The AFN American Forces Network® operates and distributes distinct television channels to a worldwide network of overseas U.S. Department of Defense broadcast affiliates, outlets, base cable TV systems, and AFN Direct-to-Home satellite dish users. All entertainment, news, sports and information programming is acquired and distributed by AFN based on the popularity of programs within the specific DoD audience demographics, the unique interests of military audiences and AFN scheduling needs.

AFN reflects the best of all American television in a unique mix of programs seen stateside on all the major broadcast and cable networks. While each AFN channel has a familiar “TV station” look, they each surpass any stateside channel in terms of the variety, quality and scheduling of programs. As a showcase of American television, AFN channels are carefully counter programmed to ensure viewers are presented with a variety of choices at any time of the day or night.

There are nine AFN television services and an on-air AFN|program guide channel, all of which originate at the Defense Media Center in Riverside, California. The nine full-time television services are AFN|prime Pacific, AFN|prime Freedom, AFN|prime Atlantic, AFN|news, AFN|sports, AFN|spectrum, AFN|family, AFN|movie and AFN|xtra. A tenth service, the Pentagon Channel, is produced by Department of Defense Public Affairs in Alexandria, Virginia, and is distributed along with the AFN services. AFN is a service of the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS).

Virtually all land-based locations in the world are capable of receiving all AFN television services by government cable TV systems, direct-to-home satellite receivers or MMDS microwave. Navy ships equipped with satellite dishes receive AFN|news, AFN|sports and a hybrid channel of programming from AFN|prime, AFN|xtra and AFN|spectrum most appropriate for shipboard audiences. AFN schedules are available online at www.myafn.net.