MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- Viewers and listeners of the American Forces Network may experience brief programming interruptions Sept. 28 to Oct. 12, as the fall "sun outage" period occurs.
These seasonal outages, which take place each spring and fall, affect all satellite communications, including the AFN radio and television services distributed by the Defense Media Center here.
Sun outage-related programming interruptions are characterized by a complete loss of signal for as long as several minutes. The interruptions occur when the sun's position aligns with broadcast satellites and Earth-station receivers. The sun's radiation overpowers the broadcast signal causing this disruption of service.
The effect of sun outages on satellite-delivered programming received by the center will be minimal, because alternate satellite feeds of incoming programming can be used to avoid sun outages.
However, worldwide AFN affiliates may experience more significant disruption because of their reliance on a single satellite feed of the AFN services.
This fall's sun outages will be the most severe Oct. 5 to 7.
The media center distributes stateside radio and television news, entertainment and sports programming, along with Department of Defense information messages, to about 800,000 DOD people stationed overseas in 177 countries and U.S. territories, and aboard more than 180 U.S. Navy ships at sea.
For more information, visit www.afrts.osd.mil. View AFN radio and TV schedules at http://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil. (Courtesy of Pacific Air Forces News Service)