The American Forces Network can trace its origins to 26 May 1942,
when the War Department established the Armed Forces Radio
Service (AFRS). A television service was first introduced in 1954
with a pilot station at Limestone Air Force Base, Maine. In 1954,
the television mission of AFRS was officially recognized and
AFRS (Armed Forces Radio Service) became AFRTS (Armed
Forces Radio and Television Service).        

AFN-Japan’s radio services today consist of AM and FM stereo operations at Yokota Air Base (810 AM & cable FM), MCAS
Iwakuni (1575 AM), FLTACTS Sasebo (1575 AM), Okinawa
(648 AM & 89.1 FM) and Misawa Air Base (1575 AM).      

AFN-Okinawa ceased over-the-air analog TV operations along
with all other Japanese TV stations on July 24, 2011.      

All music was recorded on LP discs.

1960

AFRTS Okinawa Record library (1950s)

AFRTS Okinawa TV Master Control booth in 1964.

Pat Sajak, the host of TVs Wheel of Fortune
served in the U.S. Army as a disc jockey
during the Vietnam War for American
Forces Vietnam Network. He hosted the
same Dawn Buster radio show that Adrian
Cronauer had, and for 14 months, followed
Cronauer’s tradition of signing on with
"Good Morning Vietnam!"

Gene Autry, perhaps the greatest singing cowboy of all time, 
was born on September 29, 1907, in Tioga, Texas.

While still a boy, Autry moved with his family to a ranch in
Oklahoma where he learned to play the guitar and sing.

The young Autry was quickly attracted to a new style of music
that was becoming popular at the time, which combined the
traditional cowboy music popular in Texas and Oklahoma and
the folk songs, ballads, and hymns of southern-style country
music. Known as country-western.

Tony Marvin (October 5, 1912 – October 10, 1998)

Tony Marvin was an radio and television announcer. He became
a staff announcer for CBS, and later became most known as the
long-time announcer for Arthur Godfrey beginning in 1946.

In 1961, Marvin became host of My True Story, a radio drama that
moved to the Mutual Broadcasting System after having been on
ABC and NBC for a total of 17 years. That same year he became
a newscaster for Mutual.

Arthur Morton Godfrey
(August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983)

Dick Novak (1924 – 2002)

Dick Novak was a popular radio personality for over 29
years working at KXL, KGON and KGW. 

On April 11, 1955 Dick moved to KPOJ AM/FM in Portland,
Oregon where he began "Dick Novak’s Rhythm Room”- 9:30
to 2:00am, Monday through Friday from KPOJ’s transmitter
studio located on Mount Scott at S.E. Eastview Drive
(pictured below).        
       

       

 
Interior view of the KPOJ AM & FM Transmitter at Mt. Scott     
in 1956.

Dick also broadcast live from Scotty’s Hamburgers at 12th and
N.E. Sandy Blvd and Amato’s Supper Club on Broadway in
downtown Portland.           
           
 On July 12, 2002 Dick Novak passed away from cancer at age
78 in Portland.
       
           
 
        
  
    
  
     
      
 

1938