Article: 18639 of rec.radio.shortwave
Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave
Path: news.cs.tut.fi!news.funet.fi!funic!nic.funet.fi!compuserve.com!70247.3516
From: 70247.3516@compuserve.com (George Wood)
Subject: SCDX 2174
Message-ID: <930302131545_70247.3516_EHB34-1@CompuServe.COM>
Sender: root@nic.funet.fi (The FUnny NET guru)
Organization: Finnish Academic and Research Network Project - FUNET
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1993 15:15:46 +0200
Lines: 451
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: MediaScan ::
:: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS ::
:: from Radio Sweden ::
:: Number 2174--Mar. 2, 1993 ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Satellite, shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden.
This week's bulletin was written by George Wood.
Packet Radio BID SCDX2174
All times UTC unless otherwise noted.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
On February 28th, we celebrated our 45th anniversary. Arne Skoog, who founded
the program in 1948, and wrote it for 30 years, joined us in the studio. Arne
is highly critical of the direction the program has taken in recent years,
shifting the emphasis from shortwave to satellites.
ARNE SKOOG: I'm not against satellites, but they are quite another thing.
When you're depending on satellites, you're not mobile as you are with
shortwave. You can never compete with shortwave, in that you can carry a
shortwave receiver in your pocket, and listen to it where ever you are. You
can never do that with satellites.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: But in fact, when Sweden Calling DXers began in 1948,
shortwave receivers were large immobile units, just like today's satellite
receivers. So that satellite DXing today is very much like shortwave
listening was when this program started. And just as shortwave receivers have
shrunk to the pocket size, within a decade there will be portable satellite
radio receivers as well.)
AS: Satellites are very good and very interesting as far as high fidelity is
concerned, but shortwave listeners do not require such high fidelity because
a shortwave listener is not asking for entertainment or information. He is
interested in a friendly contact.
RADIO SWEDEN: You've been very critical of the direction this program has
taken over the last few years. But I remember you always used to say that
while different stations may all have their own DX programs, all these
programs complement each other rather than compete. Isn't that what's
happened now? It used to be that we carried the same kind of news as could be
found on Radio Netherlands' "Media Network", for example. Now we're
different, they concentrate on shortwave, and we concentrate on satellites.
AS: You must remember that you are reaching different groups of listeners on
satellite and shortwave. And management thinks that shortwave listeners are
too few. So it doesn't pay to invest in shortwave broadcasts.
But I think this is a mistake because satellite radio has to face such heavy
competition. When you access to satellites, you have such an enormous
quantity of TV programs and radio programs, so I don't think Radio Sweden has
a chance to compete with them.
RS: Our policy at Radio Sweden is to report on Sweden and the Nordic
countries. Yet for 45 years we've had a program that has reported mostly on
the rest of the world, and even given publicity to competing radio stations.
Why have we done that, and what has been the advantage to doing that?
AS: We've received a lot of goodwill among foreign listeners, and also among
broadcasters. You see, through "Sweden Calling DXers" we stimulated not only
the listening but also the manufacturing of suitable receivers for shortwave
reception. We also organized contests in collaboration with "competing"
international broadcasters.
RS: But there are those who would argue that this was needed 30 or 40 years
ago, but no longer. Today there are good shortwave receivers, the listeners
know what they are doing. We don't have to do that any more.
AS: Yes the equipment for shortwave reception has improved immensely. And the
competition is heavy, therefore it's important to concentrate programming
from international broadcasters on specific listener groups. For instance,
DXers. They are reliable, and you can also collaborate with DXers for special
broadcasts to limited groups with a common interests. Such as people with
visual handicaps here in Sweden and abroad.
HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION:
THE DEATH OF MAC?--The great battle over future European TV standards may be
over. It looks as though the EC commissioners have finally abandoned their
attempt to force D2-MAC and the HD-MAC standards on European broadcasters.
D2-MAC as a transition to high definition television using HD-MAC had been
championed by France and the Netherlands, home of the electronics companies
Thomson and Philips. European broadcasters have fought the move, arguing that
the largely analog HD-MAC system is about to be made obsolete by coming
digital technologies.
Now Martin Bangemann, the new EC commissioner responsible, says the
commission is ending support to develop HD-MAC, and will instead follow the
American lead. (TT)
The Federal Communications Commission in the United States is currently
assessing various HDTV standards. The FCC has now asked three competing
consortiums to work together to develop a universal digital HDTV standard.
("Financial Times", "Satnews")
(Curiously, one of these includes Thomson and Philips, who have been pushing
the non-digital HD-MAC on Europe. The FCC has rejected the analog Japanese
MUSE standard.) Should Europe adopt the eventual American standard, the world
could be on its way to having a single television system in the next century.
But development of digital high definition television is going on here in
Europe as well. Last year a Scandinavian consortium demonstrated a new system
called HD-Divine to the IBC conference in Amsterdam. The group includes
Swedish Television, Norwegian Telecom, Telecom Denmark, and two offshots of
Swedish Telecom. We asked Swedish Television's Technical Director Sven Olof
Ekholm why broadcasters would prefer HD-Divine and other digital high
definition systems to the EC's HD-MAC?
SOE: The problem is that a system for teleivision is supposed to survive, to
be working, for at least 50 years. To go on with analog systems seems stupid
to me, and to the other broadcasters. Because now, when you have the chance,
you have to take a big step to the future, make a future-proof system. And as
far as I can see, that can only be digital. We don't want to take a lot of
small steps, costing us as broadcasters and the public a fortune every step.
RS: Your new system, HD-Divine, seems to have a lot in common with the new
Digital Audio Broadcasting system for radio.
SOE: Yes, if you mean the modulation system, and the way it's transmitted,
it's basically the same. That's because we are looking for a robust system
that can avoid all the interference. It also means we can use less
transmitter power, which is important because we have to transmit parallel
with analog channels for at least 20 years.
RS: There are several digital HDTV systems under development. What are HD-
Divine's advantages over these other systems?
SOE: For the time being, we are the only ones in Europe with hardware, with a
system that works. The second generation system will be ready this month,
with more facilities than we have demonstrated before. For example, we can
choose to transmit terrestrially with a single HDTV channel, or with 4
standard television channels (in the same single UHF channel), or via
satellite.
RS: The American FCC is going to pick a digital HDTV system for the United
States, which many people believe will become the international standard. But
HD-Divine is not one of the systems under consideration. Isn't this a problem
for you?
SOE: Yes of course we are worried. But our goal was to start a process in
Europe showing that digital systems are the future. There are problems if you
compare the environment in the United States with Europe. As you know, one of
the systems that is competing in the US is a European system, made by Philips
and Thomson, and it's one of the best as well. So maybe, if we don't win in
Europe, they will. But so far we will fight for our system because we believe
it's the best we have seen so far. But we know there can be other systems
that are even better than ours.
RS: What's the timetable here? And when do you think Europe will see digital
HDTV finally?
SOE Finally? (laughs) We hope to start with real field tests this Spring. We
still have some trouble with the transmitting part of the system. We'll be
getting the new parts for the second generation on the 15th of March, and
then start, perhaps even over satellite. Because the race in Europe for the
time being is not over the terrestrial environment, it's satellites, because
all these pay channels are appearing and are looking for compression systems
to squeeze in many more channels into one satellite channel.
In the upcoming April edition of the "BBC Worldwide" magazine, Simon
Spanswick will be writing about high defination television.
NORDIC MEDIA NEWS:
BREAKFAST NEWS--Yesterday, Swedish Television's second channel started
weekday breakfast broadcasts. They were preceeded by several months by the
commercial channel TV4. The programs will be produced alternate weeks in
Gothenburg and Malmoe, with news from Swedish Television in Stockholm.
Commentators here are uncertain if Swedes will change their morning habits to
watch TV, especially when there's already competition from the BBC, Sky News,
CNN, and other international channels, as well as the traditional radio and
newspapers.
PRIVATE RADIO--Last week the Swedish parliament approved a bill to permit
private commercial radio stations in this country, beginning April 1st.
Initially 60 licences are to be granted. If there are several applicants for
a licence, it is to be sold to the highest bidder. Government agencies and
newspapers will not be allowed to own stations. The present community radio
stations will also be allowed to carry advertising. (TT)
NORDIC COUNCIL--At the Nordic Council meeting in Oslo, Swedish Prime Minister
Carl Bildt has proposed the creation of a common Nordic television channel.
Bildt says viewers in Stockholm can see television from countries outside
Scandinavia, but not from Denmark or Norway. (TT)
The Prime Minister apparently doesn't know that all 4 Norwegian channels are
available on satellite, they just aren't being carried on cable here, while
Swedish channels are in fact on cable in Norway and available over the air in
Finland and Denmark. Finland has an entire radio network in Swedish, which
could easily be relayed on Swedish cable networks, giving the country a
completely new channel, and improving Nordic understanding.
KINNEVIK EXPANDS--Meanwhile, Swedish media baron Jan Stenbeck is expanding
his empire into the other Nordic countries. Stenbeck's Kinnevik company owns
20 percent of Norway's new "Radio Hela Norge" ("Radio All of Norway"), which
is to be the country's fourth national radio network, and the first
privately-owned. The main office will be in Liljehammar, site of next year's
Winter Olympics. Radio Hela Norge is to officially begin broadcasts on
September 15th.
Besides separate TV3 outlets for Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, Kinnevik's
other satellite channel is the pay channel TV1000. It also operates cable-
only film, music video, and home shopping channels in Sweden, a satellite-fed
music service for community radio stations in Sweden, and a handful of local
radio stations in Denmark, including satellite broadcaster The Voice. Through
TV3, which is based in London, the company is also part owner of a new local
radio station in Britain. Kinnevik is also part owner of Sweden's commercial
terrestrial channel TV4. ("Dagens Industri")
THOR--Norway is going ahead with its plans for a Nordic satellite package on
the Thor satellite. Kauto Huopio, who passes lots of information on to us
from Internet News, says he's now discovered Eurosport on Thor. The signal
was in D-MAC, with English commentary, and no other audio channels in use.
There was also a MAC teletext transmission. (Kauto Huopio)
Eurosport has been expected to join CNN and FilmNet on Thor, as the first
three programmers in Norwegian Telecom's Nordic DBS package.
"Satnews" reports that the Thor version of Eurosport will carry more Nordic-
oriented programming, with Swedish and Finnish commentaries.
Norwegian Telecom plans to start with five channels on Thor, increasing to 15
channels within the next year and a half, by co-locating other DBS satellites
with Thor at 1 degree West. ("Satnews")
EUROPEAN TELEVISION NEWS:
SCREENSPORT/EUROSPORT--In the early hours of March 1st, Screensport merged
into Eurosport. The new Eurosport is now broadcasting over both Astra
transponders 1 and 4, although the signal on transponder 1 will only last a
few weeks. The new Eurosport has taken over Screensport's spot as a pay
channel on Swedish cable networks. Eurosport was dropped from Swedish cable
systems on January 4th, after it demanded compensation from Nordic cable
operators (alone) while refusing to become a pay channel or to code its
satellite transmissions.
SKY NEWS--British Sky Broadcasting has announced that both the currently
uncoded channels Sky One and Sky News will become part of a subscription
package with several more channels, after the launch of the Astra 1C
satellite. However, the "UK Press Gazette" reports that BSkyB is considering
splitting Sky News into two services, one solely to the UK for the
subscription package, the other still uncoded for European viewers. According
to the report, BSkyB is also considering extending Sky News into an
international networked service, using resources from the Fox Network in the
United States, which is also owned by BSkyB's parent company. ("Satnews")
THAMES--Thames Television has confirmed plans to use a transponder on the
upcoming Astra 1C, to relay archive material to subscribers. ("Satnews")
ASTRA--Speaking at the Financial Times Cable and Satellite conference in
London recently, Celso Azevedo, Technical Director of Astra's owner SES, said
two later satellites, 1D and 1E, will be set aside for HDTV and digital
compression techniques, which could provide 180 channels. However, 60 of
those channels may be devoted to showing the top ten films, available on a
subscription basis. The transmission times would be staggered so that a
viewer would not have to wait more than 20 minutes for a film to start.
("Financial Times")
POLAND--TV Polonia will launch on Eutelsat II-F3, on 11.555 GHz, on April
1st. (James Robinson)
ISLAM--There is a regular broadcast from a London mosque Saturdays and
Sundays at 11:45-13:30 hrs on Eutelsat II-F1, 11.617 GHz. The background
audio is on 6.20 MHz, English commentary on 6.84, and Arabic commentary on
7.38 MHz. The channel ID is "Moslem TV Ahmediyyah".This began on February
27th (which was in fact the first Saturday in the Moslem holy month of
Ramadan, which may have something to do with the broadcasts). (James
Robinson)
INTELSAT--The Intelsat Satellite Show in Germany will be broadcast for
several days beginning March 6th at 08:00-16:00 hrs on Eutelsat II-F3 on
11.555 GHz. ("In Orbit")
ESTONIA--The Ostankino television company has reached agreement with the
Estonian authorities on relaying the Russian channel to Estonia. Ostankino
has agreed to pay all relaying expenses. The Russian television company and
the St. Petersburg television company have not as yet come to Estonia for
talks. (Estonian Radio via BBC Monitoring)
EUROPEAN RADIO NEWS:
BBC--An inside source at the BBC tells us that World Service radio will be
appearing on the UK Gold transponder on Astra in April, along with Radio 4
and possibly Radio 1. Four of the subcarriers on the channel have just been
activated.
James Robinson tells us that on the BBC feed on Eutelsat II-F1, on the Super
Channel transponder, audio 7.56 MHz, there is a language which is not on
shortwave, at 22:30-23:00 hrs. He believes this is Slovenian. (James
Robinson)
EURONET--On the other hand, another Astra radio channel is to close. Euronet
says unless if can raise enough revenue, it will disappear from the Sky
Sports transponder on March 31st. ("In Orbit" and James Robinson)
GERMANY--We've had reports of two stations which were to start broadcasts on
March 1st on the Premiere transponder on Astra. These are the former East
German youth station DT64 and another station called MDR Sputnik, both
reported to be using the subcarriers 7.74 and 7.92 MHz. (James Robinson and
Peter, DH2HAP) Nothing is heard there yet, but there is a German station now
on 7.38 and 7.56 MHz.
CANADA--Radio Canada International's Russian Service is now being carried by
the World Radio Network on Eutelsat II-F1, using the MBC transponder at
11.554 GHz, audio 7.74 MHz. Broadcasts are daily at 15:30-16:45 hrs. (James
Robinson)
RADIO LIBERTY/RADIO FREE EUROPE--The people shaping the budget for the new
Clinton administration in the United States want to close Radio Free Europe
and Radio Liberty. They say the stations have done their jobs, and their USD
210 million a budget is needed elsewhere.
It's been proposed RL/RFE merge with the Voice of America, which would take
over their facilities, but not their budget. The two stations broadcast in 23
languages spoken in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, most also
carried by the Voice of America. The proposal, which would have to be passed
by Congress, does call, however, for USD 30 million to set up a new Radio
Free China. ("The Economist")
ASIAN/PACIFIC MEDIA:
AUSTRALIA--The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has just launched its new
Asian service, Australian Television International, or ATVI. It went on the
air February 17th, using Indonesia's Palapa B2-P satellite, using the
transponder at 3800 MHz. (BBC Monitoring, IPS)
ATVI will be competing with CNN International, which is also on that same
satellite, along with BBC World Service Television on Asiasat-1.
ASIA BUSINESS NEWS--A new business channel for the Asia-Pacific region is to
be launched later this year. Based in Singapore, Asia Business News will
broadcast for 18 hours a day during the week and 6 hours a day Saturdays, on
Palapa B2-P. ("Satnews")
WEATHER SATELLITES:
METEOSAT--Meteosat-3, a European weather satellite, has completed a move to
75 degrees West, providing coverage over the Americas. The satellite has been
loaned to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a temporary
replacement for the GOES-6 satellite, which failed in 1988.
Since then, the GOES-7 satellite has been repositioned midway over the United
States, limiting coverage of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. A permanent
replacement, the first of a new generation called GOES-NEXT, was due to be
launched last year, but has been delayed until 1994. A second satellite is
due to be launched the following year. (AP, "Satnews")
SHORTWAVE:
JAPAN--Beginning March 7th, Radio Japan is broadacasting in Russian: 05:00
hrs on 15170 and 15355 kHz, 08:00 hrs on 9670 and 9770 kHz, 09:15 hrs on 9750
and 11840 kHz, 12:30 hrs on 7210 and 9580 kHz, and 19:30 hrs on 6005 kHz.
(Radio Japan)
UK--The BBC World Service resumed broadcasts in Albanian on February 28th.
The schedule is 18:30-19:00 hrs on 1215, 7105, and 9770 kHz. ("'BBC
Worldwide")
USA--WWCR in Nashville will begin testing its third transmitter around April
1. Frequencies have been announced as 5810 kHz nights and 15610 kHz days.
(George Thurman via Internet News)
PUBLICATIONS:
COMMUNICATIONS IN SPACE--The new 50 page edition 5.4 of Radio Sweden's
satellite guide "Communications in Space: The DXers Guide to Galaxy" is now
available free of charge. Just write to: Radio Sweden, S-105 10 Stockholm,
Sweden.
DXers GUIDE TO COMPUTING--Last chance!!!!!! We still have a few copies of
"The DXers Guide to Computing" left. Once sold at USD 5 apiece, we're giving
them away, first come, first serve. Write, E-mail, or fax now!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 January 18th, Radio Sweden broadcasts in English:
Europe and Africa:
18:30 and 22:00 hrs on 1179, 6065 and 9655 kHz, and
23:30 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz
Middle East and East Africa:
18:30 hrs on 15270 kHz
Asia and the Pacific:
13:30 hrs on 15240 and 21625 kHz
22:00 hrs on 11955 kHz
01:00 hrs on 9695 and 11820 kHz
North America:
16:00 hrs on 17870 and 21500 kHz
02:00 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz
The 13:30, 18:30, and 22:00 hrs transmissions are also broadcast to Europe
via satellite:
Astra 1B (19.2 degrees East) transponder 26 (Sky Movies Gold/TV Asia/Adult
Channel) at 11.597 GHz, audio subcarrier at 7.74 MHz,
Tele-X (5 degrees East) (TV4 transponder) at 12.207 GHz, audio subcarrier
7.38 MHz.
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 MediaScan/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 this week's contributors Good Listening!