From: xberri@quark2.aero.org (Jason E. Berri)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave
Subject: SCDX 2135
Date: 13 Jul 91 21:58:00 GMT
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1
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:: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS ::
:: from Radio Sweden ::
:: Number 2135--July 2, 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 SCDX2135
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SWEDEN--Monday was the last day for applications for interests wanting to run
Sweden's coming third national television channel. Altogether there have been
31 applications, but only three are thought to have a real chance. Two are
current satellite broadcasters, TV3 and TV4. The third is Rikstelevision,
which in fact has been set up by the same company that owns TV3.
Among the other applicants are a Pentacostal religous group and a Luxembourg-
based company.
Surprisingly, Sweden's third satellite TV broadcaster, Nordic Channel,
decided not to apply. The decision has to which applicant will be granted the
concession is to be made at the end of August. The new national channel is to
be on the air by the end of the year.
EUROPEAN SATELLITE-TV:
MAC vs PAL--The European Commission has adopted a proposal on satellite
broadcasting, allowing for the gradual introduction of the D2-MAC standard,
as a step towards using HD-MAC for high definition television.
Existing satellite broadcasters would be allowed to continue using the
current PAL and SECAM systems. But new satellite services from January 1,
1992 will have to use D2-MAC. All television sets sold in the community after
January 1, 1993 with screens 22 inches or larger will have to include D2-MAC
decoders.
The two largest Swedish morning newspapers, "Dagens Nyheter" and "Svenska
Dagbladet" have both said the new standard will cost consumers. That's true
for most of Europe, but in fact the change will lower the cost of satellite
receivers for Scandinavian viewers. Virtually the only broadcaster currently
using D2-MAC is Scandinavia's Scan-Sat, with its TV3 and TV1000 services.
Consequently, satellite TV receivers sold in Scandinavia are much more
expensive than in other European countries. When D2-MAC is a standard, prices
in Scandinavia should fall.
There is one drawback to D2-MAC. It restricts the number of sound channels,
which could be a major obstacle for future satellite radio broadcasting.
(Reuters, DJ, "The European", "Dagens Nyheter", "Svenska Dagbladet")
OLYMPUS/ASTRA--There have been D2-MAC transmissions from the Olympus direct
broadcast satellite at 18.8 degrees West. We reported last time technical
problems which have closed down Olympus, and its future is uncertain. Three
channels are off the air: BBC World Service, Italy's RAI, and Eurostep, a
European educational broadcasting channel. Now it looks as though Astra 1A is
being used to fill part of the void. The transponder on 11.258 GHz is
carrying a BBC 2 caption. (This is the former Eurosport transponder.) This
could either be BBC World Service, or programs from Britain's Open
University, which has broadcast over the Eurostep transponder. (British
amateur radio operator Gary, G4GHD)
(Today's English edition of Sweden Calling DXers includes an interview with
Godfrey Boyle of the Open University.)
Besides Eutelsat 2-F1 and Astra 1B, Eurosport can now also be seen on DFS 1
Kopernikus at 23.5 degrees East, on 11.550 GHz. ("Roester i Radio-TV")
SWEDISH SATELLITE CHANNELS--The One World Channel is no longer being relayed
over the TV5 transponder on Eutelsat 2-F1, since TV5 has expanded its
programming. However, the One World Channel has found a new home on Nordic
Channel, on the same satellite, on the transponder at 11.638 GHz, daily
14:30-16:00 hrs.
Nordic Channel is no longer relaying ITN News at 18:00 hrs, which may be to
avoid competition with BBC World Service news at the same time. ITN news
continues to be carried by Nordic as the last program of the broadcast day
weekdays, starting sometime between 21:00 and 21:30 hrs.
Two of Sweden's three pay-TV film channels are merging in September. 75
percent of the new company will be owned by TV1000, operated by the same
company that owns Scandinavia's TV3. SF Succe will hold the remaining 25
percent. That channel is owned by newspaper publishers Marieberg, Svensk
Filmindustri film distributors, the American Warner media company, and
France's pay channel Canal Plus. The other Swedish pay-TV channel is FilmNet,
which transmits to both Scandinavia and the Benelux countries. (TT)
ASIAN BROADCASTERS TO EUROPE--Japan Satellite Television began 11 hour a day
operation on the Astra 1B satellite on June 3rd. Broadcasts are between 18:00
and 05:00 hrs on the transponder at 11.567 GHz. The current two hour schedule
on Astra 1A, 11.273 GHz, will continue until July 14th. (JSTV)
We reported last time that Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC) was sending
test pictures on Eutelsat 2-F1 at 13 degrees Est, on 11.554 GHz. Last
Wednesday this London-based channel announced it will be starting broadcasts
within a few months. Transmissions will be for nine hours daily for Arabs in
Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. According to the announcement "MBC
willhave a fast-paced style and will be news led". It's described as the
first independently-backed Arab TV channel. (Reuters) MBC will also use the
Arabic satellite Arabsat for broadcasts to the Middle East and North Africa.
The Turkish channel Star 1 is now available on Eutelsat 2-F1, on 11.162 GHz.
Audio is on the subcarrier at 6.65 MHz. Deutsche Welle is using two separate
channels on the 7.02 and 7.20 MHz subcarriers, with VOA Europe in stereo on
7.38 and 7.56 MHz. (Thomas Bergstam, Sweden)
EUROPEAN SATELLITE-RADIO:
The Voice of America starts broadcasts in German on July 4th (American
Independence Day). This 90 minute broadcast will be carried at 07:30 hrs
local time on medium wave 1197 kHz from Munich. It will also be relayed on
satellite by Radioropa, on Astra 1A on the Pro 7 transponder on 11.406 GHz,
using the subcarriers on 7.74 and 7.92 Mhz, and on Kopernikus DFS-1 on the
West-3 transponder on 12.658 GHz, using the subcarrier on 7.02 and 7.20 MHz.
On July 5th, ITN is closing its radio service, ITN Radio News, carried on
Astra 1A on the Lifestyle transponder (11.273 GHz), subcarrier 7.74 MHz.
However, the Chiltern Network is providing a new service, as yet without a
name, that will take over that channel when ITN goes off the air. (Tony
Harding, England)
There's a new station on Astra 1A called Hit Radio. It's on the Sky One
transponder (11.317 GHz) with stereo sound on the subcarriers at 7.74 and
7.92 MHz. RTL-4 will be starting soon a 24 hour Dutch music program on its
transponder on Astra 1A (11.391 GHz). (Radio Austria International
"Kurzwellen Panorama")
ASIAN SATELLITE BROADCASTING:
Hong Kong's Hutchvision has announced it is buying Manadarin Language
programming from Asian Television, ATV, for the Pan-Asian satellite
television network. Hutchvision earlier signed agreements for its planned
sports and music video channels. Test transmissions on Asiasat started
earlier this year, and 24 hour programming from the three channels is due to
start by September. Two more channels are to be added next year.
More than 40 countries from Egypt to Japan will be able to receive the
broadcasts. (AP-DJ)
AMATEUR RADIO SATELLITES:
The launch of Ariane 44, carrying Europe's ecological satellite ERS-1 and the
amateur radio satellite UoSat-F, has been postponed until July 16th. UoSat
will be placed into an 800 km low Earth orbit. It will carry amateur radio
equiipment, but its primary mission will be Health-Net, an electronic mail
system for health professionals in Africa.
The system is being set up by International Physicians for the Prevention of
Nuclear War, the organization that won the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. It was
exhibited at the organization's 10th congress in Stockholm last week, with
test transmissions using amateur radio frequencies on the Oscar-14 satellite.
Five medical schools in Africa will participate initially. Transmissions will
be using packet radio at 9600 baud, with downlinks on 428.01 and 429.985 MHz.
Amateur radio operations will also be at 9600 baud, with a downlink on
435.120 MHz. UoSat-F will also carry a charge-coupled device camera, which
will provide pictures of the Earth only slighly larger than the satellite's
coverage area footprint. (Satel-Life and "Practical Wireless")
(Today's English edition of Sweden Calling DXers includes an interview with
Satel-Life head Charles Clements.)
SHORTWAVE:
UNITED KINGDOM--A part of radio history is about to come to an end. The BBC
shortwave transmitter station at Daventry is to close at the end of this
year. The transmissions currently broadcast from Daventry will will
transfered to Woofferton, which now has spare capacity, as the Voice of
America has cut back on its transmissions with the end of the Cold War.
Daventry was acquired by the BBC in 1925, and the first shortwave overseas
broadcasts were transmitted from there in 1932. (Richard, G3VGW)
USA--The following news emerged from the hearings in Washington on the future
of US Government International Broadcasting:
VOA's relay station in the Philippines is only 8 miles from the volcano that
recently erupted. The microwave link was disrupted and they are now using a
telephone line to connect the satellite downlink to the transmitter site.
NASA and the VOA are funding research on audio direct broadcast satellites.
They hope to demonstrate a digital audio DBS system in October.
The new VOA relay station in the Morocci is expected to be ready in 1993, the
Thailand relay in 1994. The relay station in Israel, planned jointly with
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, is being held up by environmental
objections. A court is to rule in July.
Sao Tome has expressed interest in having the VOA build a relay station to
replace the one in Liberia, which was destroyed in the recent civil war. The
VOA can't afford to evaluate this offer. A temporary relay station is being
built in Botswana to replace the site lost in Liberia. (Internews, via Kauto
Hupio, Finland)
The presidential advisory commission for public diplomacy has said that Radio
Free Europe should stop broadcasting to Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary.
Instead, the commission says the US should focus on programs to Asia and
Africa. (BBC Monitoring)
ISRAEL--Beginning June 30th, Kol Israel has dropped all broadcasts between
22:00 and 13:00 hrs. The only remaining English broadcasts on shortwave are
at 19:00 and 21:30 hrs. (Voice of Israel via BBC Monitoring)
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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
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.
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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]