Armed Forces Network (AFN)

Anyone who has served in the military overseas (or State Dept) is familiar with and has an opinion about AFN. American television- the networks, cable stations, premium channels- provide programming free-of-charge to AFN who then broadcasts it to us via satellite/decoders or cable. Two main rules apply. One, the programming must not contain any of the original commercials and two, only authorized military/gov employees are allowed to own the decoders.

AFN had only one channel during out first three overseas assignments. Imagine trying to meet the television viewing needs of a huge audience with only one channel! Cartoons, movies, sports, news, soap operas, series, etc. Back then, there was no channel surfing. The power and volume buttons were the only ones used on the remote. My love of Law and Order started during our assignment in Italy because it was the one show on one evening. I had never watched it in the US but got hooked then and have been a fan since (well, except for Criminal Minds). Other times I turned on the TV I might find wrestling (ick), Sesame Street (call the kids into the room), an exercise show (eh, maybe later), or a movie (please, let it be something watchable).

When we moved to Greece- wow! AFN had expanded to 10 channels! One channel dedicated solely to sports, another to movies, one for news, the Pentagon channel, family channel, and several for series programs. Oh, and the ubiquitous scrolling channel guide (can they possibly scroll it any more slowly- agonizing). I think AFN does a pretty good job maintaining a varied selection of programs although I still find myself watching stuff here that I never would in the US (American Idol auditions).

Two things remain different from what you see in the US. First, the space formerly occupied by commercials is now replaced with AFN "infommercials." These are 30 second to two minute spots that pass along all sorts of interesting tidbits of information. We have learned about operational security, hypothermia, registering to vote, changing legal residence, importance of stretching, driving safety, etc. The most important lesson we have learned- Don't tape grenade handles! Seriously, Kyle wondered, at 12 years old, "How stupid does AFN think we are?"

Some of the infommercials are quite cheesy and viewers have a love-hate relationship with them. I have included one here-


The other difference we deal with is live programming. My kids think the NBC Nightly News is oddly titled because they watch it in the morning while they eat breakfast. The Today Show is on at 1pm and Saturday Night Live is actually Sunday Afternoon Delayed. Some episodic series are broadcast concurrently with their US air dates but those tend to be reality shows like Survivor, American Idol, etc. Dramas and comedies can be delayed by as long as a year. Right now I'm watching the last season of ER which actually concluded last May.

Overall, AFN does a great job. It's free and we eventually see everything we want. And really, how much TV do we need to be watching anyway?

Have a favorite AFN spot? Crazy Uncle Joe who broke both his legs when he overloaded a power strip? Squeakers the Hamster? State quizzes? Put it in the comments section!