AFN - AMERICAN FORCES NETWORK

See the list of AFN Frequencies

The American Forces Network Europe (AFN Europe) provides that "touch of home" with multiple radio and television service to military members, civilians and family members in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM). It is a service of the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS). AFN Europe headquarters is located on Sembach Kaserne, Germany and there are affiliate offices throughout the command.

The AFN Broadcast Center at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California obtains the program material broadcast by the network. This includes most of the top rated U.S. television shows, most major sporting events, many syndicated radio programs and current U.S. hit music.

The Broadcast Center sends all these radio and television programs via satellite to Europe, where they are decoded and piped via cable to on-post locations. (Some radio programming is still broadcast over the air on AM and FM frequencies and AFN radio programs are also streamed over the Internet). People who don't live on post or base can still get the programs over satellite using a special receiver/decoder and a standard satellite dish. A digital receiver/decoder for this purpose costs about $370, or can be rented for $18 a month and a dish can cost about $100. Check with the Exchange Power Zones. There may also be used receivers available through various online marketplaces for the military in Europe. Be sure if you buy a used receiver that it is compatible with the digital signals sent by the satellite. Many older receivers are "analog" and won't work anymore.

Television

On average, AFN Television broadcasts nine of the top ten U.S. television programs, plus news and documentaries from the States. Most major U.S. sporting events are broadcast as well.

In Europe, people with the proper satellite receivers and most people getting AFN via cable can watch the following AFN-TV services:

• AFN Sports. Expanded coverage of sporting events including ESPN's SportsCenter, MLB, NASCAR, NFL, NCAA Football and Basketball and much more.
• AFN Prime Atlantic. This is the primary channel here. Programming includes news, current sitcoms, dramas, popular soap operas, talk shows, game shows and reality shows. It is formatted much like a traditional broadcast network schedule.
• AFN Spectrum. Is complementary to AFN Prime and shows additional popular entertainment, network and reality shows as well as repeats of hit shows.
• AFN Prime Pacific. For people stationed in the Pacific. Same programming as AFN Prime Atlantic, but eight hours earlier.
• AFN News. Expanded news coverage with round-the-clock stateside news programs, including the morning shows and nightly newscasts of the major networks, hourly newscasts, and political talk shows.
• AFN Xtra takes you on and off the field with a highly-targeted blend of sports events, Emmy-award winning talk shows and unscripted series, action sports, and videogaming programming, wrestling, reality shows and programming from Comedy Central and more.
• AFN Program Guide. Tells you what's currently playing on the other channels.
• Pentagon Channel. Your 24/7 source for Defense Department news programs, press conferences and major Defense Department briefings on subjects impacting the troops.
• AFN Family. Programs reflecting traditional values with particular attention given to ages 2-17.
• AFN Movie. A wide variety of movies, complemented by specials that take the viewer behind the scenes of the entertainment industry.

There are also many audio channels on the satellite. You can get AFN's radio affiliates, plus NPR and other stations. Your screen usually shows the AFN Program Guide from Channel 7 while the audio programs are in progress.

The TKS cable company provides the AFN programs, and a great deal of other English-language TV to military housing areas in Germany and Vicenza, Italy. There are 4 different plans ranging in price from €24.95 to €79.95 a month. The number of channels available range from 36 to 113. Many of the top US networks are available as well as local channels in German and Italian.

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Radio

Broadcast Radio

AFN offers two broadcast radio networks: the Power Network (AM) and the Eagle (FM). The Power Network provides information, news and sports programming around the clock in most U.S. European Command locations, while the Eagle is music-based with local information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Power Network broadcasts news, syndicated talk radio programs, sports talk programs, National Public Radio programs and other programming. Local AFN stations also offer their own programming throughout the day. It also presents political talk shows. Powernet is available mostly on AM frequencies, but is broadcast in FM in some locations.

The Eagle is broadcast over FM frequencies. It is a music-based service including local information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Live local radio programming is available from most AFN local stations weekdays between 6 AM and 6 PM. World and U.S. national news is broadcast on the hour.

Radio over the Internet

AFN 360 is what AFN calls its Internet service. You can listen to your local AFN station as well as eight additional music and information channels over the Internet using your computer, tablet and Apple iOS and Android devices. AFN 360 will work in countries where AFN radio is broadcast. You can listen to AFN 360 on computers or portable devices connected in Germany, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, the Azores, or on OCONUS military workstations.

In addition to your local stations, you can listen to AFN PowerNet Radio over the internet.

A service called AFN 360 Global includes the following seven music and spoken word stations.

• AFN 360 Country - country music from today as well as the 70's, 80's and 90's.
• AFN 360 Legacy - classic rock from the 60's to the 80's
• AFN 360 Freedom - a mix of Active, Mainstream and Alternative rock for young adults
• AFN 360 Gravity - Urban and Club hits around the clock
• AFN 360 Hot AC - mass appeal young adult current hits and pop music fron the 80's and 90's. Includes American Top 40.
• AFN 360 Joe Radio - hits from the 80's and 90's including a mix of rock, country, crossovers, pop and dance music
• AFN 360 Power Talk - political talk radio including voices from the right and left
• AFN 360 The Voice - news, talk and information with political commentators. AP, Fox and NBC news along with military news.

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AFN Europe Contact Information

AFN Europe has their own website with useful information as well as information from all the European AFN stations: http://www.afneurope.net

AFN Europe is also on Facebook. And it has a mobile app that can be downloaded.

The AFRTS website is http://www.myafn.net.

Beginning August 1st, 2015 the help desk at the AFN Broadcast Center in California handles all AFN decoder questions and requests for technical assistance. Call DSN 312-348-1339 or US civilian 951-413-2339. The AFN Broadcast Center is staffed around the clock to help.

In some instances, it's up to the customer to report their outage situation to the local cable company. Satellite decoder owners or renters should contact AAFES or a qualified expert for repair information. Customers in Germany receiving both AFN programming and TKS commercial services via cable on post should call or e-mail TKS Cable Service direct for assistance. The telephone number is 0631-3522-499 and/or e-mail service@tkscable.com.

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American Forces Network Frequencies