From news.cs.tut.fi!news.funet.fi!news.tele.fi!uunet!destroyer!cs.ubc.ca!alberta!adec23!usenet Wed Jun 16 12:08:20 EET DST 1993 Article: 1328 of rec.radio.info Path: news.cs.tut.fi!news.funet.fi!news.tele.fi!uunet!destroyer!cs.ubc.ca!alberta!adec23!usenet From: 70247.3516@CompuServe.COM (George Wood) Newsgroups: rec.radio.info Followup-To: rec.radio.shortwave Subject: SCDX 2180 Message-ID: <$scdx2180@ampr.org> References: <930608124815_70247.3516_EHB31-1@CompuServe.COM> Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1993 15:48:15 +0300 Organization: Finnish University & Research Network Lines: 356 Approved: rec-radio-info@ve6mgs.ampr.ab.ca ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: MediaScan :: :: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS :: :: from Radio Sweden :: :: Number 2180--June 8, 1993 :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Satellite, shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden. This week's bulletin was written by George Wood. Packet Radio BID SCDX2180 All times UTC unless otherwise noted. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Because of the delay in writing this edition, due to the EDXC meeting, number 2181 will be uploaded on June 15th. NORDIC MEDIA NEWS: SWEDEN--When the Swedish Radio board meets on June 14th, they're expected to confirm that our services in Spanish and French will be going off the air, as of the first week of July. In addition, most of our own programming in Swedish will be gradually replaced by relays from Swedish radio's domestic service. This is because the Swedish Parliament has voted to cut our operating budget next year by a third, two million dollars. They'll be some changes in our English schedule as a result. Instead of the 21:00 hrs broadcast, we'll be on to Europe at 20:30 on 1179, 6065, and 9655 kHz, and 21:30 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz. Both transmissions will also be on satellite. In addition, there will be a new broadcast at 16:15-16:45 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz, as well as satellite. We should have the exact date of the change next week. Meanwhile, there's a new addition to our Stockholm International FM transmitter on 89.6 MHz. There's now an hour of BBC World Service relayed there daily at 6:00 AM local time. FINLAND--The Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE, has suspended broadcasts from its longwave transmmitter in Lahti, north of Helsinki, on 252 kHz. The Lahti longwave station first went on the air on 1928. Since the 1970's it's been used to relay the external service Radio Finland only. Radio Finland will continue to be heard on medium wave 558 and 963 kHz, as well as shortwave, and most recently, on the Eutelsat II-F1 satellite, on the Deutsche Welle transponder. (BBC Monitoring) NORWAY--There's some unusual activity on Norway's Thor satellite at 1 degree West, on 12.092 GHz. While the picture is a plain color bar, sometimes there's some audio, such as an interview in Spanish and sound from the recent Norway-England soccer match. (Kauto Huopio, Finland) This seems to be in D-MAC. (DX Editor) Meanwhile, Britain's highly successful Pace satellite receiver manufacturer has joined forces with Norway's Tandberg AS company to market the Cryptovision pay TV system. According to a press release, the encryption system will work for cable, satellite direct to home, and terrestrial broadcasting. Pace is coming out with a line of integrated receivers and decoders. (Pace) EUROPEAN MEDIA NEWS: ASTRA--We're still waiting to see how things are going with the new Astra 1C satellite. By now it should be close to its final position alongside the other two Astra satellites at 19.2 degrees East. The satellite, with 18 new transponders, is to be fully operational by the end of the month. Many people, including James Robinson and Thomas Bergstam, say there's been a test card on around 10.940 GHz, which is just below the coverage band of ordinary satellite receivers, telling people not to use that particular signal to align their dishes, presumeably because the satellite isn't in its final position yet. Transponder 63, at 10.920 GHz, is to be the Dutch RTL 5 channel. (James Robinson) The other unusual transponder on Astra 1C, number 64, is on 10.935 GHz. These two are out of range for ordinary satellite receivers, and are intended for cable systems only. Earlier reports suggested that one would be used by FilmNet. British Sky Broadcasting is due to encode all its channels from October 1st, with a new pricing plan, including a number of other services moving to Astra 1C. This means that non-British viewers would lose access to a number of currently freely available channels, including Sky One and Sky News. BSkyB is reportedly talking to FilmNet about a package for northern Europe, including Sky News, Children's Channel, and Discovery. ("Cable World" via Martyn Williams) Another new Astra 1C channel, Turner Television's Cartoon Network/TNT combination, is set to start on September 17th. ("Cable World") American evangelist Pat Robertson's Family Channel, due to launch on Astra 1C in September, is to share a transponder on the new satellite with the Children's Channel. ("Sky Guide") Plans to launch a European version of Paramount/MCA's USA Network have encountered difficulties in a programming rights dispute. Paramount's international program sales division is thought to be concerned at releasing films and television series for screening on the new channel, since it could breach existing program sales agreements made with other European broadcasters. ("Sky Guide") This channel was also rumored to be included on Astra 1C, along with Paramount/MCA's Science Fiction Channel. RADIO--There's a new radio station on Astra, something called Retail FM on the Sky Movies Plus transponder, audio 7.92 MHz. (James Robinson) It seems to play a strange mix of classic rock and easy listening music, with few, if any, IDs. Trans World Radio has appeared on satellite, booking time for English and German on Quality Europe FM, also on the Sky Movies Plus transponder, audio 7.38 and 7.56 MHz. (BBC Monitoring) RUSSIA--Radio Moscow has resumed its Nepali service, at 12:45-13:00 hrs on 15510, 15590, 17755, and 21585 kHz. (BBC Monitoring) EDXC 93: And now it's time to move from chilly northern Europe to the sunny skies and palm trees of the Canary Islands, and this year's meeting of the Europe DX Council, held for the first time outside Europe. The EDXC, as it's known, brings together the clubs for shortwave listeners in Europe. There are always a number of broadcasters on hand as well, so the gathering represents a unique opportunity for program-makers and program-listeners to get together. The tourist season in the Canaries is during the European winter, when hundreds of thousands of vacationers flee the cold of northern Europe for the sun. This isn't the season, and most of the the cheap charter flights are no longer flying. The Canaries are a long way off, and you can't drive there in your car. Which may explain why less people than usual came this year. Where an average EDXC conference attracts between 150 and 200 participants from most of the countries of Western Europe, and a few from the East, this year there were around 50 people total, of which only 20 were from outside the Canaries. That's too bad, because the conference was well-run and interesting, and the food and the weather were great. The local club AER Canarias, which organized the conference, made extensive use of the modern facilties of the University of Las Palmas. While English is the language of the EDXC, most of the people at the meeting spoke only Spanish. So extensive use was made of simultaneous translation equipment, and a talented interpreter. All of the lectures were in Spanish. On Saturday May 29th, industrial engineer Jose Miguel Navarro Garcia spoke about how radio propagation works. He was followed by the local Sony representative, who spoke briefly about his company's products, announced that it's better to have a good antenna and a bad receiver than a bad antenna and a good receiver, and then spoke enthusiastically, and at length, about Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Antennas. That was the part for shortwave listeners. The day before was satellite day, revealing the extent that satellites are encroaching on the shortwave hobby. The head of the school of telecommunications and engineering at the university spoke about the extensive use of satellite communications in the Canaries, and another engineer talked about how Spanish universities are using the Olympus direct broadcast satellite to link up for interactive classes in telecommunications. The high point of the day was a visit to the southern shores of the island, not to the tourist beaches at Playa de Engles, but rather to the nearby Maspalomas satellite station, which monitors weather and earth resources satellites, and is a control station for the Eureca scientific satellite. There was also a workshop on satellites and DXing, where those of us broadcasters who are on satellite shared our experiences. At the same time, the Spanish listeners were in a meeting that produced a manifesto calling on stations not to cut back on languages like Spanish and French. (Such as Radio Sweden has been compelled to do.) All in all, it was a very interesting gathering. For those of you who missed it, there's always next year, when the meeting will be in a somewhat more accessible location, the French capital Paris. The 1995 EDXC conference will be in Denmark, and the 1996 in Florence, Italy. There's always some news announced every year at the EDXC meeting. Deutsche Welle is going through some major changes, as we were told by their representive, Waldemar Kraemer. WALDEMAR KRAEMER: At the beginning of July we will take over the foreign languages programs of Deutschlandfunk (who will merge with RIAS radio and become a solely domestic broadcaster). We'll take about 500 people from DLF, but we will have to reduce the number of transmissions, and close some language services. RADIO SWEDEN: Traditionally Deutschlandfunk has broadcast to Europe and Deutsche Welle to the rest of the world. In the future DW will have programming to Europe then? WK: Yes and no. When we take over the programs from DLF, we won't be keeping all the language services. Since we have such good contact with many countries in Europe, there's no need to broadcast to those countries, such as the Netherlands, France, and Denmark, for example. But I can't say which languages we will continue to use in the future, and which will be discontinued. RS: On the other hand, Deutsche Welle has been expanding tremendously in the world of television. You're turning into a global TV broadcaster, making extensive use of satellites. WK: Yes, we started in 1990 with satellite radio, with subcarriers on Astra and Eutelsat. Then in 1992 we started our TV programs on Eutelsat, and since November we're been using Intelsat-K and Satcom C-4 to reach North America. At the moment we have 14 hours of television daily, and this will expand to 16 hours a day on the 1st of July. In the middle or end of 1994 we'll begin broadcasting television programs on Asiasat-2, and we'll then cover the world from Eastern Europe to East Asia. There are plans to reach Africa as well. Currently we can be seen for two hours a day in North Africa, using transponders leased by the American WorldNet. Speaking of Deutsche Welle's plans to broadcast over Asiasat, another participant at the EDXC meeting, Henry Lee of Taiwan's Voice of Free China, announced that within the next couple of years they would be coming to Europe via satellite, through the help of Deutsche Welle. PUBLICATIONS--The EDXC conference also sees the annual launch of two very interesting booklets for the shortwave listener from the Danish Shortwave Clubs International. The "Tropical Bands Survey" lists all the active broadcasting stations between 2 and 5.9 MHz, by frequency, and including location and transmission hours. The "Clandestine Stations List" contains the latest on all active clandestine stations on shortwave, including schedule, political organization, language, and address. Both are very useful tools for shortwave hobbyists. The Clandestine list is available for 7 International Reply Coupons, the "Tropical Bands Survey" for 9 IRCs, from: DSWCI, c/o Bent Nielsen, Betty Nansens Alle 49, DK-2000 Fredriksberg, Denmark. NORTH AMERICAN MEDIA NEWS: CBS--CBS has removed its full time feeds from Telstar 301 and moved them to Galaxy 7. The network is in the process of moving feeds to newer higher- powered satellites. The feeds currently on Telstar 302 will move to Galaxy 4 when it is launched. ("Sat News") GALAXY 4--The launch of Ariane mission 57 from French Guiana, originally scheduled for June 9, has been delayed approximately two weeks. Ariane will be carrying the new American Galaxy 4 satellite. (AFP) This is to share 99 degrees West with Galaxy 6, with 24 C-band transponders, and 24 Ku-band transponders. Programmers are to include CBS, Warner Brothers, and Worldvision Enterprises. DIRECTV--Columbia Tristar has signed an agreement to provide Hughes' coming DBS service DirecTV with films for a Pay-Per-View service immediately after video store distribution. Around 50 PPV films will be carried on the 150 channel system once launched. Turner Broadcasting has also signed an agreement with DirecTV for it to carry CNN, Headline News, The Cartoon Network, Superstation TBS, and TNT channels. Other broadcasters signed up include Country Music Television and The Family Channel. ("Sat News") The first DirecTV satellite is to be launched at the end of the year. KGAY--The Gay and Lesbian radio channel KGAY has returned to the satellite airwaves. KGAY is now found on Galaxy 3, transponder 22, audio 8.20 MHz. ("Sat News") DX DAILY--Glenn Hauser's "DX Daily" program on WHRI has gone off the air. In his last program, on June 5th, Glenn said there was a lack of funds to keep the program going, possibly due to the waning interest in shortwave during the summer months. He may bring back "DX Daily" in the Fall. The weekly "World of Radio" program continues. (Paul McDonough on Internet News, via Kauto Huopio) AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EAST MEDIA NEWS: ALGERIA--Algeria will be launching a new satellite service next year. It will be receivable in the Maghreb and Europe. (BBC Monitoring) Presumeably this will be via a Eutelsat satellite, following the lead of Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco. IRAQ--Iraq is to launch the Iraq International Television station during the last quarter of this year. Broadcasts are to be to Europe and North Africa on Eutelsat and to the Middle East on Arabsat and another satellite known as "al-Jisr". (BBC Monitoring) SOMALIA--Six months after arriving in Somalia,. the remaining US soldiers there will be receiving Armed Forces Radio and Television soon. US Air Force Major Ron Paciello says that one TV station and two radio stations should begin operating by the beginning of July off satellite feeds from the Armed Forces Network in Frankfurt, Germany. Coverage will be limited to Mogadishu. (AP) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Radio Sweden broadcasts in English: Europe and Africa: 17:30 hrs on 1179, 6065, and 9645 kHz 21:00 hrs on 1179, 6065 and 9655 kHz and 22:30 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz Middle East and East Africa: 15:00 hrs on 15190 kHz and 17:30 hrs on 15270 kHz Asia and the Pacific: 12:30 hrs on 15240 and 21500 kHz 22:30 hrs on 11910 kHz and 01:00 hrs on 9695 and 11820 kHz To North America: 15:00 hrs on 15240 and 21500 kHz and 02:00 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz The broadcasts at 12:30, 17:30, 21:00, and 22:30 hrs are also relayed to Europe by satellite: Astra 1B (19.2 degrees East) transponder 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. 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 MediaScan/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!