East Network".

Jerry walked in the control room and informed me that I needed to be on the volunteer staff .   I was stunned.  That afternoon, I found the Army guy and told him what had happened.  He'd already heard from Jerry, so he said that I did have to follow the usual custom of my first shift being an all-night gig.  That was fine with me and so my broadcast career got underway.

I got some great feedback from the guys that were listening in operations that night.  Within about a month, I was among the upper echelon of the staff guys, working the "Saturday Bandstand" shift and lending my knowledge of pop music to the other guys.  What a thrill it was.

In the Spring of 1962, I was on our base bowling team and traveled to Tachikawa AFB for the "All Air Force Japan" tournament.  While I was there I took the opportunity to spend the afternoon at the FEN main studios.  It turned out that Wakkanai was quite famous among the crew there because the FEN did a major weather program 3 times a day, with all the Japan stations checking in. They loved listening to us because our weather was always the worst of all the outlets, especially in the winter.  I also found a little closed circuit station that was piped into all the barracks in Tachi, and they played only all the pop music of he day.  The DJ there was a good guy to talk to and passed on a few tips.

Later that summer, I was transferred to Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, TX.  My dad had given me a car so after I'd been there about a month I drove into town and found the KTEO studios, the local Top 40 outlet.  I walked in the door and asked if they needed weekend help.  The manager asked if I had any experience, I told them about a year in AFRTS.  He said to show up Sunday at 6 PM and they'd give me a listen.

I did a 6 hour gig, finding out how much different commercial radio was compared to AFRTS.  They liked what they heard, so I did two weekends of all-night shifts and then asked me to do the 9-midnight every night.  For a 20 year old kid, being a real live DJ on a real live Top 40 station was beyond my wildest dreams, and I loved it.

I found out later that FEN Wakkanai became a duty station about a year after I left with no more volunteers so I  was blessed to be there when I was.  To this day, I give thanks that I just happened to be there at the right time.  Being a radio DJ back then was truly a gift from heaven.

Thanks for the AFRTS site, I hope this helped your info gathering

James Pritchard

(aka Jim Southern, DJ)

Gladstone, OR

Hollywood Bowl Silver Celebration - 1946

In 1946 the Hollywood Bowl was celebrating it's Silver anniversary with a special series of concerts that were broadcast on AFRS.  As part of this series was a special show to remember the tenth anniversary of the loss of George Gershwin.

Hollywood Bowl Silver Celebration - 1946

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Early AFN part 3

A while back we receive a lot of unlabeled material from AFN, mostly from the early 1950s and Munich.

Question for our German friends, how has the way you use AFN changed  over the years?

AFN Memories

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AFVN RIP Jane Cook Lewis "Jane the Weathergirl:

“Janie the Weathergirl,” as she was known to the viewers of the American Forces Vietnam Network TV station in Saigon, was killed in an automobile crash September 12, on Interstate 5 just north of Oceanside, California.

She and her twin sister Joan were born May 6, 1942, in San Diego.  Jane was a graduate of Hoover High School in San Diego and attended San Diego State University where she met her husband-to-be, George Lewis.  They were married August 22, 1964.

As a young wife, Jane encouraged her husband to pursue his TV career and accompanied him to Vietnam when NBC News sent George to cover the war for the network in 1970.  From late that year until early 1972, Jane became the “weather girl” on American Forces TV in Saigon.  She also traveled in combat zones, helping entertain the troops at various firebases and visiting the U.S. Navy fleet patrolling the Gulf of Tonkin, dropping in on some of the vessels at the end of a helicopter hoist line.

One of her trademarked bits on AFVN was the way she wrapped up the weather report on the late news.  She’d recline on a couch, whisper “goodnight fellas,” and turn off the light. It was decidedly un-p.c. by today’s standards, but a big hit with the troops.

During her time in Southeast Asia, Jane developed an interest in Asian art and was later co-founder of Vagabond House, a small business that imported Asian decorative accessories.  She and her partner Susan Lord, the wife of NBC News producer Art Lord, were among the first American businesswomen to visit China on a buying trip a couple of years after President Richard Nixon’s historic opening of relations in 1972.

With the birth of her first daughter Sarah, in Houston in 1977, Jane’s focus shifted to motherhood.  A second daughter, Katherine, was born in 1980 in Washington, D.C.  Two years later, the Lewis family returned to California when George was assigned to the NBC Los Angeles bureau.

Jane and George went their separate ways in 1993 but remained connected through their children and grandchildren.  They vowed to live out their lives as friends and welcomed grandsons Carter, Jack and Owen into the family in recent years.

Jane’s final decade was spent in San Diego and she lived at the home she inherited from her mother in 2005. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions be sent to AIWF San Diego, 2683 Via de la Valle, Del Mar, CA 92014. Checks should be made out to AIWF and “Jane Cook Lewis Scholarship Fund” should be written on the memo line. AIWF is a 501(c)(3) charity and contributions are fully tax deductible.

(from Vietnam Old Hacks - google group

Chris Noel - 1969

Chris Noel and Bob Crane. 

Chris Noel made a lot of days a lot brighter.  Her show A Date With Chris made a huge impact in the lives of Vietnam era troops.  It's a Tuesday in 1969.

Chris Noel - 1969

Link fixed

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Small World - 1965

Small World was a catch all show hosted by the always affable George Chruch.  On todays show the guest is singer Gogi Grant.

Small World - 1965

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Chris Noel - 1970

Chris Noel is waiting.  You have a "Date With Chris"

Date With Chris - 1970

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AFN Paris - Django Reinhardt 1945

Django Reinhardt was one incredible musician. His left hand was withered, some fingers unusable.  Jack Platt led the AEF band, the one that had been led by Glenn Miller.  They toured all over Europe.  It swung.  In 1945 Django was in the studio at AFN Paris.

AFN Paris - Django Reinhardt 1945

Chris Noel - 1969

It's 1969 and Chris Noel made home much closer.  Thank you for sharing these.  Thanks for all you've done!

Date With Chris - 1969

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Spectrum USA - Time Capsule 1975

By 1975 Spectrum USA got hipper.  Dick Stark seems to be having a lot of fun with these in his 13th year of doing the show.  41 years in radio.  The USMC Reserve needs you...

Spectrum USA - 1975

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Early AFN Munich

Here are some memories of the early years of AFN in the 1950s.  I wish I had more information but it's a fun listen. Starting with a 1954 visit with Larry Butcher.

Early AFN

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GI Jive - 1945

In WWII GI Jill was big.  The show started in San Francisco as "Hi Neighbor", a request show with news tidbits about back home with Martha Wilkerson and her husband, Robert Warner.  After 56 shows Warner was out but GI Jill kept the show going well into the 1950s.

GI Jive - 1945

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AFN 1989

Here's what's coming up on AFN!  Thank you Bernd for sharing these.  It took a long time to get them posted.

My Living Doll

"My Living Doll" is an American science fiction sitcom that aired for 26 episodes on CBS in 1964/65.

Just got off the phone with Peter Greenwood. Peter is a producer/archivist trying to get the TV series "My Living Doll" out on DVD, streaming maybe syndication. This would be a totally legitimate release. Julie Newmar is still around and she's really like to see these again.

The issue is that there were 26 shows. He's only located about a dozen. It was never in proper syndication. The only known syndication was on Teleprompter cable in NYC.

We get involved because AFN Berlin aired it in the late 70s. I'm sure I saw it on SCN in the early 80s. There were AFRTS prints. They were in libraries.

1. Would you have any of these, in any format.

2. Where did the film libraries go and when? I've always heard they were sent to AFRTS-LA and from there to the Library of Congress. Is that correct?
3. Do you know anyone who may be able to assist?

Please let me know. Click here to email Thom

Chris Noel - 1969

One of my favorite movies, with Chris Noel

It's 1969.  The Beatles have "Hey Jude" and Chris Noel brings home to you radio.

Date With Chris - 1969

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Bob Kingsley - 1973

Bob with Johnny Cash

Bob Kingsley was an AFRTS.  He bounced around as a jock but became the voice of country music when he took over American Country Countdown.  Bob did a rock show for AFRTS.  Take a listen..

Bob Kingsley - 1973

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Jim Ameche - 1965

Jim Ameche was on "Jack Armstrong, the All American Boy" and later became one of the first to successfully syndicate a DJ show, the voice of the Longenes Symphonette.  In the 1950s he became a part of AFRTS, playing "the most beautiful sounds around".  The spotlight is on Hal Mooney...

We lost Jim in 1983.

Jim Ameche - 1965

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Chris Noel - 1968

Before Chris shared her disks with us it was a trick to get these shows.

Finally they've arrived, 5 disks from 1968-70, a little hacked up but I think we all are.  The disks themselves were from AFVN but the specifics are gone "Grampa brought them back from Vietnam."

She needs our help for the vets shelter. Donate NOW. Thanks

Date With Chris - 1968

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Major Glenn Miller 1944

 

If you ever come across these, they have nothing to do with AFN or AFRTS but are very interesting.  The American Broadcasting Station in Europe (ABSIE) was a propaganda station we piped to the Nazis.  Glenn Miller made several broadcasts at EMIs Abbey Road studios with Ilsa Weinberger with Glenn speaking in phonetic German. These particular broadcasts were recorded October 30^th and November 6^th, 1944 and aired November 8^th and November 15^th respectively.

 

Joseph Krug of the Colony Record Shop in NYC somehow acquired dubs of these and issued them as bootlegs circa 1951.  These bootlegs actually had wide distribution at the time, being sold by major retail chains, to include Sam Goody.  The Miller Estate started the lawsuits in 1951 and it took five years to resolve.

 

Decades later a more complete better sounding version was issued on RCA as "Glenn Miller - the Lost Recordings"

Navy Hour - 1950

The Navy Hour was very well done and usually pretty entertaining.  The program ran on NBC for many years.

Navy Hour - 1950

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Windows 10 update

Microsoft just put up a Windows 10 anniversary update.  I don't recommend it.  It made some big system changes here, which I'll battle for a couple of days and then probably roll back to something that works.

It killed Citrio, a Chrome clone browser that I have to use with some applications.

It's giving me issues with Edge, that's the new Microsoft Explorer for Windows 10.

The tech in me is trying to figure out exactly what they did, but you've been warned...

Chris Noel - 1967

1967 sure brought great music.  Chris Noel brought America to your radio on A Date With Chris.  It was a very nice combination.

Date With Chris - 1967

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Bud Widom - 1964

Bud Widom was a jack of all trades at AFRTS, doing many many programs. IMDB says that he was born in 1918 and was in "Mister Cory" and "The Green Slime".  We lost Bud in 1976.  In 1964, music of the stage from AFRTS and "Footlights and Spotlights"

Footlights and Spotlights - 1964

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A shipping box and history

In the 1940s and 1950s we used 16" ETs.  They were shipped in strapped boxes.  I had been looking for one for years.  Generally when one comes up for sale it's full of a bunch of mixed disks with no documentation and pretty pricy.  I just got one.  This one is history.  A Marine Chaplain mailed a box of ETs to a different Chaplain in the APO.  It was 1951 and this was in the middle of the Korean War.  The disks were from Korea AFRS (Later AFKN).  The Bob Hope show that was posted a couple of days ago is from this lot.  I'm very thankful. 

Bob Hope - 1951

This was part of a historic set.  The Korean War had just started.  Korea AFRS was driving near the war zones, broadcasting from mobile studios.  Private Casey Kasem was one of the troops making it happen and Bob Hope was on the air.

Bob Hope - 1951

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AFKN Jim "Big Daddy" Kendrick 1972

Jim Kendrick has your favorites from Yongsan.

AFKN Jim Kendrick 1972

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AFRTS By the year

The 1940s

1942  1943  1944  1945  1946  1947  1948  1949 

The 1950s

1950  1951 1952  1953  1954  1955  1956  1957  1958  1959

The 1960s

1960  1961  1962  1963  1964  1965  1966  1967  1968  1969

The 1970s

1970  1971  1972  1973  1974  1975  1976  1977  1978  1979

The 1980s

1980  1981  1982  1983  1984  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989 

Enchantment of Music - 1963

The matchless fidelity of Frequency Modulation.  FM was almost magic.  KCBH-FM in Beverly Hills was programming light orchestral music.  It was a time when few if any were actally making money with FM. Seems odd...  In 1959 Don Steele was there.  We ran the show, but very rarely on FM.

Now IHeart owns it "Alt 98.7" just doesn't seem as special. 

Enchantment of Music - 1963

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Chris Noel - 1970

Chris Noel has another hour of your favorites on AFRTS.  If you're getting error messages it's a long story but it's because you're using a Microsoft browser, it'll play just fine using Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera or most anything else. Those are all free alternatives.  Apple or Android users do not have problems. 

Date With Chris - 1970

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