From WOOD@stab.sr.seWed Jan 18 12:02:35 1995
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 13:33:44 +0100
From: George Wood <WOOD@stab.sr.se>
To: thomas@acat.oden.tips.se, andy.sennitt@almac.co.uk, ab5sm@netcom.com,
hermod.pedersen@swedx.ct.se, kauto.huopio@lut.fi, kenta@sr.se,
ar416@freenet.buffalo.edu, bignoise@cix.compulink.co.uk,
tstader@aol.com, satnews@cix.compulink.co.uk, 100121.655@compuserve.com,
71163.1735@compuserve.com, 70630.560@compuserve.com,
100113.1517@compuserve.com, 76703.407@compuserve.com,
3382983@mcimail.com, 2446376@mcimail.com, jpdonnio@dialup.francenet.fr,
scdx@get.pp.se, tp6@evansville.edu, martyn@euro.demon.co.uk
Subject: scdx2215.asc50 10,729 v NBC Super Channel
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:: MediaScan ::
:: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS ::
:: from Radio Sweden ::
:: Number 2215--Jan. 3, 1995 ::
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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 SCDX2215
All times UTC unless otherwise noted.
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NORDIC MEDIA NEWS:
TV4--Sweden's private terrestrial station, TV4, currently pays the state SEK
650 million (around USD 87 million) a year for its license, a sum it would
save if TV4 only broadcast on satellite. Nevertheless, Sales Director Gunnar
Sjoegren says there are no plans to do this, unless TV4's broadcasts on the
Sirius satellite reached 75 to 80 percent of the Swedish population.
According to a study by the MMS research institute, TV4 reached only 57
percent of Swedish households by satellite (or presumeably cable) in 1993.
Gunnar Sjoegren has confirmed that TV4 still plans to launch a second,
satellite-only channel. (Direct) We interviewed then Managing Director Bjoern
Nordstrand about these plans some months ago, but since then he's left his
job with TV4.
AMERICAN PROGRAMMING--The dominance of American programming is controversial
here in Europe. The European Union has tried to set quotas for non-European
television in a document ironically called "Television Without Frontiers".
But while France is trying to plug a loophole in the directive, there are
other powerful forces within the EU trying to block the attempt, and keep
strict quotas off the airwaves.
Here in Sweden, the Media Forum, funded by popular movements and non-
government organizations, has studied the progrmaming on the 5 Swedish
general entertainment television channels. Their conclusion is that 31
percent of programming comes from the United States. Original production of
cultural programs, Swedish drama, and serious music accounts for less than 2
percent, although in fact Swedish programming in general accounts for 54
percent of the output of the 5 channels. ("Informationsbrev")
And we'll get back to this story, because this issue, the threat of cultural
imperialism versus free media, is an important one.
EUROPEAN MEDIA NEWS:
ASTRA 1D--The Astra 1D satellite is finally in operation, with several
stations already on the air, and more to follow.
Astra's owner SES has been unusually tight-lipped about the allocations on
the new satellite. They were supposed to announce the 1D stations on December
14th, but it wasn't until the 20th that the first, incomplete list was
released.
Here is a list of transponders. * means on the air, (+) means channels
confirmed by SES, transponder reported by James Robinson, (-) means NOT
confirmed by SES, transponder reported by James Robinson:
* 49 10.714 h arte
50 10.729 v NBC Super Channel
51 10.744 h CLT/RTL (new Dutch station)
* 52 10.759 v RTL 4
53 10.773 h Sky (-)
* 54 10.788 v TV Asia
55 10.803 h Kabel 1 (*)
56 10.818 v Thematic Channel (*)
57 10.832 h Sky (-)
58 10.847 v Sky (-)
59 10.862 h
60 10.877 v
61 10.891 h Home Order Television (*)
62 10.906 v Kabel Plus (*)
* 63 10.921 h Filmnet Slovakia
* 64 10,936 v RTL 5
The biggest surprise, is that, despite many denials, NBC Super Channel is
coming to Astra. TV Asia, which announced itself that it was getting its own
1D transponder, is already on the air, in the clear. It has been broadcasting
split schedules on two other transponders, 26, which it shares with Sky
Movies Gold, and 46, which it shares with Nickelodeon. That should last
another month, and then those two transponders will be free for other
stations to use.
Another Astra broadcaster moving transponders is the Dutch RTL-4, which is
now using 1D transponder 52. Eventually it should be leaving its old
transponder 13. It's been reported that the new Super RLT/Disney Channel in
German will appear there, on March 1st. (James Robinson)
For those looking for a Disney Channel in English, it's been reported that
Disney plans to work with British Sky Broadcasting. The channel would only be
available to subscribers to both of Sky's pay movie channels.
That means the Disney Channel in English would be denied to viewers in the
rest of Europe, and the only British viewers would be those who subscribed to
the entire Sky package. James Robinson tells us that the Sky Disney Channel
would probably share Astra transponder 26 with Sky Movies Gold, now that TV
Asia is moving, but wouldn't start until the Fall.
So there's still time to write a letter of protest to Disney.
There's one more station already using Astra 1D, the Franco-German cultural
channel arte, on transponder 49. According to news reports, a number of other
German broadcasters on Astra 1D have also been confirmed:
Kabelkanal, which currently broadcasts on Eutelsat, is moving to 1D,
switching to clear PAL, and calling itself Kabel 1. It will be joined by
another German entertainment outlet called Kabel Plus, a German shopping
channel called Home Order Television, and the Thematic Channel, which is to
feature films and classical music.
Luxembourg's CLT is also starting a new Dutch channel on Astra 1D. ("Tele-
Satellit" via Martyn Williams, James Robinson, AFP and TT)
Note that the Astra 1D transponders are below the coverage band of many
satellite receivers, going all the way down to Arte's transponder 49 on
10.714 GHz. Newer receivers cover the transponders, and there are converters
on the market for older models.
EUTELSAT--There is a Ukranian channel on Eutelsat II-F3 on 11.575 GHz. Kanal
Plus Poland on 11.617 Ghz will start on February 2. (James Robinson)
The Dutch Veronica organization has booked two transponders on Eutelsat II-
F1, 11.416 and 11.181 GHz. They begin broadcasts in September. TRT is moving
from II-F1, to Eutelsat II-F2. (James Robinson)
Eutelsat has ordered the Hot Bird 3 satellite from the British-French company
Matra Marconi Aerospace. It will be positioned at 13 degrees East, together
with Eutelsat II-F1, the coming Hot Bird-1, and Hot Bird-2, which is under
construction-LIke Hot Bird-2, Hot Bird-3 will carry 20 high-powered Ku-band
transponders in the DBS band. Broadcasters will be able to choose between two
coverage zones: the Widebeam, reaching homes through-out Europe and as far as
central Asia and the Gulf states, or the Superbeam, focusing on central and
western Europe, particularly well-adapted for digital television reception
with less than 45 cm antennas. (Eutelsat)
The failure of the most recent Ariane launch, has put the program back
several months. Eutelsat's Hot Bird-1 satellite probably won't be in orbit
until March or April. But Eutelsat II-F1 will be able to offer the new BBC
World 24 hour news channel by the end of the month. Regular broadcasts are to
begin January 26th, and there may be tests ahead of that date. Look for BBC
World on the current BBC Arabic relay channel on 11.617 GHz.
INTELSAT--The current BBC World Service Television channel on Intelsat 601
will become a purely entertainment channel called BBC Prime. While BBC World
will be uncoded with advertising, BBC Prime will remain a subscription
channel in D2-MAC.
NORTH AMERICAN MEDIA NEWS:
BBC--The BBC has also announced that it will launch BBC World and BBC Prime
to North America next month. (Reuters)
RADIO:
WRN--Another bridge between Europe and North America is the World Radio
Network, which relays programs from 22 international broadcasters, including
Radio Sweden, to Europe on Astra transponder 22 and to North America on
Galaxy 5 transponder 6. But WRN is expanding, and there are plans to take the
National Public Radio programming and put it on its own Astra channel. In
today's program we interviewed WRN's Karl Miosga.
They will shortly be starting a new European channel devoted solely to
relaying public radio from the United States. That will also free up time on
WRN Network One for new broadcasters, including Radio Japan and All India
Radio.
The next project is the WRN German channel on Astra.
WRN is also working on a new North American channel on Galaxy 5, to carry
programming from international broadcasters in their own languages.
Finally, WRN is working with Internet Multicasting to provide programming on
the Internet. WRN programming will be carried live on the Net (presumeably
over the MBONE service). Sound files of newscasts from the WRN broadcasters
will also be available for downloading.
For more information on Internet Multicasting, E-mail to info@radio.com will
result in a FAQ information sheet being sent back to you.
WRN's E-mail address is: wrn@cityscape.co.uk
ASIAN MEDIA NEWS:
INDIA--India's Doordarshan is set to launch via satellite to the world this
year. Doordarshan International is now (or about to) broadcasting to Asia via
Asiasat. In June broadcasts to Europe and North America are to being via PAS-
4 (which is not in orbit yet). In the meantime, PanAmSat has offered a
transponder on the trans-Atlantic PAS-1. ("Tele-Satellit" via Martyn
Williams)
RUSSIA--The Russian Ekspress satellite at 71.5 degrees East is now operating,
with relays of Ostankino. Until the older Gorizont satellites, Ekspress
carries a second Ku-band transponder. ("Tele-Satellit")
ORBIT--Orbit Communications has signed a lease for 4 transponders on the new
Intelsat 704 satellite to be positioned at 66 degrees East. The company will
move its digital TV package onto the four 112 MHz wide transponders to give
better coverage of the Middle East and North Africa.
A premium package of 28 TV channels will be transmitted including: BBC World,
Orbit News (news from ABC, CBS, and NBC), Orbit-ESPN Sports, Discovery, CNN
International, and movies, children' music, and entertainment programming.
The TV offering will be supplemented with 12 digital radio channels. Orbit is
understood to be continuing its current service on Arabsat 1D for the
foreseeable future. ("Tele-Satellit")
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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:
17:15 hrs 1179 and 6065 kHz
18:30 1179, 6065, 9655, and 13690 kHz (also Africa/Middle East)
21:30 1179, 6065, and 9655 kHz (also Africa/Middle East)
22:30 1179 and 6065 kHz
23:30 1179 kHz
Asia/Pacific:
12:30 hrs 13775, 15120, and 15240 kHz
23:30 11910 kHz
01:30 9895 and 11695 kHz
North America:
13:30 and 14:30 hrs on 11650 and 15240 kHz
02:30 and 03:30 hrs on 6200 and 7120 kHz
Latin America:
00:30 hrs on 6065 and 6200 kHz
The broadcasts at 17:15 and 18:30 hrs 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 (5 degrees East) via TV5 Nordic at 12.475 GHz, audio subcarrier
7.38 MHz.
Radio Sweden is also relayed to Europe via the World Radio Network on VH-1'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.
Sound files of Mediascan are archived at:
ftp.funet.fi:pub/sounds/RadioSweden/Mediascan.
If you access to the WorldWide Web, you can also find the programs among the
offerings of Internet Talk Radio at various sites, including:
ftp://town.hall.org/radio/Mirrors/RadioSweden/MediaScan
Contributions can be sent to DX Editor George Wood by fax to +468-667-6283,
via the Internet to wood@stab.sr.se, from MCI Mail or CompuServe to the
CompuServe mailbox 70247,3516, 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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