From: xberri@arecibo.aero.org (Jason E. Berri)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave
Subject: SCDX 2130
Date: 23 Apr 91 07:08:51 GMT
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation
-Message-Text-Follows-
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:: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS ::
:: from Radio Sweden ::
:: Number 2130--Apr. 16, 1991 ::
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Shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden.
This week's bulletin was written by George Wood.
Packet Radio BID SCDX2130
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SWEDEN--For budget reasons, Radio Sweden is closing its mailing address in
India. In the future, South Asian listeners should write to us directly here
in Stockholm.
Please note that our FidoNet node is now: 2:201/697. Please use it...and we
regret problems caused in trying to reach our old number. Packet radio
messages can be sent to SM0IIN @ SM0ETV.
SATELLITE RADIO--Radio Swoboda has appeared on the Eutelsat 2-F1 satellite
(13 degrees East), on the TV transponder on 11.055 GHz, using the 7.38 MHz
audio subcarrier. This is Radio Liberty, the sister station of Radio Free
Europe, broadcasting from Munich, Germany. (Peter, DH2HAP, in Germany and
Tom, PA3ENJ, in the Netherlands)
Norwegian Radio has appeared on the Intelsat 5A-F12 satellite (1 degree
West). This is on the TV transponder on 10.969 GHz, using the 7.20 MHz audio
subcarrier. (Tommy Nielsen, Denmark, and Thomas Bergstam, Sweden)
We reported last time that Radio Caroline has been heard on the 7.56 MHz
audio subcarrier on the Lifestyle transponder on Astra 1A. Robin Clark
reports that this is carried for 4 hours a day only, 09:00-13:00 hrs,
followed by continuous pop music until 16:00 hrs when Radio Nova is carried
on both the 7.38 and 7.56 MHz subcarriers until 17:00 hrs. At that point
Radio Nova carries religious programs on 7.38 Mhz, while "Club Music" is
carried on 7.56 MHz.
EUROPEAN SATELLITE-TV--The story last time about the new Astra 1B satellite
being in technical trouble was apparently an April Fool's joke (in bad taste,
we think), but European satellite TV monitors are still waiting for the
announcement of the allocation of all 16 transponders on the new satellite.
Programming began officially Monday, with the previously announced German
channels Premiere on 11.464 GHz, ARD 1 Plus on 11.494, and Tele 5 on 11.523
GHz. One English language channel from BSB has begun as expected, The Movie
Channel on 11.479 GHz. According to BSB, due to technical problems, Sky
Sports on 11.567 GHz will begin broadcasts on April 30th.
More English channels are said to be coming on 11.508 and 11.538 GHz, but
this is unconfirmed, as is a report that transponders have been leased to
Japanese Satellite Television.
Scansat has confirmed to us that they will have two transponders. One will
relay the Danish version of TV3, which is currently carried on Intelsat VI-F4
(27.5 degrees West). The other will carry the same Swedish TV3 that is on
Astra 1A, but with more commercials aimed at Norway. TV3 is also switching
from Softscrambling to Eurocrypt later this year. (BSB; Scansat; Jan
Johansson, Sweden; Nigel, G0NGL, England; and Guruka Singh Khalsa, via
CompuServe)
April 15th was also the official launch of BBC World Service Television. This
took over the already existing BBC TV Europe. The only apparent difference,
besides the special newscast at 18:00 hrs that began last month, is the
introduction of English language instruction programs, and a BBC logo in the
upper right corner of the screen.
Maxwell Communications and France's FCR (a unit of French Telecom) say they
are forming a joint satellite services company to serve the "expanding
European market". The primary target will be to provide transmission
services for broadcasters. The compnay, to be known as Maxwell Satellites
Communications Limited, plans to build its own teleport (satellite uplink
station) in Britain, and will be using its own satellite transponders. (Dow
Jones)
In response to Joaquin de Prada's questions last time, Paul Youngs tells us
that the British DX Club journal "Communication" has a bimonthly page of
satellite news. (Their address is: 54 Birkhall Road, Catford, London SE6 1TE,
England.) And the excellent British magazine for shortwave listeners and
scanner monitors, "Short Wave Magazine" now regularly carries several
satellite columns, including "Satellite News", "DXTV Round-Up", and "Info in
Orbit".
As far as computer bulletin boards, Paul says there is one in Scotland which
has a satellite TV and communications section. It's called Buzby's Grapevine,
and the phone number is +44-41-762-2000. (Paul Youngs, Scotland)
NORTH AMERICAN SATELLITE-TV--An Ariane rocket carried Canada's new Anik E2
satellite intro orbit April 4th, but there are problems. The world's most
powerful domestic communications satellite, it's designed to provide
television to remote parts of Canada. Anik E2 is to be positioned at 111.1
degrees West. Like Anik E1, the new satellite carries 40 C-Band (4 GHz) and
16 Ku-Band (12 GHz) transponders. However, Telesat Canada says it has been
unable to deploy the antennas on Anik E2. Unless they're successful, the
satellite may become 300 million dollars worth of space junk. (Reuters)
SPACE SHUTTLE--The recent 6 day flight of the American space shuttle Atlantis
included extensive amateur radio activities (known as SAREX--Shuttle Amateur
Radio Experiment), as all 5 crew members were licensed radio amateurs. The
mission marked the 10th anniversary of shuttle flights and the 30th
anniversary of the first human in space, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
The shuttle crew tried to set a space first by contacting the Soviet space
station MIR using amateur radio. They got close enough to MIR to see it
glowing in the sky, and heard the Soviets speaking to them, but were unable
to complete two day contact.
However, there were many contacts with radio amateurs on the ground,
including special sessions with school children, to answer their questions
about space. The astronauts were also successful in transmitting slow scan
television pictures to viewers on Earth, but were unable to receive pictures.
The shuttle was able to transmit some packet radio beacons, but due to a
technical fault, no packet radio contacts were possible. (Gerry Creager,
SAREX Operations)
ARAB BROADCASTING--Writing in the March issue of "International Broadcasting"
magazine, James Wood examines the broadcasting power of the Arab world. He
says "the modern Arab world has taken to the use of powerful radio stations
as a media tool, on a scale which has left the West far behind." James Wood
points out that Arab countries purchased fourteen 2000 kW medium and long
wave broadcast transmitters between 1979 and 1986. Between 1977 and 1990,
Islamic Middle East countries bought no less than fifty 500 kW shortwave
transmitters.
Before the Gulf War, Iraq had eighteen 500 kW transmitters, and Kuwait eight.
James Wood points out that when Iraq took over Kuwait, Saddam Hussein had
more broadcasting power at his disposal than either the BBC or the VOA.
("International Broadcasting" magazine)
BHUTAN--The Bhutan Broadcasting Service inaugurated its long-planned new 50
kW shortwave transmitter in early March. It is now broadcasting on 5025 kHz,
in local languages at 11:00-14:15 hrs and in English at 14:15-15:00 hrs.
(Jose Jacob and Victor Goonetilleke in "UADX Newsletter")
CANADA--The staff at Radio Canada International, facing massive lay-offs, the
cutting of half the language services, and replacement of English and French
with domestic service programming, have sent a letter to Prime Minister Brian
Mulroney, calling on him to restore full funding to RCI. The RCI staffers,
through their union, say "the Mulroney government has decided to turn away
from RCI's mandate to speak to the world, and turn it into a relay station
for domestic programming."
They are asking for help and support. The address is: Coalition to Restore
Full RCI Funding, c/o SCFP Local 675, 1250, de la Visitation, Montreal,
Quebec H2L 3B4, Canada.
GUAM--Adventist World Radio-Asia has extended its weekend programming, to
include broadcasts in Russian and Swahili. Russian now airs daily at 10:00
hrs and weekends at 19:00 hrs. Swahili is broadcast weekends at 18:00 hrs.
The frequencies for all these broadcasts is 13720 kHz. (AWR-Asia)
IRAQ--Iraqi Radio has resumed broadcasts in the Kurdish language. News in
Kurdish has been heard at 05:10 hrs on 7350 kHz. (BBC Monitoring)
KUWAIT--Armed Forces Desert Network-Kuwait City went on the air on 107 MHz FM
on March 6th. It broadcasts around the clock from an air-conditioned van to
tens of thousands of American soldiers in Kuwait and southern Iraq. Most of
the material comes via satellite from the American military's AFRTS network
or from syndication and news services. But there are at least two live
programs daily, featruing pop, country and western, and rap music, along with
reminders to carry gas masks at all times. Weather reports are unique--with
the basic sky conditions described as "smoky" or "partly smoky". (Reuters)
LIBERIA--Lars Aastroem, a photographer for the Swedish Save the Children Fund
and other organizations, has just returned from Liberia. Before the civil war
there the country had many radio stations, including the national ELBC, the
Christian religious broadcaster ELWA, and a Voice of America relay station.
The only station on the air now is a mobile ELBC operated by the West Africa
peace-keeping force ECOMOG on 7275 kHz.
The station uses the signature tapes of the old ELBC and is on the air for 3
hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening daily. (Lars Aastroem, just
returned from Liberia)
BBC Monitoring reports the National Patriotic Front of Liberia was heard
operating from Voinjamaa on March 28th, on 585 kHz. There was a news bulletin
in English at 19:00 hrs. The station identified as ELRV, which was originally
the Voinjamaa station of the Liberian Rural Communications Network. (BBC
Monitoring)
POLAND--Polish Radio is undergoing a major reform. While the First and Third
Programs will remain largely the same, the Second Program is now devoting 70
percemnt of airtime to classical music. The Fourth Program has largely been
replaced on FM with regional broadcasts. Replacing the Fourth Program on
medium wave is a 9 hour a day relay from the Polish service of Radio Free
Europe. (BBC Monitoring)
SOMALIA--Radio Mogadishu, now calling itself Voice of the Somali Republic, is
now on the air for just 5 hours a day, at 04:00-05:00, 09:00-11:00, and
15:00-17:00 hrs, on 962 kHz. (BBC Monitoring)
SRI LANKA--The Deutsch Welle relay station at Tricomallee is back to a full
schedule, in Bengali 01:00.01:50 hrs and English 02:00-02:50 on 1548, 9615,
and 11945 kHz. English is also 16:00-16:50 hrs on 1548, 6170, and 7225 kHz.
(Victor Goonetilleke in "UADX Newsletter")
The World Service of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation is on the air in
English to Europe at 20:00-21:30 hrs on 9720 and 15120 kHz. (Bengt Ericson,
Sweden)
SYRIA--The Syrian Republic Broadcasting Service in Arabic has been heard on a
new frequency of 7500 kHz, from 16:00 hrs onwards, in parallel with 15095.
(Sarath Weerakoon in "UADX Newsletter")
USSR--In Lithuania, the head of the Vilnius radio and television center says
a hunger strike to protest the occupation of the center is continuing. The
hunger strikers say they will continue their fast until Soviet Interior
Ministry troops leave the broadcast facilities. (Diena News Agency via
Richard Langley)
CNN has reached agreement with the three Baltic republics to offer
programming in return for news and assistance to correspondents. Latvian TV
is to provide a daily three minute program to CNN. In Lithuania and Latvia
CNN is being boadcast for half an hour weekdays and three hours on Sundays.
(Scott Akmentins-Taylor via Richard Langley)
Sergei Bazlov reports that an independent Lithuanian radio station is
operating on 657 kHz in Russian at 15:00-15:30 and 20:30-20:40 hrs and in
Polish at 16:00-16:30 and 20:40-20:50 in Polish. (Sergei Bazlov, USSR)
UNOFFICIAL RADIO--The Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan was heard broadcasting in
Kurdish on March 29th at 18:40-19:30 hrs on 5684 kHz. (BBC Monitoring)
A station calling itself the Voice of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq has
heard in late March on 1224 kHz, 15:45-16:42 hrs. At 16:45 hrs another
service in Arabic took over, called the Voice of Disavowal from the
Polyatheists. At 17:15, the scheduled Arabic service of the Voice of the
Islamic Republic of Iran continued on the frequency. (BBC Monitoring)
Kurdish expatriate Dr. Firiad Hiwaizi in London says he was recruited by
Saudi intelligence to record broadcasts at the Voice of Free Iraq clandestine
radio station. He urged fellow Kurds inside Iraq to overthrow President
Saddam Hussein. The station, outside the Saudi city of Jidda, was staffed by
40 Iraqi expatriates and protected by armed Saudi guards. Other Kurdish
dissidents, NBC News, and some American government officials have said the
station was probably created by the CIA. (New York Times service via Richard
Langley)
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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 since 1948. The program is now broadcast on the first and
third Tuesday of each month. RS broadcasts to North America:
15:30 hrs on 17875 and 21500 kHz
02:00 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz
03:30 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz
To Latin America:
23:30 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz
To Europe, Africa, and the Middle East:
17:00 hrs on 1179, 6065, and 9615 kHz
18:30 hrs on 6065 and (Middle East) 15270 kHz
19:30 hrs on 1179, 6065 and 9655 kHz
20:30 hrs on 6065 kHz
22:00 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz
23:30 hrs on 1179 kHz
And to Asia and the Pacific:
11:30 hrs on 11960, 17740, and 21570 kHz
13:00 hrs on 11960, 17740, and 21570 kHz
01:00 hrs on 9765 kHz
The Radio Sweden schedule to Europe in Swedish, English, German, French, and
Spanish can be found on EuroSport (on cable and on the Astra and Eutelsat II-
F1 satellites) Tele-Text page 496.
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 2:201/697 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.
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Thanks to this week's contributors Good Listening!
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--
Jason Berri (SPEEDX USSR Editor)
INTERNET: berri@aerospace.aero.org or berri@arecibo.aero.org
[SPEEDX is a SWL club, send email to the above address for more information]