Armed Forces Radio and Television Service Collection, 1943-1997

Administrative History

The Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) formed in 1942 as a part of the Morale Services Division of the War Department. The AFRS established with the mission to provide program services, shortwave programs, and broadcast equipment for overseas areas. As the AFRS expanded across the world, creating hundreds of new stations, it was determined feasible to provide television broadcasting to troops, and in 1954, the AFRS became the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS).

AFRTS' original programming focused on providing troop information, news, and education to service members. Falling under the Morale Services Division meant that programming initially focused on improving the mental attitude of service personnel. The AFRTS prided itself on its efforts to share the news as it happened without censorship or manipulation. As programming evolved, the AFRTS provided sports and entertainment programming. In an effort to provide content that could be seen and heard in the United States, the AFRTS worked with program owners, copyright holders, performing rights organizations, entertainment unions, and syndicators to make popular music, radio shows, and television programs available to troops and DoD personnel and their family members stationed overseas.