American Forces Network Berlin

For nearly fifty years, this was the sound of America in Berlin.

Armed Forces Network Berlin was the U.S. military’s radio—and later television—station, created to provide American soldiers with news, sports, entertainment, and a connection to home.

It began broadcasting in August 1945 with George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

And it all started from this 27-room villa on Podbielskiallee in Dahlem, originally built for a wealthy German merchant.

AFN played swing, jazz, blues, rock, and pop that was often difficult to find on German stations, especially in East Berlin. It became enormously popular with Berliners as well as American troops—and some of its military DJs became local celebrities.

In 1969, AFN moved to larger studios on Saargemünder Straße, beside the American military headquarters, to accommodate the addition of television broadcasting. AFN Berlin broadcast until July 15, 1994.

Some AFN presenters even outlived the occupation, including Rik De Lisle, affectionately known by my in-laws as the alte Ami (or old American), who hosted radio shows in Berlin until the end of 2025.

Both locations are located in what was known as Little American and can be found under Cold War Sights in my free Berlin trip-planning app.