:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: MediaScan ::
:: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS ::
:: from Radio Sweden ::
:: Number 2205--Aug. 2, 1994 ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Satellite, shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden.
This week's bulletin was written by George Wood.
Packet Radio BID SCDX2205
All times UTC unless otherwise noted.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NORDIC MEDIA NEWS:
SWEDISH PRIVATE RADIO--Sweden's private commercial radio stations have been
on the air for less than a year, and the changes keep coming, as the market
sorts itself out. The two new classical radio stations here in Stockholm are
slowly establishing regular service. The British-owned Classic FM is still
broadcasting bird song and an announcement of their imminent start on 107.5
MHz, but they've actually introduced some classic hits, like "Pacabel's
Canon", into their tape loop.
Arch-rival Classic Radio, run by the Kinnevik media empire, has been running
a loop of classic hits for some weeks here on 106.3 MHz and in Gothenburg on
107.8 MHz. Now they say they will start regular broadcasts on August 8th, but
actually plan to begin the day before.
Meanwhile, Stockholmers were surprised recently when a new and unexpected
station appeared, the new oldies station Golden Hits on 100.8 MHz. That isn't
a Stockholm allocation. It turns out that it's actually in Sdertlje, 30
kilometers southwest of the capital. While the station is obviously trying to
serve Stockholm, coverage is spotty at best.
What's interesting about Golden Hits is that it's a station without any
staff. Everything is totally automaticated. ("Dagens Nyheter") Ultimately,
the station hopes to take listener requests on a voice mail premium rate
telephone line, in effect earning money for the station for just playing the
music it would have played anyway.
CABLE--Innovations continue with Swedish cable radio and television. Swedish
Telecom, the country's largest cable operator, has just finished a month-long
trial in limited pay-per-view video-on-demand, where viewers use the phone to
order movies from the cable. In today's program we interview Claes
Gustafsson, head of Information for Swedish Telecom Cable.
He tells us that the trial during June reached 550,000 households in 28
Swedish cities. They offered four Swedish films three times each evening.
This is a far cry from true video-on-demand, where you can choose between
many films and events, and see your choice soon, waiting 20 minutes at most.
Claes Gustafsson tells us that his company is working towards providing a
service where films are available at least every 30 minutes, and they hope it
will be in place this Fall. True pay-per-view video-on-demand will take a few
years, however.
The project to place cable radio stations on their terrestrial frequencies
has stalled in Stockholm, due to the many new stations placed so close
together. This is also expected to be implemented during the Fall. Meanwhile,
they're also talking to DMX and several other companies about providing
themed digital radio channels, without commercials or talk. This is another
project set to begin in the Fall, although in this case Claes Gustafsson is
less sure they'll meet this target.
EUROPEAN MEDIA NEWS:
SKY SPORTS 2--There are major changes on Astra transponder 47, which has been
a Sky preview channel.
Sky has confirmed that Sky Sports 2 will be officially starting there on
August 19th. But the transponder is already scrambled, because on Friday and
Saturday it's being previewed as a special events outlet for pubs and clubs,
which are paying 75 pounds each for the opportunity to show the Ibrox
International International Challenge Trophy soccer tournament from Glasgow,
featuring such teams as Glasgow Rangers, Manchester United, and Newcastle
United. The match begin at 17:30 and 19:45 hrs UTC on Friday, and at 15:00
and 17:15 hrs on Saturday.
When it officially launches, Sky Sports 2 will be carried on Fridays and
weekends only. It will be encrypted in videocrypt, and will be free to
existing Sky Sports subscribers.
During the week, Sky may eventually carry its own Science Fiction channel
(NOT the same as the American Sci-Fi Channel said to be coming to Eutelsat
II-F1) in the evenings, and possibly soap operas during the day, with the
current preview channel the rest of the time. The latest edition of "Sky
Plus" magazine states that Sky will introduce "even more new channels" in
September. VH-1 is already slated for a September 30th launch. The Travel
Channel may also be moving to Astra as part of the Sky Multichannels package.
There are also reports Sky may be about to increase its subscription fees.
(James Robinson, Martyn Williams, and "Skyguide")
ASTRA RADIO--Asda FM, the in-store music channel for a chain of British
supermarkets, has moved to 7.56 MHz on Astra transponder 47, while Super Gold
is on 7.38 MHz. Asda's moving from Sky Movies Plus, and Super Gold from Sky
News, where all the available sound channels are being cleared out for use by
DMX, which plans to offer dozens of themed digital radio channels to Europe.
(James Robinson)
Country Music Radio may be returning to Astra on MTV's transponder 22, audio
7.74 MHz. (We've had previous reports that WRN's new German service would be
located here.) Or possibly to 7.38 and 7.56 kHz on Nickelodeon's transponder
46. (James Robinson)
EUROSPORT--Eurosport is moving (or has already moved) from Astra 1A to 1C,
keeping the same transponder frequency, as 1C is the back-up for 1A.
Reception may be somewhat worse in northern Europe, as the coverage pattern
on 1C is aimed more towards the south. Eurosport is adding a soundtrack in
Spanish to take advantage of its new coverage area. (Bertil Sundberg in "Paa
TV", James Robinson, Andy Sennitt, "Sky Guide")
ARIANE--Ariane has now announced the Astra 1D satelite will be on its V69
launch, which will follow the Eutelsat Hot Bird on V68, scheduled for
November 11th. So hopefully the new Astra will be in orbit before the end of
the year. (Bertil Sundberg in "Paa TV")
EUTELSAT--Eutelsat II-F1 is apparently fully booked. This includes the new
BBC World Service news channel to Europe, the Sci-Fi Channel, and others.
("In Orbit")
Eutelsat is to begin tests of digital radio on August 4th. The SaRa system
will provide up to 100 channels via the soon-to-be-launched Hot Bird
satellite. The stations involved in the tests include Deutschlandradio,
Deutsche Welle, and WDR Radio. ("Satnews")
INTELSAT--Intelsat 601 bears the message "Reserved for United Artists
Programming" on 11.055 GHz. (Bertil Sundberg in "Paa TV")
GHORIZONT--Channel 6 from St. Petersburg has been testing in PAL on the
Ghorizont at 53 degrees East, on 11.525 GHz. (Bertil Sundberg in "Paa TV")
TELECOM--The new French all-news channel LCI on Telecom 2-B will be encrypted
from September 15th. (Martyn Williams)
MIDDLE EASTERN MEDIA NEWS:
BBC--The new BBC Arabic service is running as part of a digital coded package
in the C-band on the Arabsat 1-D satellite. But the service can also be
found, in clear PAL, evenings on Eutelsat 1-F4 at 25.5 degrees East, the same
satellite that's carrying CNN to Eastern Europe. The BBC is at 11.660 GHz.
TURKSAT--CNN is Eutelsat I-F4 because the Ariane rocket carrying the first
Turksat, on which CNN had booked a transponder, crashed a few months ago. The
second Turksat was supposed to be launched with Ariane last Saturday, but
because of a problem in the oxygen tank of the rocket's third stage, the
launch has been postponed until August 10th. Brazilsat is also onboard.
(Reuters)
PALESTINE--The Voice of Palestine has been heard on 675 kHz, replacing 702
kHz. The station, which is located in Jericho, has denied a report it intends
to use Abie Nathan's former Peace Ship for offshore broadcasts. Palestinean
Television is now transmitting from Jericho on UHF channel 21. (BBC
Monitoring)
ASIAN MEDIA NEWS:
APSTAR--On July 21st, China launched Apstar-1. This, and its sister satellite
Apstar-2, will be major competition for Rupert Murdoch's Star-TV service on
Asiasat. Programmers on Apstar's 24 transponders will include CNN, the sports
channel ESPN, HBO, Discovery, Reuters Television, Australia's Channel 9, and
TVB from Hong Kong.
MTV Asia, which left Star-TV package on Asiasat, is to resume broadcasts from
Apstar, from a new base in Singapore.
But there's controversy over Apstar as well. China is placing it at 131
degees East. The problem is that the Pacific satellite Rimsat is at 130
degrees, and Japan's Sakura 3A is at 132 degrees. Generally broadcast
satellites are placed at least 2 degrees apart to avoid interference.
(Reuters and AP)
AFRICAN MEDIA NEWS:
RWANDA--Radio Rwanda, now taken over by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, has
resumed broadcasts on 6055 kHz, and has announced the new 99.3 MHz VHF FM.
English has been heard at 11:45 and 18:30 or 18:45 hrs UTC. (BBC Monitoring)
NORTH AMERICAN MEDIA NEWS:
DIRECTV--The launch of DirecTV-2 has been delayed due to problems at the
launch site. The Atlas rocket at NASA's Cape Canaveral facility was grounded
by the rocket manufacturer after the discovery of possible problems with the
onboard systems. ("Satnews")
WORLD RADIO NETWORK--The WRN Network 1 transmissions of international
broadcasters (including Radio Sweden) to North America began relays on the
Galaxy 5 satellite, on WTBS's transponder 6, audio 6.8 MHz, on August 1st.
The ASC-1 transmissions will end in December. (WRN)
The relatively high-powered Galaxy 5 is the most popular American satellite,
with many services, such as: the Disney Channel, Playboy, the Sci-Fi Channel,
CNN, WTBS, WGN, HBO, ESPN and ESPN 2, the Family Channel, Discovery, CNBC,
Cinemax, TNT, the USA Network, and Arts and Entertainment. It's the only
American C-band satellite for which fixed, non-motorized dishes are sold.
LATIN AMERICAN MEDIA NEWS:
NBC--Following its take-over of Europe's Super Channel, and subsidiary CNBC's
newly started service on Indonesia's Palapa satellite, the NBC TV network is
now moving into Latin America. NBC has signed an agreement with Mexico's
upstart network Television Azteca, which has two networks with 168 affiliated
stations.
NBC will provide some programs to the two networks, but is more interested in
helping TV Azteca develop programs that can beshown in other Spanish-speaking
countries and to cities in the United States. NBC already operates Canal de
Noticias NBC, a 24-hour Spanish-language news service. (AP)
SWITZERLAND--Swiss Radio International is now broadcasting via a relay
station in French Guiana. The following schedule was carredi in the "World of
Radio" program on WWCR:
00:30-03:15 hrs on 13635 kHz to Central America and eastern North America
03:30-05:30 hrs on 11620 kHz to Western North America
08:30-10:45 hrs on 11640 kHz to Australasia
20:00-21:00 hrs on 9770 kHz to Africa
22:15-24:00 hrs on 11650 kHz to South America (replacing the relay from
Gabon in 12035 kHz) (BBC Monitoring)
AMATEUR RADIO SATELLITES:
SOUTH AFRICA--The US space agency NASA has agreed to launch South Africa's
first satellite, in January, 1996. Designed originally for the French
commercial Ariane rocket, the Stellenbosch University Satellite (SUNSAT) has
to be modified to meet NASA's requirements. The project was chosen from among
around 150 applications a year for two or three places on American delivery
rockets.
Sunsat is to deliver high-resolution multi-spectral stereo images of the
Earth, and will carry amateur radio equipment, which will enable school
children to talk with the satellite in space. (Reuters)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 6155 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) at
11.597 GHz, audio subcarrier at 7.74 MHz,
Tele-X and Sirius (5 degrees East) via TV5 Nordic at 12.475 GHz and TV4 on
11.938 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 Galaxy-5,
on WTBS's transponder 6, audio 6.8 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 the
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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to this week's contributors Good Listening!