That’s ‘American Forces’ Network Europe’ for the uninitiated. I have pleasant memories of listening to their radio programmes back in the 1950s, when all we had in the UK was a couple of BBC radio stations.
This network was provided for all the American armed forces based in Continental Europe, and they broadcast plenty of good Jazz, and some really excellent radio plays.
I remember one ‘live’ programme that featured a reporter staying overnight in a haunted castle. That sounded so real, where the reporter ended up almost as a jibbering wreck, I (at age 14/15) was convinced it was happening! Not so sure now…
Anyone else got any good memories of this radio network?
Bri 😀
By: battle_damaged - 26th December 2008 at 11:36
I used to listen to it in Hampshire in the 50’s and 60’s, not knowing that it was AFN. Sport programs (sorry) were of particular interest. When I told a publisher of sport books about it a few years ago at the Frankfurt book fair, and how I got to know the names of some of the heroes of baseball through AFN, he promptly gave me a book on the sport, and there they all were, names I had heard of over the ether.
On an aviation note, however obtuse, I also visited a British publisher of motorracing books and mentioned in the course of conversation that I had met Mike Parkes on a number of occasions when he used to fly in to Frankfurt in a Beech (Baron, I believe), belonging to his buddy from Bulova watches. Mike was involved with Lancia at the time. The chap whose stand it was turned out to be a very good friend of Mike’s and was to be his best man, however Mike was killed the day before the wedding in a road accident.
Pete Arundell is another flyer who used to visit the office. Nice bloke, German wife, like me…told me he was going to the States to open up fish and chip shops, ‘software’ according to Wikipedia!
In order not to have hijacked the thread entirely – my daughter, soon 16, will invariably switch to AFNEagle in the car, for their choice of music.
cheers
Alan
By: bri - 26th December 2008 at 09:20
I’m not really sure why we are discussing AFN on a historic aviation forum…
It is part of USAF history, and to do with the ‘Cold War’ in Europe.
I was listening to it in the 1950s, in Sussex.
Bri 🙂
By: battle_damaged - 26th December 2008 at 08:59
AFN’s story is quite interesting. Here you’ll find more: http://www.usarmygermany.com/units/AFNEurope/USAREUR_AFNEurope.htm
brgds
Alan
By: Arabella-Cox - 25th December 2008 at 22:57
I’m not really sure why we are discussing AFN on a historic aviation forum, but since you raise the matter, I have very fond memories of tuning into the American Forces Network broadcasting from Hanover, or was it Frankfurt?
They had a one hour show starting midnight on Friday, called Underground. It featured all the progressive American bands you had hardly heard of in the UK at that time (around 1968) and it introduced me to some great sounding music.
Chicago Transit Authority, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, Beefheart, Zappa et al.
All good stuff, but I had to keep the volume down and duck under the bed covers or risk disturbing the rest of the household.
The reception on my little tranny in south Cheshire was surprisingly good!
Merry Christmas (hic!)
By: grounded - 25th December 2008 at 08:11
AFN Europe
Heck yes, I well remember all that good music, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington etc, I also recall that message to it’s American listeners, A blob on the nob retards demob. Could you recieve it in the U K? I only heard it on the continent.
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December 23, 2008 at 3:44 pm