The Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) offers 24-hour access to news, information, and entertainment. AFRTS, headquartered in Fort George Meade, Maryland, operates as part of the Department of Defense (DOD). The service communicates DOD policies, priorities, programs, goals, and initiatives. AFRTS provides stateside radio and television programming through various services to U.S. service members and DOD civilians and their families serving outside the continental United States. The AFRTS operation is enabled by three branches, of which the American Forces Network (AFN) is the operational arm: The Radio and Television Production Office, the Pentagon Channel News-Center, and the Defense Media Center (DMC). This entry examines the history and services of the AFRTS and the recent impact of the Internet and social media. The entry ...