:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS ::
:: from Radio Sweden ::
:: Number 2074--Dec. 19 1989 ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden.
This week's bulletin was written by Agnes Carbon.
Electronic Edition edited by George Wood.
Packet Radio BID SCDX2074
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SATELLITE--A Scandinavian-based broadcaster called Nordic Channel has been
having problems. Swedish Telecom has been renting them a channel on the ECS-1
satellite. But ECS-1 is running out of fuel, and can't maintain a stable
orbit anymore, at least stable enough for the dishes at cable systems. So
Telecom suddenly announced a few days ahead of time, that Nordic Channel
would be losing its transponder as of December 13th.
Tension was high for a few days, with Nordic Channel threatening to sue
Telecom. But at the 11th hour, Nordic Channel succeeded in finding a new spot
on the ECS-4 satellite. They can now be found on FilmNet's transponder 9,
which is 11.140 GHz. (TT and Andre Renard, France)
Meanwhile, the Astra satellite has finally attracted some German channels,
from ECS-4, in fact. RTL Plus, Sat 1, Teleclub, and Pro 7 have now booked
Astra's free channels, filling out all 16 transponders. (Andre Renard)
The lift off of the space shuttle Columbia has been delayed until January
8th at the earliest. Last week we reported on satellite-TV relays of the
shuttle missions. Sound from the shuttle is also being relayed on
amateur radio around the world by the amateur radio club at the Goddard Space
Flight Center. Look for the coverage on 3860, 7185, 14295, 21395, and 28650
kHz, in SSB.
There will also be a relay from the Oscar-13 amateur radio satellite on
145.945 or 145.955 MHz. Mission audio will also be relayed in the amateur
radio 2 meter band above 144 MHz at many places in the United States. (Kauto
Huopio, Finland)
Glasnost is having an effect on American-Soviet relations in communications.
Last month direct telephone dialling opened from the West to the USSR. Now,
ATT, which handles close to 90% of international telephone calls in the
United States, is proposing to use a Soviet satellite network to try to
triple telecommunications traffic between the two countries.
If approved by the American FCC, the plan would route US-Soviet telephone
calls, data transmissions, and video services onto the Intersputnik satellite
system for the first time. (AP)
AUSTRIA--According to Czech radio, ORF has a special 5 minute program in
Czech every hour on FM and on MW 585 and 858 kHz and from 17:00 on 1446 kHz.
(Lubomir Stejskal, Czechoslovakia)
CANADA--Radio Canada International is going to start a new Middle East
service on 1st April, 1990. This seems to be in addition to the service
started last April using the facilties of Radio Austria International. RCI is
talking with Deutsche Welle about another site and with Radio Monte Carlo to
have access to their mediumwave transmitter on Cyprus. (RCI's "Short Wave
Listeners' Digest" via BBC Monitoring)
CHINA--Radio Beijing in English has introduced some changes to West and North
Africa at 19:00-20:00 on 5975 and 6955 kHz and at 20:00-21.00 on 11715 and
15110 kHz via a relay in Mali. Still in English to South East Asia, at
12:00-13:00 9530 kHz is now 11890 kHz. (Yukimasa Matsushita, Japan)
COSTA RICA--Radio For Peace International can be heard in English daily at
07:00 on 7375 kHz USB (?), a frequency that is usually used later (according
to SCDX-2049 on weekdays at 15:00-19:00). (Maarten van Delft, Netherlands)
CZECHOSLOVAKIA--The opposition movement "Civic Forum" has started its own
programme in Czech on the national radio channel Hvezda. It's on the air
every day at 06:30-07:00 and 18:00-19:00. Among frequencies used are 272,
1233, and 1521 kHz.
This follows the appointment of a new director general of Czechoslovak
Radio, 42 year old Karel Stary. He was recently interviewed on the air
together with a Civic Forum spokesman, with whom he seemed to be very much in
agreement. And when asked by a Radio Prague reporter about the future of the
station, Stary praised both the BBC World Service and Radio France
International. (Lubomir Stejskal, Czechoslovakia and BBC Monitoring)
GUAM--Updating SCDX-2067, KHBN High Adventure Ministry is scheduled now to
operate on 9840 kHz in Cantonese at 10:00-16:00 and 20:00-00:00. (Arthur
Cushen's DX World, New Zealand)
HAITI--Radio 4VEH has been heard on 4930 kHz between 21:30 and 22:30 hrs
(sign-off) on weekdays and until 23:00 on weekdays. This station broadcasts
mainly music and religious programs produced by Trans World Radio. (Peter
Milczyn, Canada)
ICELAND--Updating-SCDX 2073, Rikisutvarpid, the Icelandic State Broadcasting
Service was heard on the unannounced frequency of 17440 kHz at 19:35-20:10.
The language is Icelandic. (Arthur Cushen's DX World)
NETHERLANDS--Radio Netherlands is now using 11890 kHz at 10:30-11:25 on
English to Australia replacing 9505 kHz. The earlier transmision is still on
9630 and 15560 kHz at 07:30-08:25. (Arthur Cushen's DX World)
NEW ZEALAND--Radio New Zealand International indicates that up to March 3rd
they will be using the same frequencies and schedule when the 100 kW
transmitter is introduced, while the 7.5kW unit will continue on the
alternative frequency. The schedule: at 17:30-20:05 on 15485 and 17730 kHz,
at 22:45-00:45 on 15485 and 17705 kHz, at 02:30-06:30 on 15485 and 17705 kHz,
at 08:00-11:05 on 9850 and 11780 kHz. On weekends at 00:45-02:30 on 15485 and
17705 kHz.
2XA Print Disabled Radio in Levin has been assigned the frequency of 3935 kHz
for its shortwave operation. An expansion of hours is anticipated on 1602 and
3935 kHz in 1990 (21:00-11:00) Their address : PO Box 360.
For MW DXers in the region 1YT Taupo National Radio is now on 1494 kHz having
moved from 1314 when it was synchronized with 2YW Gisborne. Radio Rhema 2XC
Gisborne will use 648 kHz when it opens in 1990. (Arthur Cushen's DX World)
OMAN--Radio Oman has extended its transmissions on 9735 kHz until 22:00 but
is interfered with by Radio Baghdad in Arabic from 21:00. Radio Oman's other
frequency 11890 kHz is weaker and interfered with by REE in Arabic at 21:00
as well. (Gerhard Werdin, West Germany)
PHILIPPINES--Radio Veritas Asia opens at 10:00 on 11740 kHz with Asian
languages and was heard at 15:50 on 9540 khz with sign-off on the same
transmission. (Arthur Cushen's DX World)
POLAND/UK/USA--Updating SCDX 2062, according to an announcement made by the
Head of the BBC Polish language service, negotiations have recently been
successfully concluded for the re-broadcasting via satellite of the whole of
the BBC's Polish service on FM and medium-wave stations in Poland. (Paul
Kennett, England)
The Polish section of the Voice of America and Polish Radio broadcast their
second joint program on Polish-American economic relations on December 4th.
VOA director Richard Carlson has announced the opening of a VOA bureau in
Warsaw, the first of its kind in Eastern Europe. (BBC Monitoring)
UNITED KINGDOM--From the 1st of January, the BBC broadcasts in Spanish to
South America will be at 00:00-02:00 and 03:00-04:00 on 5875 kHz and at
01:00-02:00 on 11820 kHz. Portuguese will be at 01:15-02:00 on 6005 and 11820
kHz. (Harry Niebuhr, West Germany)
USA--Updating SCDX-2048, WYFR Family Radio new schedule in English is: To
Canada, at 00:00-03:00 on 15440 kHz, at 10:00-17:00 on 5950, at 15:00-23:00
on 15215 kHz. To Europe and Africa at 12:00-17:00 on 11830, 13695 and 17845
kHz, at 00:00-05:00 on 5985 and 9505 kHz, at 05:00-06:00 on 11580, 13695,
15566 kHz, at 16:00-17:00 on 15566, 21615, 21525 kHz, at 17:00-19:00 on 17750
kHz, at 19:00-21:00 on 15566, at 20:00-22:00 on 1355, 9455, 17612.5 and 21525
kHz and 22:00-23:00 hrs on 17612.5 and 21544 kHz. (Erich Bergmann, Romania)
WRNO in New Orleans has dropped 11965 kHz at 16:00. 15420 kHz is now used at
16:00-00:00, then they switch to 7355 kHz. At 05:00-06:00 on 6185 kHz. (Joel
M. Rubin, USA)
UNOFFICIAL RADIO--We mentioned recently that the Khmer Rouge Voice of
Democratic Kampuchea has not been hearad since the Tienanmen Square
demonstrations were put down, since the Chinese needed the transmitters for
jamming after the massacre. Mike Fern writes that the station returned in
September, and says that he and Bruce MacGibbon have heard the station.
The current schedule is apparently 04:00-05:00 hrs on 15110 and 17860 kHz;
09:00-10:00 hrs on 8345, 11780, and 11870 kHz; 13:00-14:00 hrs on 6025, 6810,
and 9440 kHz; and 23:30 to midnight 30 hrs on 7350, 8345, and 9440 kHz. (Mike
Fern, USA and "Monitoring Times")
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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. RS broadcasts to North America:
15:30 hrs on 17880 and 21610 kHz
02:30 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz
To Europe, Africa, and the Middle East:
15:30 hrs on 21655 kHz (East Africa)
18:00 hrs on 1179, 6065, and 7265 kHz
21:00 hrs on 1179, 9655 and 11705 kHz
23:00 hrs on 1179 kHz
00:00 hrs on 1179 kHz
And to Asia and the Pacific:
12:30 hrs on 15190, 17740, and 21570 kHz
14:00 hrs on 11905 and 17740 kHz
01:00 hrs on 7225 and 11760 kHz
The Radio Sweden schedule to Europe can be found on Sky Channel's teletext
Service, Sky Text, on page 496.
The Electronic Edition is based on the Sweden Calling DXers bulletins
which are mailed out every 4 weeks to contributors. Contributions can be sent
to DX Editor George Wood to Swedish telex 11738, CompuServe (via the HamNet
Forum or Easyplex 70247,3516), through the FidoNet system to 2:202/297 or to
SM0IIN at the packet radio BBS SK0TM.
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 22 contributors this week Good Listening!