Let me answer the second part first, since that's easy: I don't know. I'll ask tomorrow about the Fri nite vs Sat nite games.

Unfortunately for the first part, what AFN and SBS show are unrelated. The NFL won't give us a particular game if SBS isn't showing it, mainly because the real issue isn't SBS...it's showing the game over the open air waves.

For those same reasons, you'll probably see less NBA/NCAA basketball on AFN Korea Prime Pacific and more of what we do show on AFN Atlantic, Extra and Sports. I don't know that for sure yet because AFRTS hasn't posted their basketball guidance for this year, but when they do, I'll make sure I let you guys know.

Remind me again about the Fri/Sat night issue if you haven't heard something in a few days.

On the up side (and I know this is nowhere NEAR the same value), but I'm really happy about some of the things we're doing now for the first time (or at least in a long time). For instance, on August 24 our nightly newscast was live for the first time in more than five years. We'll be doing live broadcasts at least once/month for as long as I'm here. Yesterday, we had our first ever live radio interview from CONUS while we were on the radio...R/B star Anthony Hamilton was with us talking about his upcoming visit to Korea.
For you old-timers, Charlie Daniels is also coming...

Finally, we're getting ready to release an email that anyone can subscribe to -- although it's mainly targeted to senior leaders -- called "What's on your AFN News tonight" which will let folks know what the stories are going to be BEFORE they air (hey, there's a thought ) as well as telling people what's been added to the Web site...

Okay, that's enough for now...let me know how else I can help

Hey, my last response didn't show? What the ?!

Okay, the AFN and NFL issue isn't related to SBS..by that I mean that whether or not SBS is showing a game doesn't affect whether we can...generally we can't.

I'll get an answer on the Fri v Sat games for college.

Sincerely,
M. Lawhorn

Okay,
Here's the answer I got from AFRTS

AFN|sports, AFN|xtra and AFN|prime Atlantic will air as many live football games as possible...which means they will continue to be limited on AFN Pacific.

National and regional NCAA college football games will air on Saturdays.

Some sports events may be tape-delayed to make way for higher-rated "live" events or to better accommodate viewing times in different geographic areas.


NCAA Football

AFN|sports, AFN|xtra, and AFN|prime Atlantic will provide extensive live and delayed NCAA coverage with a heavy emphasis on national and regional Division I matchups featuring Top 25 teams, including intra-conference play, big rivalries, and clashes featuring teams with winning and/or near-identical records.

Viewers should check the AFN listings in their area for a possible delayed broadcast.

As always, in order to provide the best weekly matchups, AFN will make game selections using a 6-day advance notice.


In addition to live and delayed games, viewers will see ESPN's "College GameDay," "College GameDay Scoreboard," and "College GameDay Final" on AFN|sports every Saturday (and into Sunday viewer time).


NCAA Football on AFN will originate from FOX, ABC, CBS, ESPN/2/U as well as occasional game coverage from ESPN Plus, Lincoln Financial Sports (Formerly Jefferson Pilot Sports), CSTV, Fox Sports Net and TBS.


AFN will air at least 10 NCAA football games a week during the regular college Division I season.


All 31 College Bowl Games will air on a combination of AFN|sports, AFN|xtra and AFN|prime Atlantic.

Sincerely,
LTC Lawhorn

Gents,

If you have problems watching NFL games from where ever you are at another option is to sign up for a whole season of NFL games at Yahoo Sports. A season package costs $250 dollars and allows you to watch every single NFL game during the season either Live or later on in the day which is good for the Korea time zone since the NFL games air early in the morning and during working hours. You can go home after work, turn on the computer, and watch whatever footballs games you want to see. I paid for the package and it is worth every cent if you are a die hard football fan like I am.

This doesn't excuse the behavior of the Korean cable and satellite programming providers, but I can offer an explanation as to why they pirate the AFN signal and re-broadcast it.

For many, many years, it was freely available to anyone with a tv and an antenna, and there was very little Korean programming available. Up until the late '80s or so, there were only a few Korean channels, and they didn't broadcast during the day. However, AFN did broadcast during the day and it literally became part of Korea's television viewing culture. Yes ~ there were many Korean women who were hooked on American soap operas that they started watching because it was the only channel being broadcast and they wanted to improve their English comprehension.

Jump ahead 15 years, and now, much like in the USA, no one uses antennas in Korea - it's all satellite dishes and cable. So the mode of reception has changed - but the mindset that "it's always been free" hasn't changed, nor has it faded from the local television viewing culture (although with the availability of numerous other English speaking channels and Korean stations that broadcast American shows - I'm sure its popularity isn't nearly what it once was).

I know a lot of apartment complexes in Seoul have adopted rules that don't allow you to attach a satellite dish to the railings of your veranda - they want them installed on the roof. That's great if you live in one of the upper floors - but doesn't work if you're in a lower floor of a highrise, because you lose some of the signal before it makes it all the way down to your receiver.

If you want to watch your AFN satellite off-post - move into a place on an upper floor, or make sure the place you're moving into allows satellite dishes on the veranda.

Re Willie's post 9-28:
All good info, but I have to add that if you can get a cable strung down from the roof to the lower floors of your high-rise apartment, any possible loss due to distance can be easily remedied with a small rf amplifier of the proper frequency. The trick is finding a way to route the cable. (The newer apartments may already be wired with coax.) In my area, we just throw a wire over the edge of the roof and catch it below.

kosovodad, Sir

SSG D. here (chucksnee) I have a question.

Has the Army every thought about going into business with Dish Network or any other U.S. satelite network to broadcast to a OCONUS country?

I understand there are laws that prohibit this, but if worked out it could GREATLY help out both their business and the Army. Take Vonage for instance......

I have to tell you Sir, I refuse to pay what they want (AAFES) to have the new dish paid for and installed (APPROX. $230) and then $25 a month for 7 channels that must be paid for through your Star card.

__________________
CH-47 SI

They must find it difficult...

Those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority. --Gerald Massey

I don't have a clue whether they've considered it. I'll ask AFRTS though...

Watch your Stars/Stripes in the next two days...GEN Bell read the article about no NFL regular season games on AFN Prime Pacific

The Expats and the Military and Civilians are loving the feedback! The forum is happy to be a part of getting the straight word out!

I've got coax in my apartment - but it's for the local cable company. And Yongsan Cable's signal leaves a bit to be desired.

And for LTC Lawhorn ~ the AFN signal that I get through my cable from the cable company is crap. But that's not a problem because I got a satellite dish!

If GEN Bell gets involved and does something about NFL on the AFN Pacific channel so that non-satellite users can get the signal - that would be great. What it all boils down to is the NFL being afraid it will only earn 18 billion this year, as opposed to $17,999,999,999. I realize it's a business and it has to earn a profit. But it does earn a profit - and is by far the most profitable sport in the US. The Korean stations that broadcast NFL games are not going to lose anything if AFN Korea also broadcasts games. Come to think about it - I've never heard of a single Korean who could give a rat's a$$ about the NFL.