Some people are never happy...

Well, I'm thinking I should offer this guy a tour of AFN because he's been here twenty years and still doesn't have an idea about who we are or what we do.

For those of you who haven't been following the issue: American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) and the NFL have a contract that says we can have NFL games for free but we can't show them on any channel that goes out over the open air waves. This has resulted in a lot of questions for us...

Here's what I posted at www.usfkforums.com

Most AFN questions boil down to two issues: how do I get more channels off-post, and why can't I see "X" when it's clearly obvious that everyone else wants "X" just as much as I do?

Hey, if it were up to me, we'd have "Battlestar Galactica" on all the time :)

Okay, there are two basic reasons you're not going to see much NFL football on AFN Prime Pacific, and by "not much" I mean "none except for the Superbowl". You ARE going to see college football on AFN Prime, but not NFLFirst, AFN Prime Pacific is our channel for variety programming. That basically means it’s “everything for everybody”.

It’s also where we put our most popular programs, and it draws the widest audience. Second, as you may know, cable signal pirating is an issue here in Korea. We’re actually preparing another round of briefings up here on just this issue and whether or not something can be done about it.

AFN Prime is our one channel (and we can only physically do this with one channel) that goes out over the open air waves where someone with an antenna can grab it. Like maybe a cable company that then puts that signal into their own cable package ??? Just hypothetically speaking of course.

Guess what happens to us when the NFL finds out that we’re putting this signal out where just anyone can grab it and put it into their cable package? Yeah, you get the picture…That’s another reason the NFL stuff stays on AFN Sports, AFN Extra, or AFN Atlantic.

Great if you’re on the Cable system or have your dish/decoder (and your landlord actually lets you put it up), but not if you’re on the Korean cable system or just off base with an antenna.

Then I gave an interview to Stars and Stripes, which you can see here.

I made it relatively clear or so I thought...

Lawhorn, in a phone interview later Tuesday, explained that the problem boils down to broadcast rights and referred to a statement from American Forces Radio and Television Service headquarters in Riverside, Calif.

“Scheduling sports on AFN Prime Pacific continues to be problematic because many events are restricted from over-the-air broadcast in Korea by the distributors,” according to the statement. “In addition, there are currently more than 50 local Korean cable companies that are illegally pirating our programming from the over-the-air broadcasts of AFN Prime. Adding more sports to that channel jeopardizes our already delicate broadcast rights negotiations.”

Lawhorn explained that AFRTS sends the Prime Pacific signal to South Korea, where his staff inserts local command information — such as Korea-specific commercials and news programming — before rebroadcasting it as Prime Pacific-Korea. That signal is broadcast openly over the air, so servicemembers can monitor the channel for emergency information without having to use a satellite dish.

I mean, I think it's pretty obvious that AFRTS is behind the decision -- along with the NFL. I also think it's pretty clear that we just put in the command information...we (AFN-Korea) don't make policy regarding the NFL games.

The online community is really supportive and even offered some other reasons...

I know us in the expat teaching community really apperciates Col Lawhorns openess in telling us whats going on. I never knew the cable companies here pirate the signal, I always thought it was negoitated in the SOFA or something like that so the Korean companies could carry the signal.

Given all the AFN classes that offered by the hogwons there ought to be a way cable companies pay you folks for the signal, they are making enough money off of itRegarding the NFL 2 things are going on IMHO. For years the Koreans and the NFL could care less about things here, Then Hines Ward wins the Super Bowl MVP and Korea goes nuts. The NFL sees a potential market. Notice all the Steeler games being shown? As soon as something happens to him the interest will go away

So then I get some nasty letter to the Editor that basically calls me a liar and accuses me of scamming the public...why, I don't know...it's not like we're getting anything out of this.

Check this out: nasty letter to the editor.

That's da bomb!

Well, well..sounds like it'll be a busy week for us. Not for nothing, but rest assured that we're all okay over here.

N. Korea claims success in nuclear test

SEOUL, Oct. 9 (Yonhap) -- North Korea announced Monday that it successfully conducted an underground nuclear test.In a report by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, the communist regime said the test earlier Monday was carried out safely and successfully."The nuclear test was conducted by 100 percent of our wisdom and technology," it said.There was no danger including leaks of radioactivity, it added.South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said the country's state intelligence agency detected a 3.58 magnitude seismic tremor in the North's remote area of North Hamgyeong Province at around 10 a.m."The intelligence was immediately reported to President Roh Moo-hyun," Roh's spokesman Yoon Tae-young said. "Related countries are in consulation on the issue."Roh immediately called an emergency meeting of related ministers to discuss countermeasures.lcd@yna.co.kr

Upcoming NYC Job Fair

For those of you in or near NY on Nov 6. I don't normally do the "press release" thing, but hey, I'm all about helping people make the transition.

I've never been upset when Soldiers leave the military -- but only if they have a plan and are looking to improve themselves, their lives, or their family situation. The only ones that irk the crap out of me are those kids who say they're getting out and going back home to, "see what they wanna do..."

Here it is:

THE NEW YORK TIMES SALUTE OUR HEROES VETERANS JOB FAIR & CAREER EXPO™

From their press release, "This is a job fair for veterans and their wives, and while it takes place in New York City , there are a number of companies, who have jobs all across the US ."

THE NEW YORK TIMES SALUTE OUR HEROES VETERANS JOB FAIR & CAREER EXPO™
NEW YORK • Monday, Nov. 6 • Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Presented by The New York Times Job Market in partnership with leading veterans organizations and government agencies, Salute Our Heroes™ will provide former servicemen and women and spouses of active-duty military personnel with unprecedented job opportunities and informative career seminars.

A broad range of companies will turn out on November 6 to present veterans with a host of viable job opportunities and valuble career resources including: AdeccoAmerican LegionBank of America, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Clearwater Police Department, Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, Department of Veteran Affairs, EDO Corporation, ESGR, FDNY, Foley Inc, HSBC, Kaplan University, Kawasaki Rail Car, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Merck, Merrill Lynch, Mt Sinai, NASA - National Aeronautics andSpace Administration, New York Times, Norweign Cruise Line, NYC DOE, Oracle, Schneider Naitonal Carriers, Time Warner Cable, University of Phoenix Online, US Office of Personnel Management, USOVETS

Pre-register today at:http://www.nytimes.com/saluteourheroes

Talk Like a Pirate Day...and PICTURES

Here there be Pirates!

Okay, okay...first things first.

Link to change of command photos !! Our unit Command Sergeant Major (in the back right of the picture) puts dang near everything we do on Shutterfly which is FANTASTIC.

The Stars and Stripes has a story on our recent return to live broadcasting...

The picture from above is just one of the many from our recent "International Talk Like a Pirate Day" celebration. We had a competition amongst sections to see who was the most spirited and supportive of this very important international holiday. Seriously, it's a real holiday...

Well, one of our remote detachments -- the gang at Kunsan Air Base -- won and we presented them with their very own home-made AFN Plank!!

We gave all the participants their own Certificate of Pirateship which looked like this:

Then we signed it in either blood red or black with little skulls....

The CSM and I were laughing in the office about how we had important things to do like well, signing Certificates of Pirateship. Then we realized that this actually IS one of the more important things that we'll do as a command team. These are the kinds of things that make it fun to be in our unit and make the long days and short-notice projects bearable. Whether it's having a the quarterly barbecues, soccer matches between headquarters and the detachments, or "Talk Like a Pirate Day", these things determine the command climate and ultimately determine how much people are willing to put into the unit and the mission.

I'm pretty damned proud to be an AFN Pirate...even if only for a day.