Whatever happened to the
US Armed Forces Radio station? Remember when we had not one but two stations, that varied every few months from Top 40 to R&B to Classic Rock to exclusively Talk radio?
Ever since I
hooked up the iPod to my car's stereo, I don't pay much attention to the radio and only listen on occasion, so I don't really recall when exactly the AFN completely disappeared. In fact, I still have its local FM frequency (
104.3) programmed on the preset channels in my car. But I miss the live morning shows that we'd hear in the afternoon; the
Jonathan & Mary Show was particularly hilarious, whereas the
Tom Joyner Morning Show had its hits and misses and was mainly good for some old-school soul music. I miss the lunatic rants of
Rush Limbaugh and
Dr. Laura Schlesinger, as well as the
NPR show All Things Considered. I also miss the unintentionally hilarious "public service announcements" that were targetted at US military personnel.
Throughout its time on the air here in Kuwait, it would disappear sporadically for a few days, maybe a couple of weeks, but would always come back. Sometimes it would come back in a different format, but at least it was there.
So is there an official explanation as to why it no longer broadcasts here in Kuwait? Several theories are floating:
- It was quietly escorted off the local airwaves when Marina FM commenced operations. I don't buy that one because the target audience is completely different, and if anything Radio Sawa is a much bigger threat.
- The Ministry of Dis-Information got rid of it because Islamist MPs objected to the un-wholesome content on some of its morning shows. That's very possible given the current "holier than thou" climate of fear we live in.
- The Ministry may have also felt it was too much of a US propaganda tool and quietly got rid of it. Again, it's possible Islamist MPs may have exerted some pressure.
- AFN may have decided it was too costly to rebroadcast to its forces on the local FM frequency, and perhaps now provides them with entertainment on satellite or Internet based systems.
Anyone with relevant information on this subject is welcome to post a comment or reply here.