Something's wrong with my TV and/or radio signal. How do I get it fixed?
TV:
If you live in a housing area contact the housing trouble desk at 624-4311. For barracks residence contact your barracks office on NAS 1 or NAS 2. For economy residents with an AFN decoder contact the housing office.
*AFN Television can no longer be watched using an antenna or rabbit ears*
If you experience a problem with AFN Prime Atlantic only please contact AFN M-F 0900-1630 at 624-4265.
Radio:
AFN maintains their own local radio signal. If you experience problems with either the Eagle 106.0 or Powernet 107.0 contact your AFN Sigonella engineer at 624-4265. Please be ready to say exactly when you experienced the problem (date and time), what frequency or channel you were tuned in to (106.0 or 107.0), and what program (local DJ, the Sean Patrick Show, AP News, etc.) Try to call right away, because that's always the best way to identify and correct technical glitches.
For satellite decoder leasers/owners who cannot receive radio on channels 202 and 203 contact AFN, for all other audio only channels contact Housing or a qualified expert for repair information.
Why is it so hard to pick up a strong AFN radio and TV signal over the air?
AFN radio services are not designed to be competition for local national broadcast organizations. Host nations grant AFN permission to broadcast in Europe, but only if we target signals toward pockets of Americans. This means the closer you live to the military installation (AFN antenna), the better your radio reception.
Have audio &/or video signal problems or concerns?
Call AFN with your name, location (base housing or on the economy), what type of connection you have (decoder or cable), what channel (Pacific, Atlantic, etc), the date and time the problem occurred, our technicians will investigate the problem.
What programming originates here in Sigonella...and what comes from the States?
On television, some news and command information programming comes from Europe. The AFN Newsline programs air weekdays at 6:30 PM and 10:20 PM, to keep you informed of U.S. European Command events. These originate from the AFN Europe headquarters in Manheim, Germany. Here in Sigonella, viewers get to see news and other command information programming targeted toward this specific geographical area. The AFN Sigonella Television News airs weeknights at 6:23 and 10:23.
On the radio side, The Sig Morning show is produced here in Sigonella and airs 0600-1000 along with the afternoon show from 1400-1800 every weekday. Thanks to radio automation, you can also hear additional NASSIG command information airing throughout the day.
Why do you run certain news sources? They seem biased.
AFN runs news from a wide range of available national TV sources in the US. We strive to provide you a wide variety of viewpoints. AFN TV news sources include NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, Fox and MSNBC. AFN radio news sources include the same sources, plus National Public Radio (NPR).
How do I authorize my new decoder? AND, Do I have to renew my decoder authorization?
For decoders issued by housing contact them (624-4311) if your decoder displays the “no authorization key” message.
For personally owned decoders go to www.pvconnect.net and click on authorize. Have your UA and TID ready. Decoders need reauthorized every 3 years. If your tour is in excess of 3 years contact the housing office (for issued decoders) or reauthorize (for personally owned decoders) on the pvconnect website before your 3 year mark to avoid any interruptions in service.
Further questions regarding AFN decoder services should be sent to decoders@hq.afis.osd.mil.
Why aren't AFN/AFRTS music programs on the Internet?
AFN is presently prohibited from streaming program materials over the Internet. The AFN services are copyrighted only for overseas use to entertain our military audiences, family members and DoD civilians. Placing AFN services on the Internet makes that material accessible to the world and any use of these materials outside AFN areas holds us in violation of that contractual obligation.
What radio services are available with the AFN Decoder?
There are nine distinct AFRTS Music Services available with the AFN Decoder. All times are U.S. Pacific Standard Time (PST). All of the music services are available full time to listeners with access to AFRTS satellite decoder boxes. Local Sigonella radio is broadcast on decoder channels 202 and 203.
Why does AFN-Europe air controversial shows?
AFN airs controversial shows because the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) wants to provide Americans with the same radio and television shows they can see or hear in the United States. If the show is highly rated, AFRTS tries to procure the rights to the show. Shows such as Tom Joyner, and Rush Limbaugh come to Europe via satellite from AFRTS at March Air Force Reserve Base, Riverside, California. AFRTS negotiates with program suppliers to get the most popular U.S. shows. If AFRTS can’t get the rights, it’s not broadcast. In recent years, AFRTS has succeeded in acquiring and airing 90-95% of the top 75 U.S. prime time TV shows. They’ve had similar success with syndicated radio shows. Rush Limbaugh is one of the top-rated radio talk show hosts in the States, and Tom Joyner is one of the top syndicated Urban show hosts.
What causes the freeze-frames, audio drop-outs and other disruptions on AFN TV?
The television signal disruptions began occurring when AFRTS went from an analog to a digital signal. We are working with technicians from AFRTS as well as from industry to solve this annoying problem. The problem is not unique to AFRTS/AFN. The broadcast industry as a whole is encountering these problems. Identifying the cause of the disruptions is priority one at both AFN and AFRTS.
Have another Question?
If you have additional questions, please drop us a line by simply clicking Contact Us from the AFN Sigonella homepage, and we'll be there to help. Our mission is to be the NASSIG community's indispensable media of choice.