AFRS-20

About this film

The biggest names in Hollywood and Broadway recorded for AFRS during the war years, The American Forces Network can trace its origins back to May 26, 1942, when the War Department established the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS). The U.S. Army began broadcasting from London during World War II, using equipment and studio facilities borrowed from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The first transmission to U.S. troops began at 5:45 p.m. on July 4, 1943 and included less than five hours of recorded shows, a BBC news and sports broadcast. That day, Corporal Syl Binkin became the first U.S. Military broadcaster heard over the air. The signal was sent from London via telephone lines to five regional transmitters to reach U.S. troops in the United Kingdom as they made preparations for the inevitable invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. Fearing competition for civilian audiences the BBC initially tried to impose restrictions on AFN broadcasts within Britain (transmissions were only allowed from American Bases outside London and were limited to 50 watts of transmission power) and a minimum quota of British produced programming had to be carried. Nevertheless AFN programmes were wide…

Directors & creators

dont1961

Subjects

AFRS;OTR;Jazz;Big Band;Basic Music Library;Boyd Raeburn;Dizzy Gillespie;Ways of Mankind;Hollywood Star Time;The Story Princess;Mildred Bailey;Jimmy Dorsey;Teddy Wilson;Best Plays;Burgess Meredith;Anthony Quinn;Crime Photographer;Madeleine Carroll;Rocky Jordan;Police Blotter;Eddie Conden;The Big Story;One Night Stand;Charlie Spivak;Five Star Matinee;X Minus One;Red Foley;Bobby Helms;The Whistler;Jack Teagarden;Downbeat;WWII;Korea;Cold War

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