ICRT officially began broadcasting at midnight on April 16, 1979. The station was formerly the Armed Forces Network Taiwan (AFNT). When the United States announced termination of official diplomatic relations with the R.O.C. in 1978, AFNT, the only all-English radio in Taiwan, prepared to leave the airwaves. This caused grave concern among the foreign community in Taiwan. The president of the American Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Robert P. Parker, announced the establishment of a group of community and business leaders formed for the purpose of saving the station. Its function included fund-raising and negotiating the transfer of equipment so that ...