The White Falcon - 08.09.1978, Page 4

Page 4
are in effect. Senior Chief
Journalist Berton J. Byers, Chief
Petty Officer-in-Charge of Naval
Broadcasting Det. 8, is supervis-
ing the changes.
Being a professional journalist
and broadcaster, JOCS Byers is
approaching the new changes at a
gradual pace to ensure the best
of quality for the listening au-
dience and his staff as well.
"I would like to have NBS sound
something like our Naval Station
community would hear back in the
states."
JOCS Byers is trying to estab-
lish this "stateside" sound by en-
couraging and working with his
staff of broadcasters.
"I try to appeal to my people's
pride. Because they are a radio
or television personality, people
are going to know their names or
faces wherever they go on this
base. The worst thing that can
happen in that circumstance is to
be associated with a lousy pro-
duct. No one wants to be criti-
cized for the work they do. As
CPOIC of this detachment, I want
to be able to walk around this
base with my head up high so that
I know what leaves this building
is as good as our troops can make
it."
Striving for this professional
quality has caused a traumatic
change for the staff at NBS. The
staff is working up to 12 hours
White Falcon
NBS:
Strives for a
professional sound
NEW CPOIC of NBS, Naval Station,
Keflavik, JOCS Bert Byers.
If you listen to Radio 1484 or
watch Channel 4 television, you
probably have noticed a different
term of station identification
being used. What used to be
American Forces Radio and Televi-
sion Service (AFRTS) is now the
Naval Broadcasting Service (NBS).
As of April 1977, AFRTS Kefla-
vik, Iceland became Naval Broad-
casting Service Det. 8 Keflavik,
Iceland.
The Naval Broadcasting Service
is an organizational structure
under the Chief of Naval Opera-
tions. There are 31 NBS detach-
ments around the world including
ships at sea. The detachments
are divided into three categories:
(1) NBS detachment staffed by
NBS, Washington, DC and is under
the operational control of the
Navy.
(2) NBS detachment staffed by
NBS Washington, DC, but is under
the operational control of another
service. Funding comes from an-
other service.
(3) NBS detachment in ships
at sea. The manpower is not pro-
vided by NBS, but provided by
station or ship. NBS has some
kind of operational control over
it.
Naval Broadcasting Det. 8 Kefla-
vik, Iceland is in category one.
Along with the transformation
from AFRTS to NBS Det. 8 Kefla-
vik, Iceland, many other changes
September 8, 1978
a day and six days a week to cover
24 hours of news a day.
To accompany the "stateside"
sound of NBS Keflavik, live news-
casts are being done instead of
network news. A news team has
been built up for continuity of
the news.
"I feel it's important having
a series of people who are asso-
ciated with the news, who know
the news and study the news,"
commented JOCS Byers.
"It sounds better to have local
broadcasters read the five-minute
news rather than hearing network.
We've got the same news the net-
work has. When the network gets
to us, sometimes the atmospheric
conditions cause static. The
listeners want to hear the news
clearly and we can give them a
clear product rather than the sta-
tic they get from audio feedback."
Effective Monday, NBS AM and
FM radio has a live noon and
6 p.m. newscast.
The operation of NBS is an
involving one. People often
wonder why some shows on radio
and television are repeated or
why particular shows are pro-
grammed at all. AM/FM radio
programs seven days a week, 24
hours a day. Radio programs
87*5 hours of programming a week
from AFRTS Los Angeles. Channel
4 programs about 95 to 100 hours
of programming a week. The tv
station receives 85 hours of
programming a week from AFRTS Los
Angeles. Program repeats are
designed for shift workers.
continued on page 5
OBSERVING SRA Michael Kitchens directing a CBB television broadcast at
the control panel, JOCS Bert Byers likes to oversee all phases in his
NBS operations. (page photos by JOSA Paula Ritrovato)