AFN Bremerhaven Pete Pittman 1981

Country Pete

Pete went to a lot of our stations in Alaska, Korea and Germany.  Writer, musician (even played with Stonewall Jackson on the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree.  He's also appeared in six theatrical movies.

He even worked behind the scenes at AFRTS-LA.

But in 1981 from Bremerhaven it was time to celebrate the year in country music.

AFN Bremerhaven - Pete Pittman 1981 CMA Preview

2009 Colonel Cranston talks about AFN

Former AFN commander Robert Cranston very ill

MEDIA ALERTS TO INSURE APPROPRIATE COVERAGE OF COLONEL CRANSTON'S E

Posted by: "Andrew N Guthrie" TurtleLover64@aol.com

Date: Tue Jan 1, 2013 2:34 pm ((PST))

　

This  is to alert you to the pending death of 95-year-old U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) Robert R. Cranston, the officer personally selected by General Eisenhower to command World War Two's "G-I" broadcasting operation, offiially known as The American Forces Network, Europe, or AFN,E for short. In addition to serving as commanding officer of The American Forces Network for more than a decade, he also commanded The Blue Danube Network.



Colonel Cranston is dying from complications following heart surgery on the 20th of November at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. I served under Colonel Cranston as a Private in the AFN Newsroom in 1960 and 1961. I have been authorized by his wife, Sandra K. "Sandy" Cranston, to inform all relevent publications, military and civilian, so as to give you time to update your existing obits, or to prepare one.



Colonel Cranston is in room 4128 of the Intensive Care Unit at the Hospital, 1215 Lee Street, Charlottesville, VA, 22906-0816. His home address is: 726 Cedar Key Lane, Huddleston, Virginia, 24104-3214. (540) 297-7052.



For additional information on The American Forces Network, Europe you can go to Wikipedia for general information, and you can also contact the historian at the headquarters of the American Forces Network, located at Fort Meade, Maryland. The phone number is: (301) 222-6532. The Department of Defense unit responsible for The American Forces Network is called The Defense Media Activity Broadcast Services Directorate, and no specific phone number is given.



The News Media information telephone number at the University of Virginia Hospital is: (434) 924-5679 and the Senior Media manager is Josh Barney. After hours phone: (434) 982-1100



I write as a former NBC News and Voice of America correspondent and, should you need any additional information from me, my home phone is: (571) 313-0504 and my cell is: (703) 447-2644.



I can give you this quote: "Colonel Cranston was the perfect officer to run a 14-station radio network in France, Germany, and Italy, because he had both a military background in the Signal Corps, and most especially because his family managed the commercial radio station WBAP in Fort Worth, Texas and so he knew the business inside and out."

January 7, 2013 update from Sandy Cranston:


Greetings to all from Sandy Cranston - I'm glad to report that Col. Bob is holding his own and indeed fighting for his life in his indefatigable style. Andy has caused some confusion, I am afraid re our insurance...we have Medicare and Tricare for life. The situation with dialysis is somewhat new with Medicare, I'm not sure when the rules were changed. They only allow "acute kidney failure" treatment at the hospital where the condition was diagnosed. Most of the medical professionals I've talked to at the University of Virginia don't understand these rules either. It's obviously something new.

We are praying hard that Bob's kidneys will spring back into service as they did several weeks ago after only 3 dialysis treatments! That would solve our dilemma and Bob could be transferred to Lynchburg, only an hour or so from our home. I'm sure he would recover more quickly there near family and friends, and away from Intensive Care!!!

Thanks for all your prayers, and I'll keep you informed of his progress! Later, Sandy

USMC Birthday

 

237th birthday of the Corps.  Here's how the network celebrated it 60 years ago.

 

AFRS They Turned the Tide - 1st Marine Division

AFN Halloween 1970

 

 

Spooky spooky.  Robert Barker sent along the first part of another great aircheck:

This is the first 30 minute segment of four of the AFN Monster Rally which aired on Saturday night, 31 October 1970, over AFN Europe network.

 

AFN Halloween 1970

AFN Halloween 1970 part two

AFN Halloween 1952 at Frankenstein's castle

1963 Halloween in K-Town

 

Carl Balduf, Roy Johnson, Chuck Droege, Hans Huber, Don Shipman, Ted Pasco and Kurt Loch in the 1963 AFN Kaiserslatern production of:

There's Nobody There

 

I didn't explain this as well as I should have, it links to an external website.  After a longish (depends on your connection speed) it automatically plays the show.  He doesn't make it available for download and I'll respect that.

Archive find: Johnny Carson

Johnny Carson

 

In the jumble of ETs and kines that were returned to AFRTS.  Some previously unknown early clips.  Apparently 5 minute filler programs from kinescope.  Somewhere there's a storage facility that must look a lot like the end of Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

 

Due to the expense of preserving videotape, NBC saved next to nothing prior to 1972.

 

Stars and Stripes has details.

Happy Birthday Air Force 1948

So when is the USAF birthday?  In 1948 AFRS said it was the 41st anniversary...

Peace Is The Lady With Wings - 1948

Your comments!

It's really great when you comment on any post here.  There's been some confusion about how to do it.  At the bottom of every post they'll be something similiar to 0 comments if you click that, it takes you to a page where you can enter comments.  When you're done, press the "publish" button.

 

A while back the spammers started hitting the page so I have to manually approve everything. Everything that isn't spam gets approved.  If you were with the network or a listener and have a business/book/promotion, it isn't spam.  I'd like to see it.  After approval it's posted. 

 

Thom

 

The Wall of AFN Worldwide

The Defense Media Activity Headquarters in Maryland is in a new building and creating a historical wall that will include all AFN facilities worldwide. They have quite a few historical pics.  Some of the best I think are the ones we have in our personal files. It would be great if you could make a contribution to this effort. Just send your photos with the date, location, event and who's in the picture to:
 craig.j.dixson@afn.dma.mil

 

Anything you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Updates, facebook and email

If you're on "facebook" the fastest way to get updates is to look up afrtsarchive.blogspot.com and "like it".  Also every week or two I send out an email.  To get on the list, drop me a note at afrts@live.com.

AFN Berlin 1970 - The Robert Barker Collection

Robert is sending in some more great sound. In 1970 he was stationed in Berlin and had a high quality reel-to-reel recorder. He save the tapes and has been sharing them with us. Here is The Stateside Sound Survey hosted by Army Sgt Jim Collinson from 12 Nov 70.

AFN Stateside Sound Survey - November 1970

AFN Stateside Sound Survey - November 1970 part 2

More Jim Collinson

Ed Autry is on the air

Former AFKNer Ed Autry checks in:

 

A 100,000 watt radio station in Carrollton, Missouri, KMZU, has a little program they air three times on Sunday, called "Voices of Veterans". 

I thought you might find this interesting.

Ed Autry interviewed on "Voices of Veterans" on KMZU
http://www.kmzu.com/tsgt-ed-autry-of-norborne/

 

 

 

 

Goodbye Starship

In the mid 90s Jim Johnson started afrts.homestead.com.  Last month it ended. 

His website was one of the first places where we could get together.  At first it was a message board and grew into a website.

When the late Bob Stoffel started the AFN group at yahoo, Jim  took the message board down and offered a link to the yahoo group.

Other than at reunion time the hitcount went down.  The hosting company raised their rates and Jim decided to not continue.

Thanks for all you've done Jim.

Tony Booth - now

Former AFKNr Tony Booth is celebrating 50 years in radio

Tony rocks Richmond with the greatest hits of forever.

Read his story:

Click here

Hopefully we'll be hearing more from the AFKN years soon!

FEN Okinawa - Ask What You Can Do 1981

Randy at AFKN

Randy Ashurst sent this along.  "Okinawa 79-83 was my 6th AFRT tour and I started on the morning show there as I had long been on the air in the service by then. In Nov81 the marine running radio said we had to do a special broadcast each holiday coming up. Next one was Veteran's Day and no takers so he went alphabetically. Me. so I  did a half hr show that was super. It won best in the Pacific, then best in air force then DOD with a Thomas Jefferson award for special broadcast.

FEN Okinawa "Ask What You Can Do"

AFKN Ed Autry 1986

Lately there's been a lot of AFKN coming in.  Good thing.  Here's a 1986 visit with Ed Autry.

 usually did the afternoon show called 'Rollin' Home, but this aircheck was done during a week when I was 'sitting in' for Air Force Sergeant Tim Johnson, who happened to be sick that week. So, this aircheck is from the morning drive-time show called 'Morning Watch'.

AFKN Ed Autry 1986

AFKN in the 70s - Brian Hartzell collection

Brian's trying to identify these pictures. 

Gary Thieman

Don Novak

Randy Ashurst, who we'll be hearing from soon.

Personal Album 1945 Dick Haymes

Dick Haymes did a lot of shows for AFRS.  This just came in.  Personal Album was a series where the singing stars shared some songs with the troops. 

Personal Album - Dick Haymes 1945

AFN Streaming live

The good news is that AFN is streaming over the internet, like the English and the Canadians.  The bad news is that you can't hear it in the United States (like the English and the Canadians).  But it is a good start.

Live AFN radio stream


This was updated with information about how to listen now, no matter where you are:


Click here








AFKN Pete Pittman photos

This is the first picture of the hill I've ever seen without Ed Master's car out front

Another view of Yongsan

Munsan

Tongduchhon

1973 at Radio Comet (Osan), Pete's behind the counter.

AFN Weekend World 1970 guest Heidi Bruehl

The stars came out on AFNs Weekend World.  Neil Fontaine spoke with Heidi Bruehl.  She was a big star in Europe, staring with a Eurovision win.  Heidi Bruehl biography .  Many thanks to Robert Barker for sharing this. 

AFN Weekend World 11/29/70

The Weekend World of Comedy, with The Old DJ Philosopher

Weekend World of Comedy - "The Old DJ Philosopher"

I miss the MISC library, comedy, spoken word and production items

AFN Pete Pittman and the Four Tops

Pete Pittman at AFKN

So once again I'm in envy of the AFN Germany guys.  When I was in Korea, I don't remember any big name talent visiting.  In the early 80s in Panama the only gringo stars that played were Roberta Flack, the New Supremes (starring nobody I ever heard of) and the Platters.  Hollywood Brown did stop by, but he only joined the group in 1967.  In Germany, the stars came out.

Pete Pittman stared this.  Pete had done tours in Korea, Alaska, Germany and at the network headquarters.  In another place here, Pete interviews Pat Boone.

AFN Today - 1982 Pete Pittman with the Four Tops

70th Birthday

May 26, 1942- The War Department established the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS).  70 years of history.  Thanks to everyone.

AFN Weekend World 1970 guest Jerry Naylor

There still is a little weekend left, it's time for "Weekend World" From Robert Barker's collection it's a November 1970 visit.  Charles Collier has rockabilly legend Jerry Naylor as his guest.  Jerry was the voice of the Crickets after we lost Buddy Holly.   In 1958 Jerry was one of ours at AFN Stuttgart and he talks a little about those years.

Jerry Lee Lewis with Jerry Naylor

AFN Weekend World November 1970

No over the air TV in Korea

AFN Korea has ceased over the air television broadcasting effective March 1, 2012.  It's possible to watch programming "downtown" but now requires a satellite decoder.  Largely it's the same story, manpower and programming restrictions.  An era has passed.

Stars and Stripes has details.

Command Performance 1944

An era we won't see again.  All Hollywood talent, the biggest recording stars.  Everyone had to perform for the troops.  Command Performance was the biggie.

The New Faces Show:

The first tune is, "The Trolley Song." The program features nineteen-year-old Jo Stafford, eighteen-year-old Gloria De Haven, thirteen-year-old Lois Butler. Cass Daley sings a very clever parody. Spencer Tracy (m. c.), The Pied Pipers, Jo Stafford, Gloria De Haven, Johnny Mercer, Lois Butler, Cass Daley, Ken Carpenter (announcer), June Hutton.

Command Performance 133

Communications pioneer retires after 51 years

Melvin Russell, acting director of  the Defense Media Activity and visionary of the American Forces Radio and Television Service, has retired after 51 years of military and civilian service.

Russell pioneered the expansion of AFRTS from a single-channel, over-the-air system into the multi-channel, satellite-delivered network that now reaches millions of viewers in 177 countries.

Russell came a long way from his days as an Army signal officer in Vietnam listening to sounds of home on the American Forces Network. He made the Army's first conversion from black-and-white to color television at Fort Benning, Ga. He assisted the British Army in setting up its first TV production facility and even helped CNN get off the ground

Johnston Island?

Jeremy sent along an interesting picture

"I was going through some photos I got off Ebay awhile ago and found the attached photo of George Ingham and another Airman doing a radio show.

The locale is a tropical island but I can't figure out which Island it might be some of the photos were of Johnston Island so there's a strong possibility that's where the station was especially is there was a radio station there. I've attached a high resolution scan."

Only thing I can tell for sure is that some of the ETs are sleeved in the early 1960s sleeves, but those were around forever (We had boxes of them in Panama in the early 1980s.

Do you know where that studio was?

Jeremy