From: xberri@quark2.aero.org (Jason E. Berri)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave
Subject: SCDX 2152
Date: 22 Mar 92 00:10:00 GMT
Reply-To: xberri@arecibo.aero.org
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41
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:: MediaScan ::
:: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS ::
:: from Radio Sweden ::
:: Number 2152--Mar. 17, 1992 ::
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Satellite, shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden.
This week's bulletin was written by George Wood.
Packet Radio BID SCDX2152
All times UTC unless otherwise noted.
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SWEDEN:
RADIO SWEDEN--Once again the news here at Radio Sweden is about our
broadcasts over the Astra satellite. Beginning March 30th, Radio Sweden can
be heard on the Comedy Channel transponder on Astra 1B, that's channel 26 at
11.597 GHz. We'll be using the audio subcarrier at 7.74 MHz.
Our hour long European program in English will be switching to between 20:30
and 21:30 hrs UTC. That broadcast will also be relayed to Europe on medium
wave 1179 and shortwave 6065 and 9655 kHz and on shortwave 17730 kHz to the
Pacific and the Far East.
We'll also be using the satellite the relay our half hour program at 12:30
hrs, which otherwise is being carried to South Asia, the Pacific and the Far
East on 15170 and 17740 kHz.
Here's the rest of our new English shortwave schedule:
At 15:00 hrs to the Middle East and East Africa on 15270 kHz, and to North
America on 17870 and 21500 kHz. We're also broadcasting to South Asia at
01:00 hrs on 9685 and 11730 kHz and to North America at 02:00 hrs on 9695 and
11705 kHz. And there's another European broadcast at 22:30 hrs on 1179 and
6065 kHz.
Our satellite schedule will also continue to be transmitted over the Tele-X
direct broadcast satellite, using the TV4 transponder at 12.207 GHz, audio
subcarrier 7.38 MHz. Those signals are uplinked from the Aagesta satellite
station outside Stockholm. But Tele-X is controlled from the Swedish Space
Corporation's base Esrange, outside Kiruna far above the Arctic Circle. In
this week's English edition of Sweden Calling DXers we visit Esrange and talk
with Joakim Kugelberg, who's head of satellite control for Tele-X.
COMMERCIAL RADIO--Swedish Minister of Culture Birgit Friggebo has announced
the government's guidelines for commercial radio, which is to be introduced
next year. One of the main stumbling blocks within the government coalition
was the question of whether newspapers could own stations. Critics say this
would result in virtual information monopolies in some areas.
A number of major newspapers here have been preparing to launch radio
stations, and Birgit Friggebo herself supported the idea. But opposition from
the Center Party resulted in a compromise where newspapers would only be
allowed to own a maximum of 40 percent.
Stations will be required to fill one third of their airtime with locally
produced material, but the rest of the day can be networked. Franchises are
to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The proposal now goes to various
groups and agencies for comment. The final version will be presented to
parliament in the Fall. (TT, "Dagens Nyheter")
SWEDISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION--Cultural Minister Friggebo now turns to the
question of the new franchise agreement for the Swedish Broadcasting
Corporation. The public service broadcaster is currently officially owned by
a combination of press and business interests as well as popular movements.
But the Cultural Minister says she wants to see the state take formal
control.
Critics believe the government really wants to sell off television channel 2,
the third national radio network, and the 24 local radio stations to
commercial interests. State ownership has been opposed by many groups, and
the Center Party is also against the plan. The government says it will
present its proposal on March 26th. ("Dagens Nyheter", "Pressens Tidning",
"Journalisten")
DIGITAL AUDIO BROADCASTING--Swedish Telecom has now acquired equipment for
digital audio broadcasting, the system that will replace FM with compact disk
quality sound. This Spring Swedish Radio will be conducting its first small-
scale tests. More comprehensive DAB test broadcasts will begin in 1993.
Regular broadcasts are to begin in 1995 or 1996. The Swedish government has
proposed using TV channel 12, around 224 MHz. ("Pressens Tidning", Christer
Grewin, Swedish Radio)
WORLD ADMINISTRATIVE RADIO CONFERENCE:
The 1992 World Administrative Radio Conference was held during February in
Torremolinos, Spain. Its brief was to reallocate some parts of the radio
frequency spectrum to new and existing users. The last major reallocation
conference was WARC-79, more than 12 years ago, and since then technology has
come a long way. WARC-92 looked at services operating between 5 MHz and 124
GHz, including broadcasting, space research and mobile communications.
Shortwave broadcasters wanted to get more frequencies, because the current
bands are so crowded, preferably from bands next door to existing broadcast
bands. Those are occupied by fixed services, that's to say point-to-point
communications for telephone links and emergency services. Many developing
countries protested against this, although research has shown that the fixed
services operating on shortwave are getting fewer and fewer--most of them are
moving to satellite links.
The result of long negotiations was that broadcasters will receive 790 kHz of
spectrum, but only 200 kHz below 10 MHz. And only 50 kHz of that is in the 7
MHz band (where there are currently collisions between broadcasters and radio
amateurs), against an original bid for 200 kHz!
The new extension bands will be transferred to broadcasters in the year 2007.
They are for single side band only and a future WARC has to come up with a
planning system for these new bands. But in practice, many broadcasters will
move into the new bands well before 2007--if you look at the WARC-79
extensions, which still aren't officially released to broadcasting, they are
already heavily used.
The conference was faced with its most difficult arguments over the
reallocation of frequencies between 1 and 3 GHz. Mobile satellite services
and broadcasting satellite services were seeking allocations there. Three
separate frequency ranges were put forward for the new BSS-Sound (direct
radio satellite broadcasting) service. This will provide high quality radio
reception to portable reeivers. The satellite operators say that receivers
will be produced cheaply enough for the developing world to take advantage of
the new techology.
About half the world backed an allocation for BSS-Sound around 1.5 GHz, with
the other half, including most of Europe, opting for a band around 2.5 GHz,
while the United States wanted 2.3 GHz. The conference agreed that 1.5 GHz
was the most technically suitable. It offers best reception for portable
receivers, without interference from the terrain or buildings. Small whip
antgennas can be used and the satellites will be cheaper to build.
However, politically many countries could not agree, one of the reasons being
that their existing users at 1.5 GHz in some cases include the military. The
conference reached absolute deadlock on this subject, and it was only in its
very last stages that a compromise was drawn up.
This provided the world with three separate allocations for BSS-Sound. One
was at the 1.5 GHz range--with a small portion of the band available
immediately, another allocation at 2.6 GHz, and a separate band for the US at
2.3 GHz. The result is that digital satellite radio is now just around the
corner, Provided, of course, some satellite can be built and receivers
brought on to the market.
The World Health Organization is now backing the BSS-Sound project run by
AfriSpace which plans to launch satellites and receivers in the next three
years. (Janne Olsen)
EUROPEAN SATELLITE BROADCASTING:
SATELLITE-RADIO--We've reported before about the World Radio Network, a
British-based organizition planning to time-share various English broadcasts
from international broadcasters over one single sound channel on Astra.
Julian Clover of Cable and Satellite Europe magazine tells us that WRN plans
to run tests between March 22nd and April 3rd using one of the Sky
transponders, possibly Sky Sports on 11.509 GHz.
(Julian Clover, "Cable and Satellite Europe")
SATELLITE-TV--The Discovery Channel will be launching its companion
educational service, the Learning Channel, to Europe. Unlike North America,
however, the European Learning Channel will share Discovery's transponder.
That's on the Intelsat at 27.5 degrees West, daily between 12:00 and 15:00
hrs. ("SatNews")
CNN International is to launch a service on Arabsat 1B in April. That
satellite is at 26 degrees East, and carries transponders in the C-band,
around 4 GHz. Test transmissions may already be underway. ("SatNews")
NORTH AMERICAN SATELLITE BROADCASTING:
GALAXY--The Galaxy 5 satellite was finally launched on March 14th, after
several delays. Within a couple of weeks it should be testing at 135 degrees
West. Ultimately it will be moved to 125 degrees West, displacing Telestar
303 which will be moved to 123 degrees.
Galaxy is replacing the aging Westar 5.
18 programs are scheduled to transfer to the new satellite this Summer,
including two ESPN feeds, CNN, Headline News, Arts and Entertainment, Home
Box Office, the USA Network, and the Disney Channel. (Jim Shobert and Keith
Knipschild, CompuServe Consumer Electronics Forum)
EUROPEAN DX COUNCIL:
The European DX Council is the organization bringing together Europe's clubs
for shortwave listeners and radio monitors. One of the council's main
activities is the annual conference, which this year is being held between
August 21st and 24th in Tampere, Finland.
The last time an EDXC meeting was held in Finland it was one of the best
gatherings the council has ever had, organized by listeners for listeners.
This time they'll be a 24 hour listening room with receivers connected to
outside antennas, a computer room with various programs and connections to
international data networks, a video room with films about DXing, a DX
library, a flea market, and a DX supermarket with products at special
conference prices.
As a special feature, there will also be a special radio station on the air
during the conference. Called Radio World, it will operate on 103.8 MHz. For
more information, write to EDXC 92, DX Club of Tampere, Box 212, SF-33101,
Tampere, Finland. You can also send a fax. After the international access
code from your country, dial 358-31-161857.
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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.
Beginning March 30th Radio Sweden broadcasts to Europe in English at 20:30-
21:30 hrs on medium wave 1179 kHz, as well as shortwave 6065 and 9655 kHz,
and via satellite on Astra 1B (19.2 degrees East) channel 26 at 11.597 GHz,
audio subcarrier at 7.74 MHz, and on the Tele-X direct broadcast satellite (5
degrees East) at 12.207 GHz, audio subcarrier 7.38 MHz.
That program is also broadcast to the Pacific and the Far East on 17730 kHz.
We'll also be using the satellite the relay our half hour program at 12:30
hrs, which otherwise is being carried to South Asia, the Pacific and the Far
East on 15170 and 17740 kHz.
The rest of the Radio Sweden English schedule is (half hour programs):
To Europe:
22:30 hrs 1179 and 6065 kHz
To the Middle East and East Africa:
15:00 hrs on 15270 kHz
To Asia/Pacific:
13:30 hrs 17740 and 21570 kHz
01:00 hrs 9685 and 11730 kHz
To North America:
15:00 hrs 17870 and 21500 kHz
02:00 hrs 9695 and 11705 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!
--
Jason Berri [berri@aero.org or berri@arecibo.aero.org]
[SPEEDX Column Editor - send email for more info on the SPEEDX SWL club]