Grostenquin, France

30 Nov 63

The network consists of five 50 Watt FM transmitters; one at each base of the Air Division (public property), one headquarters studio at Metz (public property) and five studios for local production at the Wings and at Metz (provided out of M&I funds). The network connection is provided by service microwave voice circuits.

During the past six months, CFN Headquarters continued to broadcast 116 hours a week, with weekday sign-on at 0630 hours, and Saturday, Sunday and holiday sign-on at 1000 hours. Sign-off daily is at midnight. Programme hours at the four Wing stations vary only slightly from this, some of them staying on the air later to serve night crews.

Network headquarters makes available to all stations approximately 70 hours of CBC tape and short-wave programmes and 46 hours of local production by volunteers and staff. The four Wing stations accept from 60 to 70 hours of the CBC material, filling the remainder of their broadcast time from local production by their own volunteers as available. In the event that local volunteers are not available at the Wings, however, there is at all times a programme available to them on the network line.

Special programming during the past six months included a broadcast of the Air Division Football Championship, done direct from the field by CFN staff. The Grey Cup game from Canada was made available by overseas cable connections. During the critical period following the assassination of President Kennedy the CFN Programme Director and staff cancelled regular programming and brought an almost continual account of events following the shooting in Dallas. Not only was CBC coverage brought to CFN listeners, the short wave transmissions of the Voice of America and the AFRS were tuned in with vigilance and discretion to give a balanced and complete picture of the events, and reactions to it around the world. Many favourable comments were received from RCAF listeners, and also from US Forces members in the area covered by CFN. Many of the latter chose CFN's coverage in preference to that provided by AFN.

An eight-week course for interested volunteers in the Metz area was begun in December 1963. Network staff contributed spare-time hours to encourage activity in the non-publicly owned portion of the CFN Metz facilities.

A technician was hired in August 1963 to take charge of maintaining publicly-owned CFN equipment. A graduate in electrical engineering of the University of Marburg (with one supplementary examination to write), he has proven the value of having one person whose full occupation is the care of the five CFN transmitters and the Metz studio equipment. He spent a day at the transmitter factory in Brive-la-Gaillarde (central France) obtaining supplementary information not contained in the manual supplied. The fact that he is able to attend on a regular schedule to all transmitters, at Metz and at the Wings, benefits all locations by extending his experience and giving continuity of maintenance.

In addition to the hiring of the technician mentioned above, the following are personnel changes made during the past six months. In the month of October 1963 one of the Metz announcing staff was released for unsatisfactory behaviour, leaving a staff of three at the CFN control centre. He has not been replaced.

In November 1963 the staff manager at 4 Wing terminated his contract and was repatriated, being replaced by the previous 1 Wing manager. A new staff member was brought in from Canada and installed as Manager at 1 Wing. CBC seconded personnel remained at two, the Director and the Programme Director.

31 May 63

The network consists of five 50 Watt FM transmitters; one at each of the Continental European bases (public property). The headquarters studio at Metz (public property) and the five studios for local production at the Wings and at Metz (provided out of M&I funds) form a network connected by Service micro-wave voice circuits.

During the period CFN Headquarters continued to broadcast 116 hours a week, with weekday sign-on at 0630 hours, and Saturday, Sunday and holiday sign-on at 1000 hours. Daily sign-off is at midnight. The programme hours of the four Wing stations vary only slightly from this, as some of them stay on the air later to serve night crews.

Network headquarters makes available to all stations approximately 70 hours of CBC tape and short-wave programmes and 46 hours of local production by volunteers and staff. The four Wing stations accept from 60 to 70 hours of the CBC material, filling the remainder of their broadcast time from local production by their own volunteers as available. In the event that local volunteers are not available at the Wings, however, there is at all times a programme available to them on the network line.

During the past six month period, progress was made in arranging network programmes contributed by the various locations. Inter-Wing hockey was carried on an average of once every five days during the season. An inter-Wing talent content brought musical talent from all five locations to the total Air Division audience, and a children's programme five days a week originated one day a week from each of the five stations. An innovation for Air Division listeners was the Morning Devotions programme broadcast each weekday morning throughout Lent, with Protestant and Catholic chaplains from all five locations contributing.

Audience reaction was sounded during a tour of the Wings by the network director in Feb 63, when he met with radio committees at each location, made up of representative members of the communities. Reaction to the CFN programme was generally most favourable, both to the CBC content and to local productions. The committee felt that local communities could taken even more advantage of CFN facilities than they do at present, both for the purposes of publicizing activities and actual participation in broadcasting. News from Canada aroused most interest in listeners, and at the same time called forth the most critical comment. Committees were informed that the news content of CFN is under revision and that it is hoped to provide an expanded news and sports service in the coming year.

A course for volunteer personnel was held during February and March at CFN Baden Soellingen. Guest speakers included officials of the American Forces Network at Frankfurt and member of CFN staff. All lectures were recorded and will be made available to other Wings during the year.

A proposal to modify the micro-wave linking CFN stations was considered, in order to improve the quality of transmission to the Wing stations. It was decided to defer action on this proposal pending a survey of an associated problem that of land-line connections terminating the micro-wave facilities. Such land-lines are telephone pairs of limited frequency response, and modifications of the micro-wave without replacement of these landlines by shielded cables would be a waste of money. Replacement of the cables, however, would be expensive, and the two problems must be considered together.

During the period of 31 Dec 62 to 31 May 63, CFN Station Managers at 1 Wing and 3 Wing were repatriated at their own request for personal reasons. Both have been replaced. Present paid CFN staff consists of one civilian manager at each of the four Wings, and four announcer-operators at Network Headquarters in Metz. During the past six months, a salary adjustment was made for these eight personnel from $230.00 to $250.00 per month. CBC seconded personnel numbered two, the Director (Mr. Alan Brown) and the Assistant Director (Mr. Donald McGibbon).