AFRS-29


(5 stars; 1 reviews)

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 widely enjoyed by the British civilian listeners who could receive them and once AFN operations transferred to continental Europe (shortly after D-Day) AFN were able to broadcast with little restriction with programmes available to civilian audiences across most of Europe (including Britain) after dark. As D-Day approached, the network joined with the BBC and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to develop programs especially for the Allied Expeditionary Forces. Mobile stations, complete with personnel, broadcasting equipment, and a record library were deployed to broadcast music and news to troops in the field. The mobile stations reported on front line activities and fed the news reports back to studio locations in London.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

License

Chapters

AFRS 157 - Showtime - Dinah Shore 08-18-45 29:55
AFRS 005 - Radio Theater - Tom, Dick & Harry - Ginger Rogers - Burgess Meredith… 53:23
AFRS 012 - Abbott and Costello 06-07-45 30:00
AFRS 015 - It Pays to Be Ignorant - What is an optimist 08-18-44 30:16
AFRS 017 - Red Skelton - Baseball 02-06-47 27:02
AFRS 019 - Blondie - The Secret Poker Game 08-18-44 29:24
AFRS 025 - Danny Kaye - (replaced by) Jack Benny 10-26-45 24:26
AFRS 025 - Mystery Playhouse - Fifty Candles 07-25-44 30:07
AFRS 030 - It Pays To Be Ignorant - What's the best way to keep your bills down… 28:38
AFRS 035 - Danny Kaye - Court Of Human Relations 01-25-46 28:11
AFRS 039 - Blondie - Poet 02-25-45 30:32
AFRS 039 - Danny Kaye - The Wife Of O'Reilly (guest) Orson Welles 03-01-46 29:55
AFRS 045 - Red Skelton - Hotel Rooms 02-01-44 28:57
AFRS 065 - Great Gildersleeve 11-19-44 30:16
AFRS 068 Science Magazine Of The Air - Witchcraft 10-28-45 29:22
AFRS 071 - GI Journal - Robert Benchley - Bonita Granville 11-24-44 30:01
AFRS 077 - It Pays To Be Ignorant - What Is a Window 07-13-45 29:35
AFRS 08 - Mystery Playhouse - Criminal At Large 04-11-44 30:10
AFRS 110 - Music We Love - Gladys Swarthout 09-10-45 29:37
AFRS 111 - Country Corner (first song) Safely In Love Again - Faron Young xx-xx… 29:40
AFRS 111 - Radio Theater - Destry Rides Again - James Stewart - Joan Blondell 1… 52:45
AFRS 112 - Country Corner (first song) Tra Le La Le La Triangle - Patsy Cline x… 29:33
AFRS 118 - Music We Love - Gladys Swarthout - Igor Gorin 11-05-45 29:53
AFRS 211 - One Night Stand - Glen Gray - (first song) A Sure Thing 04-05-44 28:48
AFRS 236 - One Night Stand - Russ Morgan - (first song) Do You Ever Think Of Me… 28:48
AFRS 240 - Mystery Playhouse - The Boarder 08-10-46 22:40
AFRS 603 - Country Corner (first song) Billy Grammer - Wabash Cannonball xx-xx-… 24:37
AFRS 628 - Country Corner (first song) Talk Back Trembling Lips - Ashworth xx-x… 55:42
AFRS 760 - One Night Stand - Stan Kenton - (first song) I Know That You Know 09… 29:56
AFRS 775 - One Night Stand - Gene Krupa - (first song) The Old Refrain 01-23-45 29:23

Reviews

What a Treasure


(5 stars)

Thanks for the hours spent to preserve these fantastic works from The Armed Forces Radio Service. THANK YOU!