Editing American Forces Network (section)

===Pahlavi Iran===
An AFRTS radio station became operational in [[Tehran]], [[Pahlavi Iran|Iran]] in 1959.<ref name="Factbook"/> This was followed by a television station in 1960,<ref name="Naficy">[https://books.google.com/books?id=CPtUfi3K_JYC&dq=afrts+iran&pg=PA46 ''A Social History of Iranian Cinema, Volume 2: The Industrializing Years, 1941–1978''], Hamid Naficy, Duke University Press, 2011, page 46</ref> known as AFTV.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=PjFKAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Persian%22 ''Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers''], Volume 77, SMPTE, 1968, page 512</ref> It broadcast a radio service on 1555&nbsp;kHz and a television service on Channel 7 in Tehran and the surrounding area from its studios in the city.<ref name="CommDev">[https://books.google.com/books?id=mg1RAQAAIAAJ&q=%22NIRT+International%22 ''Communications and Development Review''], Volume 1, Issues 1–4, Iran Communications and Development Institute, 1977</ref>

Its listeners (and viewers) were American military personnel stationed in Iran as part of [[ARMISH]] (the [[US Army]] mission) and [[Military Assistance Advisory Group]] (MAAG) programs.<ref name="Factbook">[https://books.google.com/books?id=XkIqAQAAIAAJ&q=%22ARMISH%22 ''Television Factbook''], Issues 39–40, Television Digest, Inc., 1969</ref> AFTV was also popular with Iranian viewers, particularly children.<ref name="Cam">[https://books.google.com/books?id=H20Xt157iYUC&dq=%22Television+Iran%22+%22dubbed%22&pg=PA811 ''The Cambridge History of Iran''], Volume 7, Cambridge University Press, 1989, pp. 810–811</ref>

As the TV service only had a power of 1000 watts, it was only on air for a few hours each day, whereas the radio service operated for around 18 hours a day.<ref name="Almanac1974">[https://books.google.com/books?id=FAggAQAAIAAJ&q=%22American+Community%22 ''Iran Almanac and Book of Facts''], Echo of Iran, 1974, page 129</ref> In deference to Iranian sensitivities, AFRTS avoided carrying programming that might be construed as offensive on political or religious grounds, instead carrying cowboy or detective movies.<ref name="Zonis">[https://books.google.com/books?id=AG99BgAAQBAJ&q=%22AFRTS%22+&pg=PA247 ''Political Elite of Iran''], Marvin Zonis, Princeton University Press, 1976, page 247</ref>

Following the nationalization of the privately owned [[Television in Iran#Television Iran|Television Iran]] network in 1969, AFTV was the only television service not in the Iranian government's hands.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=lgA0AQAAIAAJ&q=%22AFTV%22++ ''Iran 69: An Independent Survey of the Iranian Economy''], 1969, page 88</ref> However, in 1976, it was decided by the Iranian government that AFRTS should close down its radio and TV services, which it did on 25 October of that year, the day before the [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah]]'s 57th birthday.<ref name="Almanac">[https://books.google.com/books?id=9ybVAAAAMAAJ&q=%22NIRT%27s+new+international+services%22 ''Iran Almanac and Book of Facts''], Volume 16, Echo of Iran., 1977, page 125</ref>

Radio 1555 closed with presenter Air Force Staff Sergeant Barry Cantor playing [[Roger Whittaker]]'s "[[Durham Town (The Leavin')]]". This was followed by a closing announcement by Chief Master Sergeant and Station Manager Bob Woodruff, ending with the [[The Star-Spangled Banner|U.S. national anthem]]:

<blockquote>Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm Chief Master Sergeant Bob Woodruff Station Manager of the American Forces Radio and Television Service in [[Tehran]]. After 22 years of radio broadcasting and 17 years of telecasting in Tehran, AFRTS Radio 1555 and TV Channel 7 cease all operations in this country at this time. I bid you all goodbye and thank you for letting us serve you. And now the national anthem of the United States of America."<ref>{{Citation|last=Jonny|title=American Forces Network Radio (1950-2012)|date=2017-10-21|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD-4sJIsK5M&t=222 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/xD-4sJIsK5M |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=2017-11-18}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Bahram9821|title=NIRT International Radio|date=2012-02-11|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4Rvgr14sng&t=15|access-date=2017-11-24}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|R4Rvgr14sng|Iran "NIRT International Radio"}}, 11 February 2012</ref>
</blockquote>

The following day, AFRTS radio and television services in Iran were replaced by those operated by the state broadcaster [[National Iranian Radio and Television]] (NIRT), which were similar in content, appealing to the 60 000 [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] and civilian personnel then stationed in Iran, as well as the wider population of foreign nationals resident in the country.<ref name="Intermedia89">[https://books.google.com/books?id=aiO4AAAAIAAJ&q=%22NIRT%27s+budget%22 ''Intermedia''], Volume 17, International Institute of Communications, 1989, page 37</ref>