AFN SoulStar with Walt Peterson 1980

Guenter shared this with us.  In 1980 Walt Peterson hosted "Soul Star".  This clip is short, but good.

AFN Walt Peterson 1980

AFN Bob Davis and Bill Haley 1962

In the early 1960s Bill Haley moved to Europe and had a big career there.  In 1962 he was visiting Frankfurt, AFN and Bob Davis.

 

AFN Bob Davis 1962 with Bill Haley

Chris Noel - Soldier In The Rain

 

Chris Noel has a new book out about the filming of the classic film "Soldier In The Rain".  Sounds like a great read.  Right now it's on sale.

See it at Amazon

Here's Chris talking about making "Soldier" and some of her other films.

 

.

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

AFN Park Seward 1973 "Old Gold Retold"

Thanks again to Phil.  He recorded this from AFN Munich.  From Frankfurt to the network Jimi Hendrix, Spike Jones and the Association.  Business as normal for "Old Gold Retold"

 

AFN Park Seward 1973 "Old Gold Retold"

 

 

AFN Jim Sampson 1973

 

Good morning Munich?  Phil found more great material and is sharing this 1973 look at a morning in Munich.

 

AFN Jim Sampson - August 1973

AFN Pete Pittman 1981 with Tony Sheridan

We lost Tony Sheridan recently.  Tony was a big star in Europe.  In the states most famous for having the pre-fame Beatles as a backup band on a recording session.  Great talent, just never really broke out in the States.

In 1981 Pete Pittman had Tony on AFN.  Pete said that it wasn't so much an "interview" as a conversation.  Drinking Cola, and chatting "He was pretty disarming that way.

Hear about updates, first!

Be sure to get put on the mailing list. It's the best way to get updates on when there's new things here. afrts@live.com or "like" the facebook page afrtsarchive.blogspot.com

 

 

AFRTS Archive - Worldwide

This blog gets a lot of non-US traffic.  If it makes it easier for you, click the link for an auto-translation:

 Francais
Espanol
Deutch
Japanese
Icelandic


If you've gotten this far, I'm sure you read English.  These could be useful links for a friend.

Commenting

It's come up again, I welcome your comments after any post.  Due to the spammers I have to manually approve them.  If it's not spam, it'll be approved.  Just may take a couple of hours to show up.  Thank for visiting!

Thom

AFRS Iceland Karl Phillips 1971

Karl Phillips sent in more airchecks from Kevlevik.

 

"Before I joined the Navy in 1970 I was a part time gofer at WQXI 790 in Atlanta where I learned ratio from some of the greats...Skinny Bobby Harper...Randy Robins (who is still a close friend here in the Atlanta area) ..Bob Bolton, Barry Chase. Went into Navy and went to Iceland as first duty station. Found my way to the quanset hut where AFRTS was and got them to let me go on air all nights on my time off from my regular job as a CT (communications technician) on the base. Loved it and yes we did have fans. The board was old - big cumbersome and what I would call a boat anchor. Found out later DJ Bob Kingsley was there when he was in the service and saw where he had actually carved his name in the control board...."

The jury's almost in in the Lieutenant Calley case...

 

Karl Phillips AFRS Iceland 1971

Spread the Word!

Thanks for stopping by, most people that visit heard about this from a friend.  Thank you for sharing it.  Some of us worked at the stations, some were military that were listeners overseas, some were residents of the countries we were in and some worked at AFRTS-LA or AFRTS-BC.  We were all an important part of the story.

Did you save any tapes?  transcriptions? pictures?  memorabilia?  A lot of us would like to see or hear it!

Thanks to Linda and Erkan for their support!

Thanks for listening!

Thom Whetston

AFKN 1976-77
SCN 1980-83
 afrts@live.com
(612) 356-2377

AFN Larry Rideout 1973

Larry Rideout used to do the Dufflebag Show from Hamburg.  In 1973 from Bremerhaven Larry featured Country music on The American Music Hall.

 

AFN Larry Rideout 1973

Thanks to Phil from Switzerland to taping, saving and sharing this:

American Music Hall Country from AFN Bremerhaven, also August 1973. It has a cut at 18 minutes, I guess because of a big static I stopped the recording at that time.

Mark White 1995 from Berlin

Every three weeks or so Mark White, Rik De Lisle, Peter Dolle, Stan Green and Bill Gaylord get together for lunch at the Europa to look back at the good old days of AFN Berlin and to catch up with what's going on now. Its great fun and the food is good as well.

Robert Barker was in Germany in the early 70s, taped many nice things that we've heard here.  HE wrote a letter to Mark White.  Mark sent him this, a 1995 Big Band show that he did for JFK radio in Berlin.  Happy listening!

Radio JFK - Mark White 1995

AFKN Hitline - Phil Bowls 1968

 

So what's on the Hitline?  Phil Bowls and Ken Hissong have an update!!

 

AFKN Hitline - Phil Bowls, Ken Hissong 1968

The Whistler

The Whistler went on the network during World War II more or less continuously.  We were still running it 40 years later.

This is a 1962 rebroadcast of a 1950 show. An architect who kills his wife but then sees her face in a photograph. More murders must follow.

The Whistler - Double Exposure

facebook

If you're on facebook, be sure to "like" afrtsarchive.blogspot.com.  It's the fastest way to find out about new things posted here and be able to see pictures that aren't posted here.

FEN Frank Knauer 1980

  
Chip Barus checks in:

"Stumbled across your website while looking for FEN archives to check on an on-air personality from the 79-81 time period. I was stationed at Kadena AB in that time frame. Went broke saving money on stereo equipment. Long story short, I bought an Akai reel to reel because I could. Been going back through the tapes to record them onto a hard-drive for safe keeping. Found a tape with two "East of Midnight" shows by Frank Knauer They were recorded on 11 and 18 October of 1980. One of them was the Typhoon Wynn broadcast complete with the typhoon warnings of the day. Just wondering if you had any info on Frank Knauer. Is he still around? Spent most of my tour there listening to the show as I was working swing shift for the entire tour. Great memories of the show and Frank."

I met Frank when we were in Korea.  I was at the station in the infantry division near North Korea.  Every building was war era temporary structures.  The opposite of that would have been Taegu, near the south coast.  One of the most beautiful bases I'd ever seen.  That was Frank's station.

This is from the October 11th 1980 broadcast.

FEN Frank Knauer 1980

Lee Baylee 1939-2013

Lee Bayley
Birth: May 17, 1939 Siloam Springs Benton County Arkansas, USA
Death: Feb. 17, 2013 Tyler Smith County Texas,

USA Memorial services for Lee Bayley, 73, of Holly Lake Ranch will be 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at First United Methodist Church in Hawkins with the Rev. David Hicks officiating. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Croley Funeral Home in Hawkins. Mr. Bayley passed away suddenly Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013, in a Tyler hospital. Mr. Bayley was born May 17, 1939, in Siloam Springs, Ark., to William and Eunice Mason Bayley. He graduated from Springdale High School in 1957. He was a veteran of the United States Army, was retired from the broadcast industry, had lived in Holly Lake Ranch for 11 years, retired from the Holly Lake Ranch Volunteer Fire Department and member of the First United Methodist Church in Hawkins. He is survived by his wife, Jeriann Bayley of Holly Lake Ranch; son, Stuart Lee Bayley of Carrollton, Texas; daughter, Suzanne Bayley Brooke of Heath, Texas; brother, Curt Bayley of Hindsville, Ark.; two grandchildren, Connor and Brendan.

Lee was a vet of CFN, later SCN the AFRTS station in the Panama Canal Zone in the early 1960s.

LaRita Shelby 1995

Another great aircheck from the George Schilli collection.  George grew up listening to AFN and became a broadcaster.  These were great teachers.

Still an amazing talent, be sure to visit her website at http://www.laritashelby.com

LaRita Shelby 1995

Colonel Robert Cranston update

19:11 EST

Sunday 26 JAN

Dear AFNers All:
　

Spoke to Sandy a short time ago and there is mixed news about our Colonel's progress. He remains in the Medical Intensive Care Unit and Saturday had a down day, with some of the doctors again casting doubts as to whether he could survive. The information then was that a CAT scan of his lungs day asg, had shown a very large blood clot right where the catheter inserted into his chest connects with his renal system, and is used for dialysis. The doctors were very upset at the clot's size, and Sandy says they theorized that a small portion of the clot had broken off last Wednesday afternoon and flowed to his lungs, which, inturn, caused the cardiac arrest.

　
　

The fact that this clot is so large and in a very vulnerable spot, connected to his dialysis system, meant that since the cardiac arrest, he has NOT been receiving dialysis. The bad news is that he needs it to assist his kidney function but I assume, and this is an ASSUMPTION on my part, the good news is that his kidneys have functioned well enough through today, the 26th, that he is still alive!
　

Then today, Sunday, Sandy said both the head renal doctor and the I C U doctor in charge, both were "amazed" (her word) at how well the Colonel is doing after yesterday, when they were upset about his condition. ( His various readings must be better) and Sandy says he looks and appears better, and so she is encouraged again, while yesterday she was expecting the Social Workers to resume another end-of-life discussion with her as to when or if to "pull the plug.". She tells me she is expecting one of those tomorrow, as the Social Worker staff is much thinner on weekends. However that may not be necessary. His condition improved so much today that she says they will resume kidney dialysis tomorrow despite the blood clot , as they now believe his blood thinning medicine will have shrunken the clot a bit, and they are willing to take a chance with resuming the dialysis his kidneys need.

I want to thank all of you who responded to me ( with compliments and information) about my unfortunate e-mail discussion with AFN's current senior Public Affairs Officer in the Riverside, CA Broadcast Center, Lawrence Sichter (SICK-ter). If I wanted to be "cute", I would say there is some irony in the way his name is pronounced, as the lack of interest on his part, and the rest of the current AFN hierarchy, to what is going on, makes me "sick." I have now learned from several of you that this gentlemen has been less than cooperative as long ago as a decade, in his cooperation, or lack thereof, in projects related to the splendid, and important history of AFN during the War years, and for the decades immediately after. That gives me some context as to why both the current AFN components at Fort Meade, MD and California are as apparently disinterested in the current situation as they are.

Here is a heads up for you all. The first week in February, beginning on Monday the 4th, I will be attending the World Sea Turtle Conference in Baltimore, MD and will, therefore be out of touch with Sandy! I invite any of you who have the time and interest, to check in with her to continue these medical bulletins as needed. Her cell, again, is (redacted, let me know if you need it - thom). That is the most dependable number on which to reach her. I will try to resume my reports on Sunday the 10th of Feb. or later that week as needed. ( For those of you who do not know me, my chief retirement activity is Sea Turtle Conservation public relations and free lance writing.)

If I may end on a personal note, these reports, plus working on Bob's obit, should it become necessary soon, is beginning to really get me " down." I have my own health issues, and they are a bit wearing, but I am young compared to our Colonel , and I can only guess at how difficult this must be for him, fighting against all odds to overcome all the complications that followed the totally successful heart surgery. He and Sandy have gone through so much, I can only marvel at their personal strength! The two of them are so much stronger and more courageous than I, it makes me ashamed to complain for even a second!

God Bless Y'all from Reston
Andrew
AFN Newsroom, Hoechst
1960 '61
　

Andrew N Guthrie
　

turtlelover64@aol.com

　

　

Former AFN Commander Col. Robert Cranston suffers cardiac arrest.

 B U L L E T I N COL. CRANSTON SUFFERS CARDIAC ARREST: RETURNED
Posted by: "Andrew N Guthrie" TurtleLover64@aol.com guthrie_andrew

Date: Wed Jan 23, 2013 6:12 pm ((PST))

　

　

As of 21:12 EST

Dear AFNers All:



I am sorry to report that Colonel Cranston suffered cardiac arrest this - - Wednesday - - afternoon about 4 PM EST at the Rehabilitation Center at the U of VA Medical Center Campus. The doctors and staff had to use the defibrillator paddles you have all seen on TV to shock his heart back into "normal sinus rhythm. He was rushed back to the Main Hospital Building but this time into a separate section of the Intensive Care Ward... the Medical I C U . When he was removed from I C U on the 15th of the month, he had been in the Post Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Sandy e-mailed me the news just before she began the drive back up to Charlottesville from their home in Huddleston.



Since he was resuscitated, colonel Cranston has been in a dialogue with his Doctors and nurses. Sandy tells me that during the nine days he was in the rehabilitation facility, he had grown significantly stronger and, in fact, yesterday, - - Tuesday - - he had breathed totally on his own for seven hours. Then today, the technicians began another session of kidney dialysis and that is when his heart stopped. Sandy feels that just p[perhaps, yesterday's activity tired him out and that it might not have been a good idea to do the dialysis on him today. However I told her that it will make us all crazy trying to second guess the doctors there.



The good news is that hours after he was back in the I CU unit he signaled to the Doctors that, when they asked him what he wanted them to do if his heart stopped again, he emphatically signaled that he wanted to be resuscitated. As I write this, Sandy is being driven back to the Hospital in Charlottesville and we agreed we will talk again Thursday morning after which I will forward any new information.



Sandy did tell me that during her first call from his doctors after he was back in the I C U she was asked if she wanted to "put him through all that again..." meaning starting over with his care in the I C U for an indefinite time. She will talk to Bob tonight about his wishes, but she already knows what he signaled to the doctors from their later phone call, that he wants to LIVE!



If any of you wish to send him cards of encouragement, his new address is Colonel Robert Cranston, Room 89, Third Floor, Medical Intensive Care Unit, University of Virginia Medical Center, 1215 Lee Street, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908-0816.

I am very sorry to have to report this latest difficult development in Colonel Cranston's fight for life. I am heartened by Sandy's enthusiastically telling me about his dramatic improvement at the rehab facility for the nine days, until this setback. She feels strongly that he is in better physical condition now to withstand what happened today, than he was a week ago, and, with God's help, he will be able to get back out of the Main Hospital and back into the Rehab building where he was making such progress. I intend to send an update tomorrow as I get more information.

God Bless,

Andrew

Army Pfc. ( by Colonel's order) Andrew Guthrie (Ret.) AFN Headquarters Newsroom, Hoechst

1960-1961

Andrew N Guthrie

turtlelover64@aol.com

"The best thing about a man ..... is his dog..." ancient French probverb

　

　

　

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