USFK sergeant major addresses AFN issues

[unhappycamper]

USFK sergeant major addresses AFN issues
By Ashley Rowland, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Friday, November 23, 2007

YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea — U.S. Forces Korea’s top enlisted soldier said Wednesday that troops won’t be able to watch football games on the American Forces Network for free in their off-post apartments “in the foreseeable future,” but he doesn’t know why they need an AAFES credit card to get those channels.

“If I can pay someone cold, hard cash, I don’t know why I couldn’t,” Command Sgt. Maj. Barry Wheeler said during “From the Top,” his monthly call-in radio show.

South Korean cable companies were ordered to stop broadcasting the AFN Prime Pacific channel this month, meaning some U.S. personnel who live off base will lose their AFN programming, including key football games as the season draws to a close.

USFK officials asked the Korean Broadcasting Commission to address the issue this summer, because the South Korean cable companies were capturing the signal and selling it along with their other programs.

Most South Korean real estate agents offer U.S. personnel cable or satellite television packages as part of off-base rental agreements.

Wheeler said the signal for the AFN channel was being “stolen.”


Rest of article at: http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=50459

[AllegroRondo]

1. I cant believe people would actually pay for AFN

apart from the sports, there wasnt much worth watching on there. Maybe the bad 'commercials'?

[TheDebbieDee]

2. I would pay for AFN if I had to...........

The main reason I would do so? Programming in English about local/regional customs and tourist spots.