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Kaiserslautern Area
Area Installations
AFN
AFN Kaiserslautern is an affiliate of the American Forces Network, Europe. Located in the heart of the Kaiserslautern Military Community, it serves more than 43,000 American military, their families and Department of Defense civilians stationed in the area.
From its facilities in Vogelweh, it broadcasts the primary television signal for AFN in Kaiserslautern. It produces a daily newscast, promotes local events and command information through radio and television commercials, and airs more than 64 hours of live radio programming every week.
The Defense Media Center at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California obtains the commercial material broadcast by the network. The Media Center sends all these radio and television programs via satellite to Europe, where they are decoded and piped via cable to on-post locations. People who don't live on post can still get the programs. A decoder for this purpose costs about $235, or can be rented for $13 a month. Off-post dwellers will also need a satellite dish, costing about $100. Check with the AAFES Power Zones.
Television. The television signal in the KMC is broadcast on NTSC Channel 26. TKS cable company provides the signal, and a great deal of other English-language TV, to military housing areas. There is only one AFN television signal that's transmitted over-the-air in the KMC, AFN Prime. AFN Prime is also on the cable and satellite.
In Europe, people with decoders and most people watching AFN via cable can watch the following AFN-TV services:
- AFN Sports (Channel 1). Expanded coverage of sporting events including ESPN's SportsCenter.
- AFN Prime Atlantic (Channel 2). This is the primary signal here, the one that is also available over the air. Programing includes news, current sitcoms, dramas, soap operas, syndicated "judge" shows, talk shows, game shows and reality shows.
- AFN Spectrum (Channel 3). Programming for persons 18 and over, to include movies, the best of public broadcasting, Arts and Entertainment, Discovery Channel and The History Channel, as well as classic series and cartoons.
- AFN Prime Pacific (Channel 4). For people stationed in the Pacific. Same programming as AFN Prime Atlantic, but eight hours earlier. Good for people whose work schedule prevents their watching their favorite prime time shows.
- AFN News (Channel 5). Expanded coverage with round-the-clock stateside news programs, including the morning shows and nightly newscasts of the major networks, hourly newscasts and personalities like Larry King and Bill O'Reilly.
- AFN Xtra (Channel 6). A youth-oriented channel, with shows from Comedy Central, MTV and more.
- AFN Program Guide (Channel 7). Tells you what's currently playing on the other channels.
- Pentagon Channel (Channel 8). Your 24/7 source for Defense Department news programs, press conferences and major Defense Department briefings on subjects impacting the troops. This is the only AFN channel that is available in the USA to the general public.
- AFN Family (Channel 9). Programs reflecting traditional values with particular attention given to ages 2-17.
- AFN Movie (Channel 10). A wide variety of movies, complemented by specials that take the viewer behind the scenes of the entertainment industry.
- AFN Prime Freedom (Channel 26). For people deployed to the Middle East. Same programming as AFN Prime Atlantic, but two hours earlier.
People in KMC who get their TV via cable from TKS, also get a large number of commercial English-language channels. These include: Toon Disney Channel, National Geographic Channel, North American Sports Network, Movie 1, CNN International, MTV Europe, BBC Prime, 3ABN (Christian programming), Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies, Extreme Sports, Community Information Channel, TKS Movie Channel, MGM and Eurosport. TKS also presents Television España, in Spanish.
Radio. AFN Power Network radio (AM 1107 in the KMC) is a news, information and sports talk intensive service that also periodically broadcasts country and golden oldies music. In addition to music, AFN broadcasts hourly newscasts and syndicated talk radio programs such as Paul Harvey, Car Talk, Kim Komando, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, The Motley Fool Radio Show, A Prairie Home Companion, Sports Overnight America and other programs from National Public Radio and other sources. It also presents political talk shows, with Rush Limbaugh on the conservative side and Ed Schultz presenting the liberal viewpoint.
A second network broadcast (FM 100.2 in the KMC) is mainly devoted to music, but also presents the latest local and stateside news, local traffic, weather and interviews and information about what's happening in the KMC. Early in 2006 AFN replaced its Z-FM format, which concentrated on alternative rock, with its new Eagle Radio format, modeled after the "Jack FM" broadcasts in the states. These play a mix of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s hits with some current hot adult contemporary singles.
The satellite and cable that bring you the TV also carries an extensive variety of other radio stations. You get the full National Public Radio network, plus Oldies Radio (50's, 60's, and 70's), Hot AC (young adult alternative, 80's and 90's), Z Rock (alternative rock), Bright AC (adult contemporary hit radio), Country (country/western), The Touch (urban adult contemporary), Adult Rock and Roll (classic rock), ESPN Plus (sports programming from ESPN and the Sporting News), Fox Sports Plus and a Voice Channel.
The Voice Channel is mainly NPR programming and sports programming from Fox, ESPN and the Sporting News, plus many of the talk shows that are also on the Power Network.
