AFRTS Archive

My Best Sounds

2026-08-30T13:03:41.427-05:00

Take us along, all day long

Tom Campbell 1971

2026-08-30T13:02:15.484-05:00

Always grateful when our AFRTS family can share the shows they did for us way back when. Tom Campbell Stateside is on the air!

Hear Tom everyday 1pm Central mybestsounds.com

Tom Campbell 1971

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Roland Bynum 1981

2026-08-30T10:30:23.333-05:00

We're in the Creator's Workshop on a Wednesday in 1981 and Roland is making it a "good Bynum"

Roland Bynum - 1981

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Bill Stewart - Rocketing Rhythms

2026-08-30T10:28:25.752-05:00

We counted them down. The first rock countdown show was Rocketing Rhythms, usually hosted by Jack Brown. Today Jack is on vacation and KLACs Bill Stewart steps in with the hits from the pages of Cash Box. Here are the pre-Beatles years hits!

Rocketing Rhythms - 1961

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Jim Pewter 1967

2026-08-30T10:24:14.725-05:00

AFKN vet Jim Pewter checks in periodically and it's always great. We went to different schools together! Jim had a lot to do with some of the greatest music.

Hear Jim every day at 6pm Eastern mybestsounds.com

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Don Tracy 1988

2026-08-30T10:22:50.826-05:00

DON TRACY - Don Tracy was another with a great career at AFRTS-LA and in Los Angeles radio: KGFJ, 1969-74; KDAY, 1976-90; KGFJ, 1993-94; KMBY, 1995; KABC, 1995-97. Following a stint in sales at KABC, Don had an ad agency in the San Fernando Valley, Malloy and Associates. This aircheck was recorded in Iceland.

Don Tracy 1988

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Chris Noel 1969

2026-08-30T10:21:29.986-05:00

Chris did so much for us, The Date With Chris show, toured all over the world, particularly in the hotspots and has been one of the most outspoken advocates ever. Today Chris has a homeless shelter for veterans. Take a look Click here Please do what you can. Here's how it sounded in 1969.

Date With Chris - 1969

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Joe Ferguson 1983

2026-08-30T10:18:32.909-05:00

Joe Ferguson brings us the best from Portland in another 1983 get together. Thanks for sharing these Joe!

Joe Ferguson - 1983

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Yank Swing Session 1944

2026-08-22T15:05:28.630-05:00

Bob Crosby did a lot of shows for us during WWII, usually as a DJ sometimes with his band.

"Yank Swing Session" was interesting. Sometimes they played records. Usually, they played unissued music from radio shows. Here's a 1944 visit.

Yank Swing Session - 1944

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Jim Ameche 1965

2026-08-22T14:59:14.998-05:00

Jim Ameche has some beautiful music. Jim was one of the first to really be successful as a syndicated DJ, later becoming the voice of the Longines Symphonette.

Jim Ameche - 1965

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AFN Nuremberg - Mike Kimbrell 1984

2026-08-15T16:17:34.121-05:00

Time for Mike Kimbrell from "The Tower Of Power"

AFN Mike Kimbrell 1984

AFN Nuremberg. Studio im Grand Hotel (1950 - 1956). Studio at the Grand Hotel (1950 - 1956).

Gene Price 1978

2026-08-15T16:12:40.528-05:00

Whoever came up with the phrase Country Gentleman must have known Gene Price. It's classy. It's silly and it's wonderful radio.

Gene Price - 1978

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Ira Cook 1961

2026-08-15T16:11:01.904-05:00

In the early 1960s, they weren't really recording at McCadden. Recordings were done at the stations, usually but it was haphazard. Here's Ira Cook recorded at KMPC in 1961.

IRA LEIGH COOK Passed away on May 15, 2007 at the age of 90. Ira was a disc jockey in Hollywood for over 25 years working at KMPC the majority of the time. He also broadcast over the Armed Forces Radio Services. He was a beloved husband of Virginia for 58 years who predeceased him.

Hear Ira every morning at 5am (central) on mybestsounds.com

Ira Cook 1961

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Roger Carroll 1976

2026-08-09T11:28:28.477-05:00

Here's some more fun from Hollywood with Roger Carroll! Roger has was a part of this crazy business since the 1940s.

Roger Carroll 1976

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Mary Turner 1984

2026-08-09T11:25:22.797-05:00

Time for another visit with Mary Turner, She started at the network in 1981 or so, bringing a new perspective. It was rocking...

Mary checked in last time with good words about her AFRTS time.

Mary Turner - 1984

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FEN Automation and Burr Hoyle 1965

2026-08-09T10:31:18.074-05:00

Awhile back Monte Jones had some information about the automation system at FEN in the late 60s. I thought something capable of segueing the ETs and putting the news on the air was very high tech for the times. Norm Medland was there before Monte and he had some information: Henry Yaskell was way ahead of his time from the automation system to tropo scatter to distribute the net up the line to Misawa and other places; Kuma Station and Wakkanai in the far north of Japan. In addition to the voice network to our outlying stations, we also had a teletype network and a fulltime employee to type and send printed newscasts to all the stations. Yes, they could have had all news prerecorded on tape and I believe Henry wanted that but it pushed immediacy back by at least an hour and the programmers would not allow it. Automation basic brain may have been a Harris-made unit, but not sure. Henry had at least four turntables connected along with a bank of Ampex tape recorders and several cart machines. It used a room about 20x20 and had one fulltime GI and a Japanese engineer plus probably a GI engineer. Time hacks were automated and the unit could switch between functions and the news booth and production studios. A lot of local production done on tape like “Tokyo Calling.”.

It took a lot of tending and no one but Henry thought it saved any manpower. Still, it was ingenious and way ahead of most broadcast stations. I worked at a station in Sacramento after I retired that was automated with a Harris-90 with just a bank of tape playback units and two production studios. Very simple by comparison. FEN even had on loan from Sony an early portable tape unit that rode around on a cart much like a current day audio visual cart with a few shelves. Not very portable and weighed a couple of hundred pounds. This never worked properly and wasn’t used in the field that I know about. Our audio equipment was the best you could buy, and programming concentration was totally audio. I think we had a least six Nagra tape recorders. We were just a radio station, (no TV at all), and the network feed, but we were very good. Great talent in house. Unfortunately, many of them are now deceased. I am certain we would have made money in any market in the United States. I was just a buck sergeant and staff sergeant as I left, but had worked radio in Denver, San Diego, and small Iowa stations before arriving there. I wasn’t bad, but others there made me look like an amateur.

From January 1965, here's Burr Hoyle:

FEN Tokyo Calling 01-10-65

Herman Griffith 1966

2026-08-09T10:27:27.703-05:00

Herman with Jim Pewter and Roger Carroll

It's easy to see Herman Griffith as the voice of a community in 1966. There's a lot to his presentation that others refined and copied. Herman talks about Savings Bonds, with an interest rate very similar to today... Let's take a listen.

Herman Griffith 1966
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Turn Back The Clock 1958

2026-08-08T19:01:33.138-05:00

Andy and Virginia Mansfield brought their brand of oldies to NBC and shortly around that time to AFRTS.

Turn Back the Clock 1958

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Tom Campbell 1971

2026-08-08T19:00:00.671-05:00

Tom's back, with program 2 of "Tom Campbell Stateside" He's retired and leading the good life in California. Recently the crazy weather hit his town, but he wasn't on that side of town.

Hear Tom every day at 1pm Central mybestsounds.com

Tom Campbell 1971

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Roland Bynum 1979

2026-08-08T18:58:50.989-05:00

Roland brings it old school.

Roland Bynum - 1979

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Laura Lee 1986

2026-08-01T15:15:34.180-05:00

Jazz was an important part of the network, even into the 1980s. Laura Lee kept it alive with The Jazz Beat.

Jazz Beat - Laura Lee 1986

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Jim Pewter 1967

2026-08-01T14:56:27.204-05:00

Neil found us a bunch of late 60s Jim Pewter shows. I'm very happy about that. When you see something that might be interesting for all of us, drop me a note afrts@live.com

Jim was an AFKN vet who shaped the world of music, his command of the oldies inspired a lot of people. It's December 1967 "Let's Go"

Hear Jim every day at 6pm Central on mybestsounds.com

Jim Pewter - 1967

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Don Tracy 1993

2026-07-26T11:08:59.514-05:00

Don earned his due in Connecticut radio, through WPOP, WNHC and WAVZ then to win in Los Angeles.

KGFJ, KDAY, KABC-TV, KNX as a sales executive, his own ad agency and editor of the R&B Report.

Don Tracy - 1993

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Chris Noel 1967

2026-07-26T11:07:28.935-05:00

Chris did one of the most popular shows ever. A pretty girl, great music and caring. She brought "home" everywhere.

Chris Noel - 1967

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Joe Ferguson 1983

2026-07-26T11:03:00.302-05:00

In 1983 AFRTS brought in jocks from all over the country to record shows. Today it's to Portland OR for the Joe Show!

Joe Ferguson - 1983

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