Senior Airmen Ariana Howard and Dom Ingram, the hosts of AFN Europe's popular shows "Brunch Bites" and "Tactical Lunch," pose together at the AFN Europe studio. The new programming schedule launches on July 1, 2024. (AFN Europe)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – American Forces Network Europe is expanding two of its live radio programs on AFN The Eagle radio stations starting Monday, according to network officials.
The expanded schedule will feature two three-hour shows broadcast directly from the AFN headquarters studio in Sembach, Germany, and represents one of the most significant changes to the Eagle’s radio schedule in over 40 years, station officials said.
“The extended hours and new show formats are direct responses to listener feedback,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew Kakaris, senior radio producer at AFN Europe. “We’re always listening to our audience and looking for ways to improve, always with the goal of at better serving America’s best stationed here in Europe.”
The new programming includes an extended version of “Brunch Bites” with Senior Airman Ariana Howard, from 9 a.m. to noon, offering updates from the music industry, celebrity news and pop culture.
After Howard, Senior Airman Dom Ingram takes over the airwaves with his “Tactical Lunch,” from noon to 3 p.m. Ingram focuses on military news, command information and “high-energy discussions” relevant to the service community.
“We’re excited to bring more dynamic and relevant content to our audience,” Howard said. “This change allows us to dive deeper into topics and engage more with our audience.”
Both shows are designed to engage and entertain while providing vital information to their audiences, the DJs said.
AFN Europe radio show times are changing, featuring "Brunch Bites" with Ariana Howard from 9 a.m. to noon and "Tactical Lunch" with Dom Ingram from noon to 3 p.m. (AFN Europe)
“What we do is really all about what we can do to serve our audience,” Ingram said. “It’s such a great experience being here and doing this every day.”
The shows are primarily run by service members from various branches of the military. These disc jockeys in uniform, made famous by Robin William’s portrayal of DJ Adrian Cronauer in the 1987 film “Good Morning, Vietnam,” are trained at the Defense Information School in Maryland, where they learn the skills necessary to produce and broadcast radio content.
Each day they comb through the day’s news and command information to inform their peers at military installations around Europe.
“There are a few guidelines but then we really make the shows our own and try to be as creative as possible,” Howard said.
Under the legacy format, each AFN affiliate station in Europe aired eight hours of live radio a day, Monday through Friday, with AFN headquarters staff contributing four hours of live content. The new changes expand the Europewide programming across AFN Europe’s network of 15 affiliate stations, Kakaris said.
“The goal is to streamline our efforts and provide more centralized, high-quality content,” Kakaris said. “This move is designed to free up time for our local stations, allowing them to focus more on their unique local needs while we handle broader regional topics from headquarters.”
Senior Airman Ariana Howard prepares for her show "Brunch Bites" in the AFN Europe studio. Revamped programming at AFN Europe is slated to include more regional content and interactive segments for listeners throughout Europe. (AFN Europe)
AFN Europe has already started promoting the new format through social media. While details remain under wraps, the team said the new programming will feature engaging content for listeners across the network.
“We have some really cool interviews with some special guests lined up that we’re excited to announce,” Howard said. “Stay tuned on the air or Facebook for details.”
Listeners can tune in via the AFN Go app, which offers genre-specific channels and talk radio, or through traditional FM signals.
