The American Forces Network
Europe provides radio and television service to military members,
civilians, and family members in the US European Command. The
network, headquartered in Frankfurt, serves US forces in 56 countries
in Europe, Africa, and Asia. The Armed Forces Radio and
Television Service (AFRTS) at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside,
California, buys the entertainment programs broadcast by the network.
It has an annual budget of $6.8 million for the purchase of all of its
programs. That doesn't sound like much when you consider that it
takes 26,000 television episodes to fulfill AFN's requirements for a
year, not to mention the music and radio programs and live radio and
television sports. However, the owners of the programs let AFRTS
have the programs at cut-rate prices out of consideration for the
audience.
AFRTS sends the radio and television programs to Europe via satellite.
Satellite decoders interpret these incoming signals and bring them
into individual apartments off-post and cable systems supplying
services on-post. With an on-post cable subscription or an
off-post satellite decoder, the following AFN channels are available:
AFN Prime Atlantic is the prime entertainment channel in
Europe and features a mix of the top rated shows from all the major US
networks. Daily US European Command information is provided here
as well to keep you informed.
AFN Prime Pacific feature the same type of programming
as AFN Europe, time shifted eight hours earlier to fit the Pacific time
zones, minus the EUCOM news and command information.
AFN Prime Freedom feature the same type of programming
as AFN Europe, time shifted two hours earlier to fit the Middle
Eastern time
zones, minus the EUCOM news and command information.
AFN News keeps you updated with the latest news and information
from around the world. AFN News draws its news programs from the
main network news programs, as well as from CNN and Fox News.
Pentagon News Channel is run by military uniformed
newscasters for Pentagon personnel and military personnel overseas.
This channel features military news and informercials.
AFN Sports brings all the major sporting events to your living
room.
AFN Spectrum features the most popular current programs in the
United States, to include sit-coms, reality tv shows, and drama
television series. Spectrum broadcasts its programs twice in
a 24 hour time period, to allow service members around the globe to
watch Spectrum's shows at a convenient hour.
AFN Family features family-oriented programming to include
shows, cartoons, and movies.
AFN Extra features pop culture shows for
A youth-oriented channel, with shows from Comedy Central,
MTV, and more.
AFN Movie features movies and film programs.
AFN Television Guide is an on-screen service which gives views
are preview of the next 90 minutes of viewing on all the AFN services.
You can also view our extended AFN
Channel Guide.
Additional channels: Cable subscribers on post will get
additional channels such as MTV, CNN, EuroSports, BBC, Sky1, and local
German channels.
OFF POST TELEVISION
For those living off-post, AFRTS is available with a satellite dish
and a decoder. The system can be leased or purchased through
your local Powerzone. The satellite dish and decoder only
receive the AFN channels, not the British or International channels
available to on-post cable customer. For more information on the
AFN satellite dish and decoder system, as well as setup and
troubleshooting instructions, visit our
AFN Antenna and Decoder Setup
page.
European satellite hardware and service can be obtained through
off-post electronics retailers. However, because European
television is broadcast in the PAL format and American television in
the NTSC format, the standard American television will not be able to
receive the European satellite signal. Therefore, a multi-system
(PAL/NTSC) or PAL television is required. Multi-system TVs can
be purchased at the Powerzone, but typically cost significantly more
than a regular television.
Prior to installing any type of antenna or satellite dish, on-post
residents must obtain approval from the Facilities Branch of the
Housing Office. The request must be in writing and include the
building number, type of antenna, desired use of antenna and
installation method. All installations are subject to inspection
and approval by the Facilities Branch. Installation, maintenance
and removal, including property restoration, will be at the resident's
expense. Off-post residents must obtain approval for antenna or
satellite installation from their landlords.
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