Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jeweltone]

It looks like life will get a bit tougher for homesick Americans.

I sat down to watch a bit of TV on AFN, and a message scrolled across the top of the screen stating that AFN will no longer be available through Yongsan Cable because some armed forces people have complained (though it was not specific as to what they complained about)...

Does anyone have information about this? Is it just the cable company, or is this city wide? It sounded city-wide to me....

[hogwonguy1979]

so many different cable companies even within each gu, check another one.

thing is from what i was told by the head of afn-k last year when i asked about why we dont get nfl games, cable companies actually pirate the over the air afn signal to put it on their cable system. the usfk have been trying to get them to stop this for years

maybe they are giving in to the military

[RACETRAITOR]

I knew it was the beginning of the end when they started airing American Dad.

[indytrucks]

[Jeweltone]

I live in Yongsan-gu, and the only other cable company that will serve foreigners is Sky-Life...for a hefty fee!

I like to watch Leno. It gives me a sense of my old routine in the US. I also watch the nightly news, as I do not get CNN. I guess I'm SOL!

[Funky Chunk]

If you have broadband at your place, watch online. ABC, NBC, CW, FOX, and CBS all have a handful of primetime shows online (Leno included, I think). Some of the shows are even available in HD. It won't get you everything you want to see, but there's plenty on there and you can watch it whenever you'd like.

[polonius]

Up in my neighbourhood, we saw a similar announcement scrolling across the top of the screen. It is a shame that we will lose AFN, as their programming is pretty good, although the commercials are a little less to be desired. Oh, well. What can you do.

Maybe we can start a crusade of sorts, and get all our Korean friends, counterparts ect... to send emails to AFN, saying that they are very sad to be losing AFN, as it was "a great cultural introduction to the American psyche." Do you think it would work? I know that if it is simply a bunch of expats complaining that they can no longer get the tv shows, they would say, "too bad, it wasn't established for you." However, if they perceive it to be a cultural enlightenment of sorts, maybe they would be more agreeable. I personally know of a number of Koreans who watch AFN for these reasons.

Let's try it out. Everyone have your Korean friends, co-workers, and anyone you know send AFN Korea an email. Here is a customer satisfaction form. Pass it on. http://www.afnkorea.net/CustomForm.asp?id=15364

[newton kabiddles]

AFN is not supposed to be available to the public as it's a non-commercial broadcst for the military. The military does not pay for the rights to air those programs to the Korean general public. It's been wrong for years - AFN is FINALLY getting it right after 40 years of non-regulation broadcast. USFK personel living off post in Korea can get 10 AFN channels with a sat dish for $13 a month.
You should have never seen AFN off-air broacasts off post according to the contracts between the networks and the US military.

[Bibbitybop]

I think Newton is right. When would Korean cable companies give a damn about what foreigners have to say about AFT broadcasts, much less military personnel?

[newton kabiddles]

AFN hasn't been available off-air (vhf) in England for 40 years, but it's been piped via delayed CCTV to the air bases there forever. Why AFN has been continually aired in South Korea beyond the late 1980's is one of the biggest fack-ups in the history of South Korea-US military relations.
I have been saying this for years....It is absolutely absurd that a tourist staying at the Seoul Hilton can see the American Military TV network on the TV in their room. Imagine if the AFN station (and all of its Public Service announcements) were broadcast in London simply beause there's a US Air Force base at Mildenhall. Why are they broadcasting in Seoul but not in London?

[Bibbitybop]

[mindmetoo]

Ah crap. I saw something scrolling across the top of AFN from C&M cable. It was in English too.

[Jeweltone]

Maybe C & N should offer CNN as part of their regular package instead. Or one of the other English channels. Did anyone get the same message on Skylife?

[genezorm]

goodbye and good riddance to that tripe

[jjurabong]

Yep I saw it on C&M as well.

I would gladly switch to satellite if it is possible to still get AFN that way. Skylife people?