AFN Prime
{{Short description|Main channel of the American Forces Network}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = AFN Prime
| logo_size =
| logo =
| logo_caption =
| founder =
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1954|10|19}}
| closed_date =
| picture_format = 1080i (HDTV)
| country = United States
| owner = American Forces Network
| parent =
| language = {{Plainlist|
- English
}}
| area = United States military bases
| headquarters = Riverside, California, U.S.
| key_people =
| sister_channels =
{{collapsible list|
}}
| website = {{URL|https://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil/ | MyAFN}}
| availability_note = limited to U.S. military personnel in military bases
| online_serv_1 = Affiliated Streaming Service
| online_chan_1 = AFN Now
| online_serv_2 =
| online_chan_2 =
}}
AFN Prime is the main channel of the American Forces Network. The channel feed airs current sitcoms, dramas, syndicated court shows, talk shows, game shows and reality shows popular in the United States, from U.S. over-the-air and cable networks, with a time delay from 24 hours to six months or more behind the United States airdates. In addition, popular U.S. soap operas such as General Hospital are aired by AFN on a one-week tape delay.
This stream is divided into two feeds (AFN Prime Atlantic and AFN Prime Pacific); the difference between the three is that they are time-shifted so that programs air at the same local time in each of the major regions served: Japan/Korea, Central Europe and Iraq. Many regional feeds (such as AFN-Europe and AFN-Korea) are based on AFN Prime and add local programming to it; thus, in a way, AFN Prime mimics the regular network TV concept.
History
The current AFN Prime channel has its origins in 1954, when the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service was setting up a network of television stations for overseas bases. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay brought the idea forth of setting up television stations to boost morale of servicemen stationed in US Air Force bases.{{cite web |title=Lajes more than speck in television history |url=https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/135794/lajes-more-than-speck-in-television-history/ |access-date=12 February 2024 |website=Air Force |date=19 October 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212003143/https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/135794/lajes-more-than-speck-in-television-history/ |archive-date=12 February 2024}} To this end, AFRS was renamed AFRTS on April 21, 1954.{{cite book |title=History of AFRTS, the First 50 Years |year=1992 |publisher=American Forces Information Service and Armed Forces Radio and Television Service }}{{rp|81}}
The first overseas station to sign on was CSL-TV on October 17, 1954 in the Lajes Field in Azores, becoming the first television station in Portuguese territory.{{rp|81}} Other stations followed over time, such as ZBK-TV in Bermuda (which shut down in 1959) and the Keflavik station in 1955.{{rp|81}} Its station at McMurdo, AFAN-TV, started on November 9, 1973 as the first television channel available in Antarctica,{{cite book |first= |last= |title=Antarctic Journal of the United States |date=January–February 1974 |page=29 |isbn=9780786451982 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=45RPAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22afan-tv%22+mcmurdo&pg=RA1-PA29 |via=Google Books }} which at the time was a seasonal operation dependent on the time of the year (November to February) open to air traffic.Shurkin, Joel N. (May 1975). They Usually Get a Rating of 40 (People, That Is)". TV Guide: 12-15.
Until 1997, the Armed Forces Network operated only one television channel. Until the shut down of over-the-air analog television signals, the main channel was carried. The remainder of the channels was limited to on-base facilities.{{Cite web |title=The Seldom Heard Stories of the U.S. Military's Broadcast |url=https://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil/media/AFN80/documents/The-Seldom-Heard-Stories-of-AFN.pdf |access-date=7 November 2024 |website=MyAFN - DoD Media.OSD}} On September 26, 1997, around the time of the launch of two new channels, the extant channel was renamed AFN, with three versions, AFN Atlantic, AFN Pacific and AFN Americas.[https://web.archive.org/web/20000823233230/http://www.afrts.osd.mil/afn2.htm AFN-Atlantic and AFN-Pacific]
With the creation of two new channels on September 3, 2004, AFN Europe, AFN Pacific and AFN Korea were renamed AFN Prime.[http://web.archive.org/web/20240424115358/https://www.stripes.com/migration/afn-set-to-air-olympics-add-family-and-movie-services-expand-spectrum-1.23142 AFN set to air Olympics, add family and movie services, expand Spectrum] In December 2004, AFN Prime Pacific replaced tape-delayed news programs with live simulcasts.[http://web.archive.org/web/20241106142510/https://www.stripes.com/migration/afn-tweaking-schedule-adding-live-news-broadcasts-1.26336 AFN tweaking schedule, adding live news broadcasts] The independent AFN Korea feed was removed from DTS systems in 2006.[https://web.archive.org/web/20241202122021/https://www.stripes.com/migration/new-afn-tv-channel-targets-18-35-male-audience-1.44476 New AFN TV channel targets 18-35 male audience] A fourth feed of the channel, AFN Prime Freedom, started broadcasting on December 22, 2006. It targeted US troops in the Middle East, specifically Iraq and Afghanistan, showing its programming two hours earlier to accommodate the local timezones.{{cite web|url=https://www.incirlik.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/302876/afn-brings-one-more-channel-to-the-line-up/ |title=AFN brings one more channel to the line up |date=22 December 2006 |access-date=18 July 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240718113231/https://www.incirlik.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/302876/afn-brings-one-more-channel-to-the-line-up/ |archive-date=18 July 2024}} It shut down in June 2013 after the drawdown of troops from the Middle East.{{cite web|url=https://www.army.mil/article/103748/afn_to_tweak_decoder_settings_june_4_24 |title=AFN to tweak decoder settings, June 4-24 |date=21 May 2013 |access-date=18 July 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126230948/https://www.army.mil/article/103748/afn_to_tweak_decoder_settings_june_4_24 |archive-date=26 January 2019}}
The channel was widely available on cable in South Korea until December 2007, when it was removed on order of USFK to the Korean Broadcasting Commission due to issues regarding U.S. program sales to Korean over-the-air and cable networks.{{cite web |url=http://www.stripes.com/news/korean-cable-firms-to-stop-afn-broadcasts-1.70882 |title=Korean cable firms to stop AFN broadcasts |publisher=Stripes.com |date=7 November 2007 |access-date=31 December 2009 }} The previous year, AFN Prime Korea refused to air live NFL games in order to prevent copyright infringement. The addition of more sports would jeopardize its coverage.[http://web.archive.org/web/20241106142512/https://www.stripes.com/migration/afn-prime-pacific-korea-won-t-air-nfl-games-1.54682 AFN Prime Pacific-Korea won't air NFL games] Over-the-air broadcasts in Korea ended on May 1, 2012.{{Cite web|url=http://www.afnkorea.net/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=MNmAXjYs0AA=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213035803/http://www.afnkorea.net/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=MNmAXjYs0AA%3D|url-status=dead|title=Afnkorea.net|archive-date=13 December 2014|website=afnkorea.net|access-date=6 April 2023}}
Over-the-air broadcast to military bases in Germany and Belgium ended in 2010 as part of AFN's drive its technological improvement.[http://web.archive.org/web/20241106124408/https://www.stripes.com/migration/afn-to-drop-over-the-air-signal-in-2-countries-1.108270 AFN to drop over-the-air signal in 2 countries] In bases in Japan, AFN Prime Pacific's analog signals were to be replaced by cable signals.[http://web.archive.org/web/20230922184924/https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/japan-s-switch-to-digital-signal-won-t-affect-on-base-tv-viewing-1.146638 Japan's switch to digital signal won't affect on-base TV viewing] Over-the-air broadcasts in Lajes ended in 2011.{{cite web |title=AFN says goodbye to military's first overseas TV station |url=https://www.usafe.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/253709/afn-says-goodbye-to-militarys-first-overseas-tv-station/ |access-date=6 August 2024 |website=U.S. Air Forces in Europe & Air Forces Africa |date=15 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317094034/https://www.usafe.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/253709/afn-says-goodbye-to-militarys-first-overseas-tv-station/ |archive-date=17 March 2022}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Insular Areas TV}}
Category:American Forces Network
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1954