When American troops are stationed overseas, their primary contact with American television is the American Forces Network, or AFN. Since the programming on AFN is donated by the American broadcast networks, AFN cannot run commercials.
Instead, PSAs are used as filler material during commercial breaks. To develop an appreciation – or contempt of these ads, search for “AFN commercials” on YouTube.
AFN public service announcements go beyond the boundaries of typical PSAs. If an individual who had no knowledge of the extent of the maturity and training which most members of the American military possess were to watch AFN for an hour or two, he or she could easily form an opinion that our military members require constant supervision in every aspect of their lives, from balancing a checkbook, to wearing the correct size shoes, to not frying a turkey for Thanksgiving.
Instead of airing public service announcements that transform the nanny state into a personal micromanager, that airtime would seem better suited showing one-minute news stories from local television stations in the US.
As bad and as irritating as PSAs may be, I’ve recently heard two that were literally informative – and also ticked off some of the members of the social holier-than-thou crowd which celebrates the arrival of every new way to tell others how to live.
With a growing crime problem and budget cuts, Milwaukee County Sheriff, David A. Clarke personally narrated a few spots that encourage education, responsibility and practice for gun owners, while also stressing the importance of self-defense and being aware of one’s surroundings. Unfortunately, there are members of the Milwaukee County Board who want to yank these commercials, since they are viewed as being “too controversial.” It is ironic that there is an attempt to ban PSAs that support and encourage the personal discretion of citizens, instead of deliberately insulting their intelligence.
As with all springtime traditions, the prime-time PSA will disappear from sight – at least until Labor Day weekend comes around. But unlike high school prom or basketball and hockey playoffs, the PSA has a special mission – and if it could complete that mission, a mission to irritate just one listener or viewer, then it has done its job.
Image: Logo for PSA Healthcare; source: Template:Trio Media Group; author: PaulSamAnna; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license
