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:: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS ::
:: from Radio Sweden ::
:: Number 2104--July 24 1990 ::
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Shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden.
This week's bulletin was written George Wood.
Packet Radio BID SCDX2104
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THE WALL--Roger Waters "The Wall" was performed on July 21st at the Berlin
Wall. More that 200,000 crowded into the Potsdamer Platz, and a billion
television viewers around the world watched, which made the event almost as
large as "Live Aid."
SATELLITE-TV--The BBC World Service's long planned international television
service is to go ahead, financed by commercial advertising. The TV service
will be patterned on the 24 hour a day radio World Service, but, at least
initially, will consist of three half hour programs every weekday. While the
BBC programs broadcast in Britain are non-commercial, the new programs will
each contain two advertising breaks. The BBC does carry commercials already,
in the BBC TV Europe service, highlights of the two domestic TV channels
broadcast by satellite to Europe. The BBC turned to commercial advertising
after the Thatcher government refused to provide funding for the project.
(Daily Telegraph via Bradley Allen, England)
The chairman of the Egyptian Radio and Television Federation Board of
Trustees says Egypt will transmit news bulletins in English and French over
the Arabsat A-1 satellite. The Egyptian satellite channel, which begins on
November 1st, will relay selected programs from Egyptian TV channel 2, as
well as the international news bulletins.
The Swiss-based satellite television service European Business Channel has
ended operations after 20 months.
Ariane rocket launches, suspended on February 23rd, are to resume on July
24th. The upcoming mission is to carry into orbit the French TDF-2 and the
West German DFS-Kopernikus-2 satellites. (BBC Monitoring)
TELEVISION--Flat screen television with cinema quality is a step closer to
realization. Japan's state-owned broadcaster, NHK, has displayed a color
plasma screen 80 centimeters across. The Japanese hope to use such screens
for reception of High Definition Television (HDTV). NHK believes that HDTV
will first take off when very large screens, more than 127 centimeters, are
available.
Meanwhile, NHK has also shown the broadcast technology is says will succeed
HDTV: 3-D color. Engineers have demonstrated a prototype color screen 96
centimeters across which shows 3-D images that can be seen without having to
wear special glasses. The screen works on a principle similar to 3-D
postcards; a grill of lenses separates images so that the left and right eyes
see slightly different views. ("New Scientist")
SATELLITE-RADIO--Deutsche Welle has begun a relay via the Astra satellite,
using the transponder of the RTL Plus TV service in German (11.229 GHz). A 24
hour relay of DW's German service is now on the 7.38 MHz audio subcarrier,
while a selection of foreign language services is on 7.56 MHz. According to
the DPA news agency, this service includes transmissions in 13 languages.
(BBC Monitoring)
Deutschlandfunk is already using the Sat 1 transponder on Astra for a 24 hour
relay, along with the West 3 transponder on the DFS 1 Kopernikus satellite.
Altogether, there are now at least 36 satellite radio broadcasts to Europe
using audio subcarriers. Among these are several others well-known from
shortwave, including the BBC World Service (on Eutelsat F4 and Intelsat VA
F11), the Voice of America (Eutselsat F4), and Radio France International (on
TDF-1). (Elektronikvaerlden)
BULGARIA--Updating SCDX-2094, Radio Sofia is now broadcasting in German at:
05:30 hrs on 11720, 15160, and 17825 kHz, and 16:00 and 19:00 hrs on 11660,
11765, and 15330 kHz. (Bernard Krieh, GDR)
CANADA--Due to a time zone change in the Ukraine (see Soviet Union, below),
Radio Canada International has changed the time of its broadcast in Ukrainian
from 14:00 hrs to 14:30 hrs. The English broadcast to Eastern Europe is now
carried at 14:15 hrs (instead of 14:45). Presumeably the French language news
to Europe formerly at 14:30-14:45 is now at 14:00-14:15 hrs. (RCI via BBC
Monitoring)
COSTA RICA--Radio Impacto has been heard again on medium wave 980 kHz.
However, the station has not been heard on its former shortwave frequencies
6150 and 5045 kHz. (BBC Monitoring) This station supported the Contra cause
against the former Nicaraguan government. It's possible that now that the
Contra war is over, the station's backers feel the shortwave presence is no
longer necessary. (DX Editor)
GREECE--Updating SCDX-2072, the Voice of Greece broadcast in English at
15:30-15:40 hrs is now using 17535 kHz. (Arunas Silickas, Lithuania)
Presumeably this replaces 17550 kHz, and 11645 and 15630 remain in parallel.
And this would also apply to Greek at 15:00 and Swedish at 15:40 hrs. (DX
Editor)
INDIA--All India Radio Madurai has changed frequency to 1269 kHz. (S. Moses
Vasanthan, India) Presumeably, this is the transmitter listed on 1215 kHz,
also used for the external service. (DX Editor)
INDONESIA--Radio Citra Wanodya Angkasa is a new station on 1388 kHz. It's
schedule is 22:00-17:00 hrs. Radio Siera Alpha Lima can now be heard on a new
frequency of 702 kHz, a change from 1134. (Aries Subagyo, Indonesia)
LEBANON--Lebanese Radio, which supports the Christian leader General Michael
Awn, has begun regular broadcasts on 1368 kHz. The transmissions are also to
continue on VHF-FM, to which further frequencies are to be added to cover
more of Lebanon. (BBC Monitoring)
NEW ZEALAND--Radio New Zealand International is now broadcasting: weekdays
17:45-22:05 hrs on 15485 kHz, and 22:05-07:10 hrs on 17675 kHz. The
transmission at 22:05-00:00 hrs can also be heard on Sundays. There are also
broadcasts Saturdays at 00:00-06:45 hrs on 17675 kHz and 06:45-11:00 hrs on
9855 kHz; and Sundays at 02:00-08:00 hrs on 17675 kHz and 18:45-22:05 hrs on
15485.
Programs are primarily for listeners in the Pacific. This schedule includes 6
hours of relays from the domestic National Radio weekdays. There is a Mailbox
program for shortwave listeners and DXers on the first and third Mondays of
the month at 04:30 hrs, repeated the following Friday at 19:05. (Radio New
Zealand International via Arthur Cushen and Ivor Hainge, England)
NICARAGUA--The public employees strike in Nicaragua has ended, but it led to
some heavy confrontations at several radio stations. BBC Monitoring has
written a nice summary of the controversy. When the Chomorro government took
power, the Voice of Nicaragua was renamed Radio Nicaragua, and it seems to be
closely following the government line. On July 9th, Radio Nicaragua was
referring to the strikers who erected barricades in the streets as
"irresponsible citizens."
A few hours later, the same day, students took over the station, calling for
more university autonomy and an immediate re-evaluation of the university
budget. The students were evicted by the police within two hours. At the same
time the pro-government Radio Corporacion was surrounded by people the
station claimed were members of the police and the Sandinist People's Army in
civilian clothing. Radio Corporacion went off the air for a while. According
to another report, two other stations, Radio Tiempo, and the Catholic
Church's Radio Catolica, also left the air.
On July 11th a bomb blew up the transmitter of Radio Corporaction. They
stayed on the air by switching to the transmitter of Radio Minuto on 1500
kHz. Meanwhile striking employees occupied the studios of the state
television service, Sistema Nacional de Television. The station went off the
air due to a damaged transmitter. The director of the national television
blamed the workers, while a union leader claimed the damage was due to normal
operation problems. (BBC Monitoring)
POLAND--The Polish Radio Home Service has been reorganized. Regional programs
are now on FM for 12 hrs, with one hour of the BBC Polish service carried at
20:00 hrs. 15 minutes of news from Vatican Radio is broadcast on 225 kHz at
14:55 hrs. (Zajac Wojciech, Poland)
ROMANIA--Radio Romania (formerly Radio Bucharest) is now broadcasting in
Russian at 18:30-19:00 hrs on 9625 kHz. ((Arunas Silickas)
TURKEY--The Voice of Turkey was to begin test transmissions for a new tourist
service on July 9th. The broadcasts are in FM stereo with the continuity
announcing in English, and news in English, French, and German. The programs
are daily at 04:30 to 09:45 and 15:30 until 19:00 hrs, on FM transmitters in
Izmir, Antalya, Kusadasi, and Pamukkale. (BBC Monitoring)
The Voice of Turkey plans is to add 5 new 500 kW shortwave transmitters. The
first of the new 500 kW units is to be ready for broadcast in March, 1991.
All 5 units are to be installed within 15 months. They would be followed in
the near future by 5 more transmitters, each 250 kW in power. (TRT letter to
George Poppin, USA)
USSR--Europe Plus Moscow is a Soviet-French commercial venture, broadcasting
on 1116 kHz medium wave. Programs are light music and cultural news broadcast
daily 15:00-21:00 hrs. The station has a coverage radius of up to 200 km
around Moscow. (BBC Montoring)
Radio Tallinn in Estonia broadcast a 10 day summer service for tourists
between June 22nd and July 1st on 68 MHz VHF-FM. The broadcasts alternated
between Finnish, English, and Russian.
Following the declaration of sovereignty, the Ukraine has changed its time
zone from Moscow's UTC plus 4 to UTC plus 3. Presumeably domestic broadcasts
from Kiev are no one hour later with respect to UTC. (BBC Monitoring)
VIETNAM--The Voice of Vietnam is broadcasting in Indonesian at 14:30 hrs on
9840 and 12035 kHz. (Aries Subagyo)
PUBLICATIONS--Arthur Cushen has updated his "Radio Listeners Guide" from 1988
into a new 1990 edition. The new edition includes coverage of New Zealand's
new shortwave service, Printer Disabled Radio, New Zealand and Australian
medium wave stations revisited, and updated information on sunspots, jamming,
world time, and pirate radio.
This 116 page book (in A4 format) for USD 18 (from Gilfer Shortwave, Box 239,
Park Ridge, NJ 07656, USA), or 22 Australian dollars or 24.20 New Zealand
dollrs (from Arthur Cushen Publications, 212 Earn St., Invercargill, New
Zealand).
DXers trying to identify a new station often must determine what language
that station is broadcasting in, and if possible, must understand at least a
few phrases. The Ontario DX Association has produced a Foreign Language
Recognition Course cassette for this purpose. The 90 minute language course
was originally produced and broadcast by Radio Canada International. It
consists of 55 different languages, with comments by the noted language
expert and DXer Dr. Richard E. Wood.
The tape is available in Canada for 6 Canadian dollars; in the United States
for USD 5; and in other countries for USD 6, 7 Canadian dollars, or 9 IRCs,
from Ontario DX Association, Box 161, Station A, Willowdale, Ontario M2N 5S8,
Canada.
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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 21500 kHz
02:30 hrs on 11705 and 15295 kHz
To Europe, Africa, and the Middle East:
15:30 hrs on 21655 kHz (East Africa and Middle East)
17:00 hrs on 1179, 6065, and 9615 kHz
21:00 hrs on 1179, 9655 and 11705 kHz
23:00 hrs on 1179 kHz
22:30 hrs on 1179 kHz
And to Asia and the Pacific:
11:30 hrs on 17740, 21570, and 21610 kHz
14:00 hrs on 17740 and 21610 kHz
01:00 hrs on 15405 and 17860 kHz
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.
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Thanks to 41 contributors this week Good listening!
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