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From: 70247.3516@CompuServe.COM (George Wood)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave,rec.radio.info
Followup-To: rec.radio.shortwave
Subject: SCDX 2201
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 08:16:20 -0600
Organization: Finnish University and Research Network
Lines: 486
Message-ID: <$scdx2201.1994@ampr.org>
Approved: rec-radio-info@ve6mgs.ampr.ab.ca.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: MediaScan ::
:: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS ::
:: from Radio Sweden ::
:: Number 2201--June 7, 1994 ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Satellite, shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden.
This week's bulletin was written by George Wood.
Packet Radio BID SCDX2201
All times UTC unless otherwise noted.
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TELEVISION--This is the time of year when academic reports and new doctor's
dissertations make the news. And recent weeks have seen the publication of
two such studies on the effect of TV viewing.
According to a major study by the University of Lund, a lot of TV-viewing in
childhood increases the self-confidence of boys, but has an opposite effect
on girls.
This, says Professor Erik Rosengren, is because things usually go well for
men in television programs, less well for the women. They are often portrayed
as passive, and are the victims of mental or physical violence. The study
also concludes that aggressive children who watch a lot of TV violence, get
more aggressive when they grow up.
The 6 year study was based on the TV viewing habits of 4000 young people. It
also reveals that boys in working class families watch almost twice as much
TV and video as those in middle class families.
That leads to a doctor's disseration by Bo Reimer at the University of
Gothenburg. He has found that when the number of television channels
increases, so do class differences. More choice, he says, far from increasing
democracy, actually broadening the gaps in society.
We interviewed Bo Reimer in today's edition of "MediaScan" about this
unexpected conclusion.
NORDIC MEDIA NEWS:
RADIO SWEDEN--Since May 25th, our broadcast to Latin America at 00:30 hrs has
used 9810 kHz instead of 9850.
COMMERCIAL RADIO--The new commercial radio stations here in Sweden are
slowing attracting listeners. But according to the latest audience survey,
Swedish Radio's non-commercial channels continue to dominate. For example,
here in Stockholm, the public service local station, Radio Stockholm,
attracts 22 percent of listeners, while the P4 pop channel for 40-somethings
and up has 16 percent and the youth-oriented P3 and the talk channel P1 both
have around 15 percent.
The leading commercial station in Stockholm continues to be the French-owned
Energy, at just under 14 percent. Its closest rival is Radio City with a 6
and a half percent audience. Way down at the bottom is the only commercial
station that isn't just playing pop music, the women's station Radio Q, which
attracts only 0.4 percent listenership. (TT)
Radio Q has appealed to the government for support to help it survive. The
station cites its many cultural programs, something the other commercial
stations lack. In addition, Radio Q says reception is poor in many parts of
Stockholm, for which it blames the radio authorities. (TT)
According to a new book called "Who Owns What in the Swedish Mass Media", the
new commercial radio stations are linking up in networks, although this
violates the terms of their licences. The authors say all but one of the 59
private stations are taking part in some kind of networking. (TT)
NATIONAL BROADCASTING--Meanwhile, the Liberal party here has proposed the
creation of a national private radio channel, as well as a fourth terrestrial
television channel in Sweden. The party is also calling for the Swedish
Broadcasting Corporation's public service radio and television channels to
remain non-commercial. (TT)
The sole terrestrial commercial broadcaster here, TV4, is winning the
advertising war against its main competitor, the satellite and cable station
TV3. But, should the opposition Social Democrats win this Fall's elections,
TV4 may risk losing its licence. The Social Democrats are critical of the way
TV4 continues to violate its licence terms. The Social Democrats new media
group has suggested establishing a new national commercial TV channel, but
state-owned rather than private. ("Dagens Nyheter")
SATELLITE DISHES--Unlike some other countries, it looks like the right to put
up a satellite dish antenna has been recognized here in Sweden. The
authorities in a Stockholm suburb had ordered a housing company to remove a
dish from a rooftop. But a court upheld the right to put up the antenna,
saying that because of developments in radio and telecommunications, a
satellite antenna must be considered a normal part of the urban landscape.
(TT)
TELE-X/SIRIUS--Sweden's TV4 is to continue broadcasts on Tele-X until July
31st. From that date the station will use only the relay on Sirius at the
same position on 11.938 GHz. (Bertil Sundberg in "Paa TV")
QVC--Norwegians may be thrilled to learn that they are to be the next target
for the shopping channel QVC. ("In Orbit")
EUROPEAN MEDIA NEWS:
INTELSAT--the Nordic Intelsat scheduled for launch last Saturday won't be
going into orbit for another week. The Ariane rocket failed to ignite,
reportedly because a valve pumping liquid hydrogen did not open. This will be
the first Ariane launch from French Guiana since January, when the rocket
carrying Eutelsat II-F5 and Turksat-1 crashed.
Intelsat 702 is to be placed at 1 degree West, alongside Norway's Thor DBS
satellite, and replacing Intelsat 512 at the same position. The largest cable
companies in the Nordic region are planning to provide dish owners with a
package comparable to cable offerings from the new satellite. (AP)
United Artists has combined its three stations on Intelsat 601, the
Parliamentary Channel, Wire-TV, and The Learning Channel, onto a single
digital transponder on 11.472 GHz. The parallel PAL channels go off the air
today. (James Robinson)
Wire is screening two hour blocks of highlights from the Wimbledon tennis
tournament, under an agreement with the BBC. Wire is understood to be
planning to launch a 24 hour cable-only sports channel next year.
("Skyguide")
ASTRA--For a couple of weeks recently, Discovery, the Children's Channel, and
TV Asia were only soft-scrambling on Astra, which meant anyone with a
videocrypt decoder could watch. This was because British Sky Broadcasting was
switching from its series 7 subscriber cards to the new series 9, and because
some legal cards were affected by the switchover, some of the channels ran
uncoded.
The switchover wiped out all the pirate cards in Europe, just as a new hack
had appeared, using a personal computer and a very simple card interface.
Presumeably the hackers are working on a new version.
ASTRA 1D--Arianespace says Astra 1D should launch in September or October
this year. ("Skyguide")
VOX--Viewers hoping to see Super Channel appear on Astra will have to wait a
little longer. The bankrupt Vox has received a new lease on life until June
20th. (Bertil Sundberg in "Paa TV" and "What Satellite TV") Some reports
indicate Vox may be saved by the RTL group. If this is so, the station may be
renamed, currently touted names for the channel are "RTL Classic" and "RTL
3". ("Skyguide")
EUROSPORT--Eurosport is reported to be in discussions with Sky with a view
towards joining the Sky network, either as a part of Sky Multi-Channels or as
a bonus channel for Sky Sports subscribers. (Ironically, Sky once owned half
of Eurosport, and the channel almost went under when Sky pulled out.)
("Skyguide") According to a radio interview, Eurosport will remain uncoded.
("In Orbit")
Meanwhile, following Teleclub's lead, Eurosport will be moving from the aging
Astra 1A to the same channel on a reserve transponder on Astra 1C. Teleclub
moved last October, and Eurosport is set to move to 1C in August. (Andy
Sennitt, "World Radio TV Handbook" and "Skyguide")
EUTELSAT--Eutelsat claims that 200 digital channels will be slotted at 13
degrees East when the upcoming Hot Bird and Hot Bird 2 satellite join
Eutelsat II-F1 at that position. These satellites will add the bands 11.45-
11.7 and 11.7-12.5 GHz to those currently available. ("In Orbit")
A TV station calling itself the European Arab Company for Radio and
Television has been observed during the morning in Arabic on Eutelsat II-F2
on 10.987 GHz. It gave an address in Belgium. This same transponder is used
by Eurostep and Croatian TV. (BBC Monitoring)
BRITAIN--The Radio Authority has decided on the allocation of the 105-108 MHZ
band. 105-106.9 MHz will be allocated to new citywide stations. This will
allow at least 2 new stations to be licenced in Britain's major cities,
substantially more in London. 107-108 MHz has been allocated for use by
smaller local and community radio services. The decision apparently means
that Virgin 1215's high-profile campaign to gain an FM channel has failed.
(Geoff Rogers)
RADIO CAROLINE--The pioneer offshore pirate station Radio Caroline has taken
to the airwaves again to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Caroline was
launched outside British territorial waters in 1964 to try to break the BBC's
radio monopoly. It was outlawed in 1967, moved to Dutch waters, and continued
intermittently until 1990.
The radio ship "Ross Revenge" has been equipped with a legal FM transmitter
for a month of broadcasts from off the Essex coast. Several of the original
disc jockeys will take part in the celebration. Radio Caroline manager Peter
Moore told the "Guardian" he hopes the temporary return of the station would
herald a full-scale revival, this time using satellite technology. (Reuters
via Kevin Fay)
The ship is currently on the air on 87.7 MHz. Ironically, Caroline itself
became a victim of pirates when an intermittent jamming signal was heard on
its broadcasts for the best part of a day. This signal was of relatively low
power and intercepted the link frequency between the studios on the ship and
the shore based FM transmitter station. Radio Caroline were forced to call
in their former foes, the Radio Investigation Service of the DTI, to track
down the illegal jammer!! The jamming transmitter was fairly swiftly
discovered running unattended in a field, and no further trouble with jamming
signals has occurred. (Geoff Rogers)
GERMANY--The monthly German satellite program "TS-TV", aimed entirely to the
satellite enthusiast across Europe, is looking for YOUR equipment. Make your
own video of your dish, your receivers, your foto collection of rare
satellite channels - whatever comes to your mind regarding your equipment,
and send your video to:
TS-TV, c/o TELE-satellit
Rosenheimer Str. 143a/V
D-81671 Munich, Germany
TS-TV accepts VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C and Hi8. In return, you will get a 90 min
long cassette of either TS-TV #1, #2 or #3. Indicate what tape you want. Your
video - if accepted by the TS-TV editors - will be shown within the regular
TS-TV transmissions. Those are every last Friday of a month (repeat on the
following Sunday) via EUTELSAT II-F1, 13 East, 11.596 GHz H, audio 6.50 MHz.
(Alexander Wiese, Tele-satellit)
Unfortunately "Tele-satellit" has suspended its Swedish edition.
NORTH AMERICAN MEDIA NEWS:
FOX--Rupert Murdoch strikes again! Shortly after outbidding CBS for National
Football League broadcast rights, Murdoch's Fox network has poached a dozen
prized affilates from the three traditional American TV networks, for a price
of USD 500 million. All 12 stations are VHF (whereas most current Fox
affilates are in the less popular UHF band), 8 are CBS affiliates, 3 have
been affiliated with ABC, and 1 with NBC. They are located in key markets
such as Detroit, Cleveland, and Dallas. Observers say the unprecidented deal
puts Fox in the same league as the Big Three. Fox now has around 150 full-
time affiliates, compared with more than 200 for each of its three rivals.
(AP and Reuters)
BBC--Cox Enterprises says it is talking to the BBC about setting up a
national television network in the United States featuring programming from
the British satellite channels UK Gold and UK Living. UK Gold carries classic
programs from the archives of the BBC and Thames Television, while UK Living
is a women's channel launched by the two British companies. Cox owns 24
cable-TV companies that reach a combined 1.8 million viewers. That is
apparently not a large enough base for a new channel, and some kind of
national network is being explored. (Reuters)
COURT TV--Courtroom Television Network, a joint venture between Time Warner
Inc, Cablevision Systems Development Corp, Liberty Media Inc and American
Lawyer Media LP, is adding a new range of interactive
programming onto its trial television network. The new service, known as
Back Channel, will allow viewers to access information and legal data about
trials being telecast and allow them to take daily quizzes on the trials and
relevant law. ("Satnews")
CANADA--Canada has awarded 10 new cable TV licences to channels that will
broadcast everything from country and western music to nature programs. The
new channels are the first awarded since 1987. By adding the cable channels,
Canada hopes to forestall a threat from the new American DirecTV system,
which will offer 150 digital channels from one position in the sky. DirecTV
has been dubbed the "Death Star" by some Canadians, concerned about the
affects of American programming on Canadian culture. The new offerings
include the (ironically American) Discovery Channel, which provides
documentaries and wildlife programming, a women's channel, two French
language services, and two English-language pay per view services. (Reuters)
TV POLONIA--Plans to carry Polish TV to the United States have run into
difficulties. (PAP news agency via BBC Monitoring)
LATIN AMERICAN MEDIA NEWS:
USA NETWORK--The USA Network has launched a Latin American network, including
Spanish language editions of "Entertainment Tonight" and "Hard Copy".
("Satnews")
NBC--NBC is expanding towards a fully global service by launching a joint
operation with TV Azteca to Latin America. NBC will shortly announce a new
service to Asia. ("In Orbit")
VOA--The Voice of America's Creole Service has expanded its broadcasts from
one and a half hours to two hours Monday through Friday, in addition to one
hour a day on Saturday and Sunday in response to recent developments in Haiti
following the coup d'etat of September 30, 1991. VOA's Creole Service, which
began broadcasting in March 1986, brings accurate and objective news and
information to millions of listeners in Haiti and the French Caribbean, in
addition to those reached by its programming re-broadcast by five local
affiliated stations in Haiti. (VOA press release)
MIDDLE EASTERN SATELLITE BROADCASTING:
EGYPT--Egypt's Information Minister says that Nile TV on Eutelsat II-F2 is to
expand from 2 hours a day to 6 hours a day. Preparations are underway to
expand this channel to Africa via Arabsat by the end of 1994. (BBC
Monitoring) Nile TV has the most appallingly weak signal. Ironically, the
Egyptian Space Channel on the same satellite has a very strong signal.
IRAN--A spokesman for Ayatollah Ali Khomenei has denied reports the Ayatollah
has issued a "fatwa" (religious decree) on the use of satellites. According
to the Deputy speaker, the Iranian parliament, the Majlis, is to discuss the
issue of home satellite receivers. (BBC Monitoring)
On May 11th, a draft bill to ban satellite receiving dishes was introduced to
the Majlis. (Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran via BBC Monitoring)
Iranian radio and television is planning worldwide satellite broadcasts.
These will carry messages for the Muslims of the world, of unity and
strengthening historical and cultural bonds. (BBC Monitoring)
ASIAN MEDIA NEWS:
RIMSAT--On May 21st Russia launched a second Gorizont satellite for the US-
Malaysian company Rimsat for relays over the Pacific. The two satellites
carry a total of 12 transponders. The first satellite was launched on
November 18, 1993. The Rimsat contract also provides for the lease of
channels on another four new generation Ekpress satellites, which are twice
as powerful as Gorizont. (Interfax and Itar-Tass via BBC Monitoring)
BBC--Two months after being axed from the Northern Asian beam of the Star-TV
service on Asiasat-1, BBC World Service Television will return this week to
Hong Kong, via cable. Wharf Cable will carry BBC programs on its Cable
International Channel from June 11th. Four one hour blocks will be sent out
each weekday, and one three hour block each on Saturdays and Sundays.
Rupert Murdoch's Star-TV dropped the BBC from the northern beam on April
17th, replacing it with a Chinese pay movie channel, according to reports
after pressure from Bejing about the BBC's outspoken news coverage. The BBC
still airs on the southern beam to India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
The news and information channel will begin relays to Japan in July, expand
into Europe (where there is already an entertainment channel) later this
year, and is expected to reach the United States by early 1995. It will
launch an Arabic channel to the Middle East later this month. (Reuters)
STAR-TV--Having also dropped MTV Asia last month, Star-TV launched its own
music video service, Channel V, on May 27th. Star-TV has retained the popular
MTV video jockeys. Star is splitting its music audience in two, offering
music videos in Mandarin on the northern beam. The southern beam will
broadcast music programming in English and Hindi.
MTV says it will launch its own channel to Asia in the last quarter of this
year. (Reuters)
CHINA--Chinese police ordered hotels in Beijing to turn off CNN during the
June 3-4 anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. (Reuters) This follows
a crack-down on private satellite receiving equipment in China. (Reuters)
The accident that happened to the Fengyun-2 weather satellite earlier this
year will not affect the launching schedule for three foreign satellites
later this year. Apstar-1 and Apstar-2 (operated by the Chinese-controlled
and Hong Kong-based APT Satellite Co.), and Australia's Optus B3 will be
launched during the latter half of this year as scheduled. (Xinhua news
agency via BBC Monitoring)
The China Telecommunications Broadcast Satellite Corp. has signed a 5 year
contract to lease 8 transponders on the Apstar-1 satellite. China will launch
the satellite around July 20th. China is anxious to expand and improve its
domestic broadcasting as part of an effort to ward off an invasion of Western
programming. (AP)
DEUTSCHE WELLE--Germany's Deutsche Welle has signed an agreement to broadcast
in the C-band via Asiasat 2, which is due to be launched in early 1995. The
satellite's footprint will cover an area from Tokyo to Turkey, reaching more
than 3 billion people in 53 countries. It will carry 33 transponders.
Deutsche Welle is the first customer to lease a C-band transponder on Asiasat
2. (BBC Monitoring and Reuters)
JAPAN--Japan Satellite Systems is planning to launch a 50 channel digitially
compressed satellite service in Asia within two years. Reception equipment
will cost around GBP 450, and the monthly subscription fee for a basic level
service will be GBP 23. ("Satnews")
The Japanese Posts and Telecommunications Ministry says it will call a panel
to study converting Japan's broadcasting system from analog to digital to
prepare for the forthcoming multimedia communications era. Satellite
broadcasts would begin around the year 2000, with terrestrial broadcasts
starting between 2000 and 2010. Industry watchers believe one reason for the
delay is that the ministry does not want to affect the analog Hi-Vision HDTV
system currently being introduced. (Kyodo news agency via BBC Monitoring)
SINGAPORE--Singapore has asked the ITU to reserve 6 satellite slots in space.
The island nation hopes to launch its first communications satellites by
1999. (Reuters)
The following is extracted from a programme schedule provided by Radio
Singapore International:
Radio Singapore International (English Service)
9530 kHz in the 31 Metreband
1100 to 1400 UTC hours
The English service of Radio Singapore International News, Business and
Market Reports, Current Affairs, Lifestyle and Music Programmes.
Full news bulletins are broadcast daily at 1130, 1230 and 1330 hours UTC, and
News-in-Briefs at 1100, 1200, 1300 and 1355 hours UTC.
A roundup of financial and business news from Mon to Fri at 1120 hours and
1220 hours UTC.
For more detailed information you may write RSI at:
Radio Singapore International
English Department
Farrer Road P.O. Box 5300
Singapore 9128
Republic of Singapore
or you may call them at : 011-65-353-5300
or you may fax them at:011-65-259-1357
(Adrian Seet)
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Sweden Calling DXers/MediaScan is the world's oldest radio program about
international broadcasting. Radio Sweden has presented this round-up of radio
news, features, and interviews on Tuesdays since 1948. It's currently
broadcast on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.
Radio Sweden broadcasts in English:
Europe and Africa:
16:15 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz
17:30 hrs on 1179, 6065, 9655, and 15390 kHz
20:30 hrs on 1179, 6065 and 9655 kHz
21:30 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz, and
22:30 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz
Middle East and Africa:
17:30 hrs on 6065, 9655, and 15390 kHz
20:30 hrs on 6065 and 9655 kHz
Asia and the Pacific:
11:30 hrs on 13775, 15120, and 15240 kHz
23:30 hrs on 11910 kHz and
01:30 hrs on 9695 and 11695 kHz
North America:
12:30 and 13:30 hrs on 15240 and 17870 kHz
02:30 and 03:30 hrs on 6040 and 9850 kHz
South America:
00:30 hrs on 6065 and 9810 kHz
The broadcasts at 16:15, 17:30, 21:30, and 22:30 hrs (and weekends at 20:30)
are also relayed to Europe by 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.
Radio Sweden is also relayed to Europe via the World Radio Network on MTV's
transponder 22 on Astra, audio 7.38 MHz, daily at 20:00 hrs UTC.
Radio Sweden can also be heard on WRN's North American service on ASC-1, on
SCOLA's transponder 23, audio 6.20 MHz, daily at 00:00 and 20:00 hrs.
Contributions can be sent to DX Editor George Wood by fax to +468-667-6283,
from MCI Mail or CompuServe to the CompuServe mailbox 70247,3516, from
Internet to 70247.3516@compuserve.com, 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.
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Thanks to this week's contributors Good Listening!