The 221st Base Support Battalion has a new Commander’s Access Channel available to communities in the Wiesbaden, Dexheim and Wackernheim.
The main purpose of the channel is to easily spread emergency information on a crawling announcement section at the bottom of the screen.
Lists of daily events, services and news flashes are broadcast throughout the day by the Public Affairs Office. Popular music plays in the background.
One main feature the channel offers is pictures of deployed soldiers.
“The photos from downrange are a very important part of the channel,” said Patricia Simoes, 221st spokeswoman.
“Newspapers can only put so many pictures in their paper, and not everyone has a computer to access online photos put up on the BSB homepage.
“But everyone has a television set, so they all can see pictures of their friends and family downrange.”
The channel also covers local events. Announcements and programming are tailor-made for each community, with the same station showing different broadcasting in different areas.
Currently, the station is available in all homes on the TKS cable-TV system, as well as at the local guest housing facility and in several offices throughout the communities.
It comes in on Channel 2 in most communities, but can sometimes be found on German Channel C. Viewers must redo a channel search on their television to pick up the new station.
This is one of only three such channels in Germany. The other two are in Bamberg and Stuttgart. Other communities are expected to adopt similar systems soon.
For more information, call Simoes at DSN 337-5142 or at commercial 0611-701-5142.
