Armed Forces Radio Becomes ICRT

Source: My Thoughts: The US Military Radio in Taiwan (Part VII)
From: China Times
Date: December 2, 2008
Author: Wang Chun

In 1979, the United States formally established diplomatic relations with the PRC, and US official entities in Taiwan — including the US military — began withdrawing. On the night of April 15, 1979, at 11:50 PM, Commander George Slim of Navy Broadcasting Service Detachment 41 officially announced that the American Forces Network was going off the air. At the end of his sign-off, he said in halting Mandarin: “To all listeners in the Republic of China — wishing you health, happiness, and all the best!” He then played the ROC national anthem, followed by the American national anthem. At exactly midnight, Robert Parker, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, announced: “ICRT is on the air.” ICRT officially began broadcasting, with the first song it played being “Happy Together.”

External Links

• International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT) (Wikipedia)
• The US Military Radio in Taiwan (China Times)
• Armed Forces Radio