American Forces Information Service February 1998 - afrts

FACT SHEET
American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS)
Keeping our troops overseas informed and entertained
S e r v i n g Since 1942
May 2009
The AFRTS mission is to communicate Department of Defense (DoD) information to the internal
audience via U.S. television and radio news, information and entertainment programming targeted to U.S.
service members, DoD civilians and their families stationed or deployed overseas and aboard U.S. Navy
ships.
The AFRTS vision is to provide a “touch of home” to DoD personnel wherever they are serving
overseas through U.S. television and radio news, information and entertainment programs.
Best of all
The American Forces Network (AFN), a service of AFRTS, provides the best of all American
television in a unique mix of programs seen stateside on broadcast networks of NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX,
CW, PBS, and major cable channels. Different AFN services are carefully designed to serve different
audiences, or to give the audience more choice, rather than compete for the same audience.
Using space age technology to send the signal
AFRTS uses two state-of-the-art distribution networks: one is called the Satellite Network or SATNET;
and the other is the Direct-to-Sailor or DTS. These satellite networks distribute live and recorded television and
radio programming worldwide.
Bringing troops a touch of home
Through the generous cooperation of U.S. performing guilds, unions, and federations (dating back to
World War II), AFRTS is not charged performance rights or residual fees for programming. That allows
program owners and syndicators to make their products available to AFRTS free of charge, or at a fraction of
the cost that would be paid by commercial radio or television stations.
Programs are provided to the AFRTS overseas audience through land-based outlets or directly via
satellite to homes and deployed ships. Some land-based outlets are organized as networks to serve specific
geographic areas.
American Forces Network Broadcast Center (AFN-BC), part of the Defense Media Activity (DMA),
is located at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California, and is the sole programming source for
military radio and television outlets overseas. These outlets serve American service men and women,
Department of Defense (DoD) civilians, and their families stationed in 177 countries and U.S. territories and
aboard U.S. Navy ships at sea with much of the same programming available to stateside audiences.
Programs are uplinked from AFN-BC to a series of satellites and delivered worldwide via secure digital
transmission paths using MPEG-2 digital compression technology.
AFRTS programs are distributed without censorship, propagandizing, or manipulation in
accordance with DoD Directive 5120.20 and DoD Regulation 5120-20R. While program content is
unchanged, AFRTS is commercial-free; therefore, all commercials are deleted and replaced with AFN
program promotional announcements, DoD internal information and other public service spot
announcements of interest to DoD personnel and their family members.