AFN Family

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AFN Family
Launched	Sometime in 2004.
Closed	AFN Kids (Children's programming block on the main AFN channel, removed in 2004)
Network	AFN/Armed Forces Network
Owner	US Military/AFN
Picture format	16.9 Widescreen, older programs are cropped into full screen 480p
Slogan	We bring you home (general slogan), Fun 4 All Ages! (Family)
Country	Programmed from Riverside California, USA
Language	English
Broadcast Area	Mostly Europe and Asia
Headquarters	AFN Broadcast Center, Riverside CA
Formerly called	AFN Kids (Children's programming block on the main AFN channel, removed in 2004)
Website	National AFN Website: http://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil/
cable serv 1	Distributed to base cable providers through AFN itself. Formerly listed on Spectrum Cable listings, however not available.
sat serv 2	Intelsat-18
sat serv 3	Koreasat 5
sat serv 4	Eutelsat 9B
sat serv 5	SES 5
sat serv 6	Galaxy 16

AFN Family is an American-based international family-oriented television network that airs, (mostly reruns of) many popular children’s and family-targeted television programs, that is owned and operated by the US Military, (specifically The Department of Defense’s Defense Media Activity program, ) under the AFN brand umbrella. It’s lineup currently consists of, (in general,) cartoons, live-action programs, and select movies on its “Together Time” block, (which airs commercial-free cinematic releases of newer, popular animated and live-action family movies.) Furthermore, the channel airs delayed premieres of new episodes of programs such as Blaze and the Monster Machines and The Loud House, and a separate set of reruns of other, (mostly off-the-air) programs such as "Steve-era," (seasons 1-4) episodes of Blue's Clues, older episodes of The Fairly OddParents, and Wonder Pets!. Since 2015, the channel has also aired along sides an overnight block tilted AFN Pulse, airing shows targeted to teens and young adults. Because of this, the channel currently runs from 8 AM to 10 PM International Time.

The channel is a part of (as of 2019) seven other multiplex channels covering entertainment in general, sports, live and pre-recorded news, and (mostly) aduit and R-rated movies. As with most US Military products, AFN is designed to ”compete” with most American television networks by using comparative branding. In other words, AFN’s networks are designed to look like their American or state-side counterparts.

Furthermore, AFN's main purpose is to provide programs from US cable networks (like Nickelodeon), and other national networks, and then to rebroadcast those programs for US troops and their families overseas via satellite. It has been airing most, not if all of Nickelodeon programs produced since the late 80's or very early 90's. AFN stands for American/Armed Forces Network and is the current branding used for a vast collection of television and (mostly) radio networks owned or affiliated with the US Military.

History

1980s AFN Germany schedule shows programs such as “Sesame Street,” and, “The Flintstones.”

AFN itself was founded and launched in May of 1942 as a local worldwide military radio service. It's first station was launched in 1942, with KODK, later expanding into other countries like Germany, Iraq, and France. Later, however as time went on, more AFN radio stations closed (due to financial problems, ) and an over-the-air / satellite television service was launched.

For many years, AFN played children's programs. Delayed reruns of programs such as "Mr. Rogers," "Seasme Street," “The Flintstones,” and "Romper Room," were aired in an unbranded block. During these programs, command spots and “commercials” were played. This practice was mainly used from the 1970s to the 1990s, especially during the 80s. Starting in the 90s, AFN added more shows to the block, later leading to the creation of AFN Kids.

AFN Kids

2001 AFN Kids Commercial Breaks (from- ChenowethRules)

An example of the kind for "breaks" used on AFN Kids. Recorded in 2001 from an episode of Rugrats.

Before AFN Family was launched, Nickelodeon shows, (and other programs) were aired in a children’s programming block on the main AFN channel, called AFN Kids. The block was targeted to mainly kids; featuring kid-oriented ”commercials", bumpers, and programs. Family programs (at the time) were aired in evening time slots on the main AFN channel, (currently known as AFN Prime.) These programs were moved to AFN Family when it launched in 2004. After that point, AFN Kids was discontinued in favor of more daytime programs, game shows, and soap operas.

After AFN Kids

AFN Pulse
Launched	2015
Network	AFN Family
Owner	AFN
Picture format	720p (HD)
Country	USA
Language	English
Broadcast Area	Mostly Europe and Asia
Headquarters	Programmed from Riverside, CA
Website	Website: http://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil/events/2013/Pulse/

AFN Family was launched in 2004, and featured programs from the AFN Kids block, (with several promos still being kept intact, ) along with newer programs. In 2011, two weekend cartoon blocks entitled ”Sunday Funtoons!, ” featuring programs for more younger children, (however not preschoolers, ) such as Spongebob Squarepants, and Back at the Barnyard, and ”Super Charged Saturday, ” featuring more action-based programs for older children, were added to weekend time slots, however these blocks were later removed.

In 2015, an overnight block called AFN Pulse was added, running during AFN Family's evening time slot airing programs from major US networks targeted to teens and young adults. </noinclude>Later in 2017, High Definition was added to the channel, along with a new bumper repackage, as AFN celebrated its 75th year anniversary.

Availability and Broadcast

The network is distributed through base cable systems, over-the-air analog (digital in some areas) signals, and is attainable over satellite with an authorized decoder. The channel is not broadcast in North America, (with the exception of over-the-air availability in American Samoa over analog television station KVZK-8, and through shortwave radio stations,13.362 MHz and 5.765 MHz in Guam.) However, these local broadcasts are those of AFN Prime and local AFN radio networks, not AFN Family.

AFN Europe’s current headquarters since 2014. Located in Sembach, Germany.

Even though is not owned by Nickelodeon or Viacom, AFN is connected to Nickelodeon in a way as it reruns its programs. AFN's programs are usually offered for free or at a low cost, however with the consequence of new episodes of these programs airing on a time delay from 24 hours to 6 months. A notable factor of AFN is that it has never (nationally) produced any original series, (outside of locally produced news and weathercasts on local AFN networks, however, these have come less present as AFN reworked its overseas networks into national AFN branding since 1997.)

Because AFN is not allowed to air paid commercials, (with the exception of promos and bumpers, due to its ownership by the US Military, ) the program's source network must remove all advertisements before the program can be aired (or "rebroadcasted", as AFN terms it) on AFN Family, or any AFN network, meaning broadcasted programs air uninterrupted.

AFN currently has about 60 radio stations, and about 30 over-the-air television stations that services mostly European and Asian countries.

Programs

Uh-oh! ¡Falta ago! This article page is incomplete and needs to be completed. Any user is obliged to do so.

AFN Family Promo - 2019

A newer promo for the network's lineup, produced in April 2019.

When AFN Family was launched, programs aired in unbranded programming blocks that ”age” though out the day. The same "aging" format continues to be used, targeting preschoolers during the mornings, and older children and their families, during the afternoon and evening before switching to AFN Pulse overnight on weekdays. A similar lineup is used on weekends, with preschool programs aired for 2 hours, followed by reruns of cartoons, educational E/I programs, and then (mostly) live-action programs, and movies to fill the remainder of the day.

A notable factor about AFN Family is that most of its programs have been in repeats to the present, such as Blue's Clues and Franklin, and that almost all of them have not been seen on current American television in several years, such as Ni Hao, Kai-Lan and Go, Diego, Go!. This also means that most of it's reruns are off-network, meaning that they have been airing even though that program's American channel pulled reruns and/or episodes of it off the air. In other words, the channel aired/airs reruns of programs which were no longer shown on the program's American broadcaster. This trend continues/contiuned for a long time, with shows airing from a few months, to over a decade, making AFN Family one of the only channels that airs many older, (as in when it stopped airing on mainstream television, not as in intended for older children,) kids TV shows, a practice Nickelodeon has despised doing since about 2012, with almost all of its older programs being pushed to overnight time slots on the Nick Jr., before being removed, and with most of them being moved to the Noggin service. This thus creates the fact that AFN Family does not have that many in-production series. Examples of this can be found in one of the network’s 2010/11 schedule, such as Blue's Clues, (whose‘s run ended in 2006/7,) and several other programs in which have ended their runs on PBS and Disney Channel, such as Bear in the Big Blue House, which ended its run on Disney Channel in May of 2007, and Seven Little Monsters whose run ended in 2004 on PBS, with the closure of its Bookworm Bunch block in that same year.

Nickelodeon (USA) programs (as of 2019) include:

• SpongeBob SquarePants (episodes air once a week at 6:30 PM)
• The Fairly OddParents
• Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn
• Henry Danger
• The Adventures of Kid Danger
• Dora the Explorer
• Blue's Clues (episodes air twice a week at 8:00 and 8:30 AM.)

  

  Logo used until 2017. Still being used as an on screen ”bug, ” and as a secondary logo, as well as a placeholder on EPG Guides.

• Bubble Guppies
• PAW Patrol
• Franklin
• Tickety Tock
• Go, Diego, Go!
• Knight Squad
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Butterbean's Café
• Zack & Quack
• The Loud House
• Ni Hao, Kai-Lan
• Wallykazam!
• The Backyardigans
• Blaze and the Monster Machines
• Fanboy & Chum Chum
• Kuu Kuu Harajuku
• Wonder Pets!
• Mike the Knight
• Degrassi: The Next Generation (AFN Pulse)
• Victorious
• Bunsen Is a Beast

• Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2019 Series)

• Double Dare (2018 Series)
• Team Umizoomi
• Zoofari

Formerly aired (incomplete)

• LazyTown
• Max and Ruby
• Rugrats
• Doug
• The Wild Thornberrys
• Invader Zim
• Hey Arnold!
• The Mighty B!
• Back at the Barnyard
• Top Elf (premiered December 20th)

Future Programs

• Blue's Clues & You! (possible to premiere In December or January)
• The Spongebob Musical: Live on Stage! (premieres December 28th)

Triva

• AFN does not air commercials. In their place, command spots and public service announcements are play.
• AFN's TV service has been around for about 50 years, since the 1970s, making it older then Nickelodeon, who was launched in 1979, and, (with a few exceptions,) the oldest TV network on this wiki.
• AFN Family does not air any program or movie with the TV-MA, R, or the NC ratings.