From VMSSERV@arecibo.aero.org Mon Mar 29 14:09:44 1993 Received: from arecibo.aero.org by cs.tut.fi with SMTP id AA17679 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for ); Mon, 29 Mar 1993 14:09:27 +0300 Message-Id: <199303291109.AA17679@cs.tut.fi> Date: 29 Mar 93 02:39:00 PST From: "VMSSERV Mail Server" Subject: SCDX2162.TXT To: "rko" Status: OR ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: MediaScan :: :: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS :: :: from Radio Sweden :: :: Number 2162--Sept. 15, 1992 :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Satellite, shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden. This week's bulletin was written by George Wood. Packet Radio BID SCDX2162 All times UTC unless otherwise noted. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: I'm scheduled to commit fatherhood for the second time on October 9th. As these things sometimes happen early, there is a possiblity that the next edition of this bulletin may be delayed. If not, the one after certainly will be. The radio program will be less affected, as I've recorded a couple of back-up programs. Look for a special feature on Native American broadcasting on October 13th (the day after the 500th anniversary of the Native Americans' discovery of Christopher Columbus on their shores). (On October 12th itself, our hour long European Service will include a program about Leif Ericsson and the Viking voyages to the Americas.) SWEDEN: RADIO SWEDEN ENGLISH SCHEDULE--We'll start with some Radio Sweden news, our new English schedule, which begins on September 27th: Middle East and East Africa: 16:00 hrs 15270 kHz Europe: 21:30-22:30 hrs on 1179, 6065, and 9655 kHz 23:30 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz Asia and the Pacific: 13:30 hrs on 15240 and 21625 kHz 21:30-22:30 on 11955 kHz 01:00 hrs on 9695 and 11820 kHz North America: 16:00 hrs on 17870 and 21500 kHz 02:00 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz The transmissions at 13:30 and 21:30 hrs will also be carried to Europe by satellite, over Astra (Sky Movies Gold transponder) at 11.597 GHz, audio subcarrier 7.74 MHz and on Tele-X (TV4 transponder) at 12.207 GHz, audio 7.38 MHz. MEDIASCAN EN FRANCAIS--We're happy to note that Radio Sweden's French Service will be resuming DX/media programs, on the last Sunday of each month, beginning when the new schedule does into effect on September 27th. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN RUSSIAN--Meanwhile, Radio Sweden's Russian Service just celebrated its 25th birthday with an unusual listener meeting in St. Petersburg, held at Petersburg Radio and broadcast live on both Radio Sweden Petersburg Radio. Petersburg Radio is relaying Radio Sweden's Russian Service on a weekly basis. This week's English edition of MediaScan/Sweden Calling Dxers contains an interview with Ulla Lindskoog, assistant Program Director of our Eastern European Service, responsible for Russian programming. Please note that there will be no English edition of MediaScan/Sweden Calling DXers next week. However, on September 29th, we'll be returning to the recent EDXC conference to meet Simon Spanswick of the BBC World Service, who will be talking about satellites and technical improvements to shortwave radio. BREAKFAST TV--What has been touted as Sweden's first breakfast television programming began on Monday September 14, on the national commercial channel TV4. It really isn't the first breakfast TV here - Swedish Television has had a weekend morning news magazine for years, educational television is on in the morning, the pay TV film channels FilmNet and TV1000 are 24 hour, and the cable only outlet Z-TV has been running an MTV clone at breakfast time for a couple of weeks. But this is the first weekday breakfast news program of the sort found in the US and Britain. Interestingly, the rival commercial channel TV3 suddenly challenged the new program by relaying a single half hour of Sky News in the middle of the morning period. AMATEUR RADIO IN SPACE: SAREX--The American space shuttle Endeavour began a seven day mission Saturday. Once again there is amateur radio equipment on board (Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment, or SAREX), operated by flight engineer Jay Apt, N5QWL and Mission Scientist Mamoru Mohri, 7L2NJY. Because of the unusual orbit for this mission, stations between 70 degrees north and 70 degrees south latitute will be able to tune in, and make contacts. The downlink frequency for both FM voice and packet radio. Shuttle audio and information on the amateur radio operation is also being relayed on shortwave in single sideband on 3680, 7185, 14295, 21395, and 28395 kHz. North American satellite TV viewers can watch NASA Select on Satcom 2R, transponder 13. (Pat Gowen in "Practical Wireless", NASA, and AMSAT) SATELLITE TELEVISION: BBC WORLD SERVICE TV--Many satellite viewers have been disappointed that BBC World Service Television, which uses Intelsat 601 at 27.5 degrees West, uses the SAVE coding system, as it has been very difficult to find a decoder. Now the BBC has finally decided to switch to D2-MAC and use the Eurocrypt M coding system, with subscriptions available through a company in Swtizerland. The D2-MAC transmissions will begin during the European Autumn, and will continue in parallel with the current PAL broadcasts for up to three months. The BBC will switch to just D2-MAC early in the New Year. (BBC WS TV and "In Orbit") MARCO POLO--Norway is preparing to launch a direct broadcast satellite service to Scandinavia. As we've reported before, Norwegian Telecom has bought Britain's Marco Polo 2 satellite, and it's being moved to 1 degree West longitude. When the satellite begins regular operation from its new position, there will be 8 new services offered, broadcast in parallel in both D-MAC and D2-MAC. For some reason, the Norwegians like D-MAC, although very few satellite receivers in Europe can handle that system. The new channels will include a premium film service, as well as others dedicated to sports, current affairs, family entertainment, and children's programming. ("What Satellite") ARIANE--There are two new television satellites in orbit, launched by an Ariane rocket on September 10th. The American Satcom C3 is to replace Satcom 1R at 131 degrees West. This carries 24 16 watt C-band transponders, almost twice as powerful as the older satellite. The other new orbiter is Spain's first direct broadcast satellite Hispasat 1A, late for the Olympics, but still in time for the 500th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage. The satellite will be placed at 31 degrees West, and will carry 5 DBS channels and 18 transponders in other parts of the Ku-band. Most will be directed towards Spain and the Canary Islands, but two will be aimed at the Americas. A second satellite, Hispasat 1B is due to be launched in March. ("What Satellite", AMSAT, Al Stahl via Internet News, and Reuters) FRANCE/SECAM vs D2-MAC--France's Canal Plus has won its battle with the French government, and will be allowed to use SECAM for its package on the Telecom 2A satellite at 8 degrees West. The company had threatened to switch to Astra if it didn't get its way. Telecom 2A will carry seven SECAM channels, including Canal Plus, Cine-Cinema (contemporary films), Cine- Cinefil (older films), Planete (documentaries), TV Sport, Canal J, and Canal Jimmy, a program for young people which will share the channel with MCM- Euromusique. There will be four widescreen D2-MAC outlets: France-2, Canbal Plus, Cine- Cinema, and Cine-Cinefil. The five horizontally polarized channels on Telecom 2B at 5 degrees West have been activated in SECAM, joining the 5 vertical transponders. And Telecom 1C has now been moved to 3 degrees East, where it also seems to be using SECAM. With all these new French and Spanish channels, it seems Astra won't need to continue to try to reserve transponders for those languages. (Bertil Sundberg in "Paa TV" and BBC Monitoring) WORLDNET--You heard it here first....we reported some time ago that the US Information Agency's Worldnet would be leaving the French TV5 transponder on Eutelsat II-F1 11.080 GHz, when its contract ran out on September 30th. And we speculated that Worldnet might be moving to the Deutsche Welle transponder at 11.161 GHz on the same satellite. Well, our prophecy seems to have come true. And Worldnet will be expanding its schedule on the new transponder to 10:00-15:30 hrs European time daily. (Bertil Sundberg in "Paa TV") VISNEWS and MAXAT--Many satellite monitors have been following newsfeeds on the Visnews transponder on Eutelsat II-F1, 12.52 GHz. Unfortunately, this has been scrambled in Videocrypt, to prevent unauthorized access by some broadcasters. However, there is a new satellite uplink from London, Maxat, on the same satellite, at 12.56 GHz. (Roger Bunney in both "What Satellite" and "Shortwave Magazine") CHANNEL AFRICA--The South African Broadcasting Corporation's external services are changing their name to Channel Africa. This includes both Radio RSA and a television service, which begins operations on the Intelsat 605 satellite at 24.5 degrees West on October 1st. This will consist of African news, information, and educational material in English and French, weekdays at 12:00-13:00 hrs for rebroadcast by stations in other parts of Africa. (BBC Monitoring) SATELLITE RADIO: DIGITAL SATELLITE RADIO--A number of international broadcasters are taking part in tests of Digital Satellite Radio (DSR) on Eutelsat II-F3 (16 degrees East). This is a technology developed in Germany that will be replaced when Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) starts in the next couple of years. Transponders 26 (11.078 GHz) and 34A (11.650 GHz) are being used, and among the 8 channels are Voice of America, Radio France International, Deutsche Welle, and BBC World Service. (Peter, DH3HAP) 16 DSR channels in German are already on DFS-I Kopernikus at 23.5 degrees East. (Unlike DAB, DSR cannot be transmitted terrestrially. DIGITAL AUDIO BROADCASTING--The BBC is using the Olympus satellite for DAB tests until the Spring of 1993. ("What Satellite") BBC: BBC EXHIBITION--A new exhibition on the history of the British Broadcasting Corporation has opened at Broadcasting House as part of the celebrations of 70 years of the BBC and 60 years of Broadcasting House. If you're going to be in London, you've got until October 4th to see the exhibition. ("AM/FM" newsletter) SATELLITE TV NEWS CHANNEL--The BBC has confirmed that it is involved in talks with British Sky Broadcasting about a proposed 24 hour BBC TV news service. It's unclear if this means a possible merger with Sky News. (Reuters) RADIO NEWS CHANNEL--The 24 hour news service, Radio 6, is due to begin operations by January 1st on 198 kHz. ("Contact" via "Euronews" newsletter) WORLD SERVICE--BBC World Service radio is to use two former Soviet jamming transmitters in the Far East to reach China. Another transmitter, in Tashkent, will be used to reach South Asia. Broadcasts are to begin by the end of September (presumeably when the new shortwave broadcast period begins on September 27). Ironically, the transmitters in question were previously used to jam the BBC. (Reuters) If you thought World Service radio programming was a bit strange on the morning of Saturday September 5th, the reason is because Bush House was on fire! Everything was under control and normal programming resumed by 07:30 hrs. (Alfredo Cotoneo via Internet News) SHORT AND MEDIUM WAVE: AFGHANISTAN--Radio Afghanistan appears to have made some adjustments to its main domestic service in Pashto and Dari. It continues to broadacast from 01:30-04:30 hrs, but the "second" transmission of the day now starts at 13:30 hrs. Previously Radio Afghanistan had broadcast 07:30-08:30 and 10:30-17:30 hrs. This service is now heard on around 4775 kHz and on 657 kHz. The 4 MHz channel was previously used for the Kabul city local radio service, The 7220 and 1107 kHz frequencies previously used for Radio Afghanistan's main domestic service have not been heard recently. (BBC Monitoring) ALBANIA--Trans World Radio will begin using one of Radio Tirana's powerful medium wave transmitters, beginning October 1st, at 20:30 hrs. (BBC Monitoring) It's unclear if this is one of the half megawatt transmitters on 1215 or 1458 kHz or the megawatt outlet on 1395. BOSNIA--Radio Bosnia-Hercegovina was heard on September 3rd around 7240 kHz in upper side band plus carrier, from tune in at 13:30 hrs until 18:00 hrs. The transmitter remained on the air unmodulated until 21:00 hrs, and no further shortwave relays have been heard. (BBC Monitoring) BURMA/NORWAY--The Democratic Voice of Burma, which broadcasts from a transmitter in Norway. is extendings its broadcasts to 55 minutes in length, beginning September 18th, the 4th anniversary of the military coup in Burma. The program begins at 14:30 hrs on 17840 kHz. (BBC Monitoring) JAPAN/UK--Radio Japan has modified its schedule to Europe from BBC transmitters at Skelton. Unfortunately, English is still going to be carried after midnight local time, but the morning English broadcast at 05:00 hrs is switching to 6085 and 7230 kHz. Russian at 19:30, Japanese at 20:00 hrs, and German at 21:00 hrs will be moving to 6005 kHz, while French at 21:30 hrs will be using 6050 kHz. (Radio Japan) NORWAY--The Norwegian Foreign Ministry has decided to withdraw its funding of Radio Norway International, which currently broadcasts 30 minute programs in English on Saturdays and Sundays. This funding was introduced a couple of years ago, and made it possible for Radio Norway International to expand its English programming from one day a week to two days a week. The rest of the funding has come from the Norwegian National Broadcasting Corporation, which is financed through licence fees. Now, faced with the government cut-back, the corporation says it does not consider it a prime task to broadcast to foreign audiences. So all funding may be cut, and the days of English broadcasts from Norway may be numbered. Listeners who wish to react may write to Radio Norway International or to their local Norwegian embassy. Programming in Norwegian will continue unaffected. (Gundel Krauss-Dahl, Radio Norway International) RUSSIA--Since September 3rd, Ostankino's Mayak radio network news bulletin at 17:00 hrs has been replaced by the daily program of a Japanese religious sect called Aum Shrinrikyo. (BBC Monitoring) UNOFFICIAL RADIO--The Voice of Rebellious Iraq has been observed on a new mediumn wave frequency of 1590 kHz at around 16:30 hrs. However, the station continues to announce 1431 kHz and 6.3 MHz. At 18:30 hrs the station was also heard on 8080 kHz with news in Arabic. It then broadcast in Kurdish until 19:10 hrs. (BBC Monitoring) FUTURE TECHNOLOGY: RBDS--A technology alread used on FM in Europe since 1987 is being introduced to the United States. Radio Data System, or RDS, is being called RBDS in the States. Stations using the system transmit inaudible digital signals along with their usual programming. RDS or RBDS receivers carry small screens for text information, which displays the name of the station. In Europe, RDS is primarily used in car radios, to keep a receiver tuned to one national channel, while driving from city to city. The set automatically switches to a new transmitter when the old one fades out. In America car radios will be able to follow National Public Radio affiliates as the car moves from city to city, for example. The American version does other things as well. It can carry the names of songs being played, sports scores, traffic advisories and the unavoidable commercials. It also allows you to scan for stations playing a set format. (The European system is also supposed to do that, but it doesn't seem to have been introduced yet.) Home receivers, which also don't seem to exist yet in Europe, will have larger display panels, which could allow broadcasters to transmit airline schedules, weather reports, and stock market quotes. A total of 37 manufacturers are expected to offer RBDS in the States next year. (Paul Farhi, Washington Post Service) Thanks to Kauto Huopio for relaying the items from Internet News! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sweden Calling DXers is the world's oldest radio program for shortwave listeners. Radio Sweden has presented this round-up of radio news, features, and interviews on Tuesdays since 1948. Beginning September 27th, Radio Sweden broadcasts to Europe in English on 21:30-22:30 hrs: on medium and shortwave: 1179, 6065 and 9655 kHz via satellite: Astra 1B (19.2 degrees East) channel 26 (Sky Movies Gold/TV Asia/Adult Channel) at 11.597 GHz, audio subcarrier at 7.74 MHz, Tele-X (5 degrees East) (TV4 transponder) at 12.207 GHz, audio subcarrier 7.38 MHz. We're also relay our half hour program at 13:30 hrs on satellite The rest of the Radio Sweden English schedule is (half hour programs): Europe: 23:30 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz Middle East and East Africa: 16:00 hrs 15270 kHz Asia and the Pacific: 13:30 hrs on 15240 and 21625 kHz 21:30-22:30 hrs on 11955 kHz 01:00 hrs on 9695 and 11820 kHz North America: 16:00 hrs on 17870 and 21500 kHz 02:00 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz Contributions can be sent to DX Editor George Wood by fax to +468-667-6283, from Internet, MCI Mail or CompuServe (to the CompuServe mailbox 70247,3516), through the FidoNet system to 2:201/697 or to SM0IIN at the packet radio BBS SM0ETV. Reports can also be sent to: Radio Sweden S-105 10 Stockholm Sweden Contributions should be NEWS about electronic media--from shortwave to satellites--and not loggings of information already available from sources such as the "World Radio TV Handbook". Clubs and DX publications may reprint material as long as Sweden Calling DXers and the original contributor are acknowledged, with the exception of items from BBC Monitoring, which are copyright. We welcome comments and suggestions about the electronic edition, Sweden Calling DXers, and our programs in general. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks to this week's contributors Good Listening!