Ironically, a generation of English-speaking kids was among those trying hardest to pick up the faint American radio signal because in the 1950s, Brits weren't hearing jazz, blues and rock on their local radio stations. AFN first broadcast from BBC studios in London on July 4, 1943, but American broadcasts in the island nation ended after the war. While many transmitters were low-powered, some were "sound monsters," with the Munich and Weisskirchen, Germany, AM transmitters reaching much of Europe.Īt night, the Weisskirchen signal skipped across the English Channel into the United Kingdom. John Provan said a survey in AFN's early years indicated the military network was reaching a potential listening audience of 50 million Europeans.ĪFN began broadcasting from locations in France, Austria, Italy, Germany and Belgium, and was heard, despite restrictions, in Paris, Vienna, Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich and other major population centers. As a matter of fact, the network took extraordinary measures to not reach them.ĪFN's linked radio transmitters used special broadcast patterns targeted where the Americans were stationed, the music and the talk was all in English and most transmitters were low-powered, so planners didn't think many people living in Germany, Italy, France, Austria or Belgium would bother tuning in. Many Europeans wanted to hear the rich diversity of jazz, blues, country and rock music that wasn't airing on their country's radio stations.ĪFN never intended or tried to broadcast to host nationals. Regulations prohibited it and few spoke the local language.īut some curious Europeans chose to invite the GIs' radio station into their home, car or restaurant: the American Forces Network Europe, known throughout the world as AFN. When rebuilding began after World War II, American Soldiers seldom mixed with locals. Prior to AFN's arrival, Nazi Germany had banned most American music, as "decadent," and even after the Americans first arrived, state-run German radio didn't play English language music.
military's biggest accomplishments in post-war Europe was unintentional: the music the GIs listened to on the radio made a deep, positive impact on Europeans that continues today.
RAMSTEIN, Germany (July 10, 2013) - One of the U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. 1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S.
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