Tech Arsenal 1/Tech Arsenal (Arsenal Computer).ISO/tek-20/scdx2177.zip/SCDX2177.TXT

Text File | 1993-04-22 | 21KB | 424 lines

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  ::           MediaScan             ::
  ::      SWEDEN CALLING DXERS       ::
  ::       from Radio Sweden         ::
  ::   Number 2177--April 20, 1993   ::
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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 SCDX2177

All times UTC unless otherwise noted.

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THE WAR IN BOSNIA:

AMATEUR RADIO--Many reports from Srebrenica have been coming out by amateur
radio. We've heard that amateur radio transmissions from the besieged enclave
in single side band have been monitored in the amateur 40 meter band, on 7095
kHz.

SATELLITE NEWS FEEDS--Satellite monitors can find many news feeds from
Bosnia. The May issue of "What Satellite TV" magazine comes with a little
extra guide to news feeds, and mention describes one from Bosnia on Eutelsat
II-F1. One frequency on that satellite to check is 12.525 GHz, used by
Reuters and WTN for feeds. ("What Satellite TV")

OFFSHORE--A radio ship called "Freedom of Speech" has begun broadcasting what
is called "honest news" to the former Yugoslavia from the Adriatic Sea. The
effort is funded by the European Community. The transmissions are on 720 kHz
and 98 MHz. (BBC Monitoring)

RADIO SWEDEN--Here at Radio Sweden, we're relaying Swedish Radio's domestic
service P1 to the Balkans for the Swedes serving with the vairous United
Nations efforts there. Those broadcasts are between 05:00 and 06:15 hrs, on
9695 kHz.


NORDIC MEDIA NEWS:

RADIO SWEDEN--Radio Sweden's future is still unclear. When the Swedish
parliament's Foreign Relations Committee considered the government proposal
to cut our operating budget by a third, they approved reducing the Foreign
Ministry allocation to Radio Sweden by 2 million dollars a year, but
suggested that licence fees be used to cover the difference. In an unusual
move, the committee has sent the proposal back to the government. The final
legislation is to be voted on by parliament on April 28th.

So far we have no more information about our medium wave transmitter in
Soelvesborg, which was damaged by a fire some weeks back. We still hope to
resume full power transmissions on 1179 kHz in the middle of May.

ICE HOCKEY--Once again the private broadcaster TV3 got in ahead of Swedish
Television to get the Swedish TV rights to the Ice Hockey World
Championships, currently underway in Germany. But Swedish Radio has been
especially upset that the radio rights went to Z-Radio, owned by the same
company that owns TV3, apparently without any bidding. The thing about Z-
Radio is that it doesn't have any transmitters of its own, it broadcasts via
around 20 community radio stations, which reach only a third of the Swedish
population. The Community Radio Board has pointed out that such networking
violates the Community Radio Law. (TT)

Z-Radio is also available on satellite, on Tele-X at 5 degrees East, on the
TV5 Nordic transponder, audio 7.74 MHz. Meanwhile, Jan Johansson has reported
that the ice hockey world championships are being fed in clear PAL on
Eutelsat II-F1 on 11.658 GHz. (Jan Johansson)


EUROPEAN SATELLITE RADIO:

EUTELSAT--Radio Finland's satellite relays are to begin on May 1st on
Eutelsat II-F1, on the Deutsche Welle transponder, 11.163 GHz, audio 8.10
MHz. (BBC Monitoring) We have another report that the audio may be on 7.92
MHz. (James Robinson)

The Voice of America foreign service has disappeared from the subcarrier at
7.92 MHz. This is because the entire VOA network will only be available
digitally eventually. So VOA Europe will also be disappearing from this
transponder in the near future. (James Robinson)

A new classical station called Radio Bartok is to launch on one of the
subcarriers of the Hungarian Duna 7 channel on Eutelsat II-F3. (James
Robinson)

ASTRA RADIO--The country music station QCMR will use the Sky News transponder
on Astra, from around May 3rd, audio 7.56 MHz. United Christian Broadcasters
will use that same sound channel on the Sky Sports transponder, starting
today. The Sky News subcarrier at 7.74 MHz has been assigned to a Turkish
station called Radyo No. 1 Avrupa, which broadcast via Euronet last year. The
station is unlikely to begin for the foreseeable future, however, because of
a lack of funds. (James Robinson)

EUROPEAN SATELLITE TELEVISION:

VATICAN--Telepace's broadcasts from the Vatican have moved frequency and
satellite. They're now on Eutelsat II-F3 on 11.554 GHz. There's a daily
transmission at 15:00 hrs. (James Robinson)

THE CABLE NETWORK--United Artists, which already operates the Discovery,
Bravo, Learning, and Country Music TV channels, is to launch another channel
on May 4th. Although primarily intended for cable viewers, the new channel,
called The Cable Network, will be available on an Intelsat 6 satellite,
presumeably the one at 27.5 degrees West, already used by United Artists'
other channels. It will be uncoded, and will feature lifestyle programming
for women during the day, with programs aimed at a male audience, featuring
hobbies and sports, in the evenings. ("What Satellite TV")

SKY'S SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGE--MTV is considering starting a special channel for
just the UK, which could be a coded part of the planned Sky package which
will be introduced in the Fall. ("Paa TV") MTV's kids channel Nickelodeon and
UK Gold are likely to join the Sky package as well, along with the previously
reported Sky One, Sky News, Discovery, Bravo, and the Children's Channel.
("What Satellite TV")

POLAND--TV Polonia has finally begun regular broadcasts, on Eutelsat II-F3,
on 11.080 GHz. A radio station called Radio Relax uses the subcarrier at 7.38
MHz. (James Robinson) There are talks in progress on bringing the station to
American cable networks. (TV Polonia via BBC Monitoring)

TURKEY--TRT split its international satellite channel into two, the INT
(International) and Avrasya (Eurasia) channels, beginning April 12th. The
English and German news bulletins have ended. TRT INT is broadcast to Europe
on Eutelsat II-F1 on 11.181 GHz. TRT Avrasya is believed to be broadcast on
Intelsat 507 at 57 degrees East on 11.495 GHz. TRT domestic TV services are
carried on Intelsat 604 at 60 degrees East. (BBC Monitoring)


INTERNATIONAL SATELLITE RADIO:

NEW DIMENSIONS--The San Francisco-based New Dimensions program is heard
weekly on hundreds of American non-commercial radio stations, via the
National Public Radio satellite network. Beginning in February, that program
is now also being relayed on Armed Forces Radio, which unfortunately is no
longer on shortwave. The network uses the Inmarsat satellite system, and if
you have equipment to monitor it, New Dimensions can be heard on the primary
frequency of 1537 MHz, with a secondary frequency of 1536.95 MHz, Saturdays
at 08:05 hrs. (New Dimensions)

There are Inmarsat satellites at 55.5 degrees West, 15.5 degrees West, 64.5
degrees East, 178 degrees East, and 180 degrees East. ("World Satellite
Almanac")


THE FUTURE OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING:

EUROPEAN DIGITAL RADIO--Digital audio broadcasting, or DAB, will be showing
up on European radio dials, beginning in 1995. Ultimately it will replace FM,
providing perfect signals without fading or phase problems, even on car
radios. The World Administrative Radio Conference last year approved digital
radio from satellites as well, and we may be listening to international
broadcasters from orbit on pocket receivers by the end of the century.

But four major European international broadcasters are working together to
start a continent-wide DAB service. One DAB channel can carry several
discrete radio outlets, and the proposed service would have separate program
streams in English, French, and German.  The plan, called European Digital
Radio, is described in the April issue of Britain's "Shortwave Magazine". The
stations involved are the BBC World Service, Radio France International,
Radio Netherlands, and Deutsche Wellle. Fritz Groothuis, head of the BBC's
French and Portuguese Services, explains:

FRITZ GROOTHUIS: We think that the first terrestrial stations will come in at
the end of 1995, or the beginning of 1996. We think we'll start via satellite
at around the year 2000. So it would be a good idea for us to start
terrestrially. There, of course, you've got the whole problem of frequency
allocations. But we think that's it's important that in the countries that
are taking part, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Britain, that in these
countries a DAB frequency is reserved for this European project.

There's one other dimension, and that is that with all the difficulties that
exist, Europe seems to be coming closer. We can never go back, we cannot turn
that clock back. But there's nothing really in media terms, and certainly
nothing in radio terms, that sort of buttresses this intergration. Or even
buttresses the cohesion that is needed for us to live together in peace. That
is the media-political dimension of this. The technological answer to this
need is DAB, we think.

RADIO SWEDEN: And you would use one DAB signal to carry several program
streams, each in a single language?

FG: The easiest way to start, and that is why we are only starting with four
stations, is to start with three separate languages, with one station
responsible for each language. We're still discussing this, but one of the
likliest models would have the BBC responsible for English, but with
contributions in English coming in from other stations, the French
responsible for French, but with contributions in French coming in, and the
Germans for German.

RS: But there are many other international broadcasters in Europe. Will there
be room for them to participate?

FG: Absolutely. I think we have to start slowly, and with a limited number of
stations, but this is by no means an attempt to exclude others. I think that
the beauty of DAB will then be that, say you would like a DAB service of this
kind for Sweden, with Swedish of course, plus other languages. Say, for
argument's sake English and German. The Swedes could then decide that they
would switch their satellite receiver so that they would get programs in
those three languages. So it is a system that could be customized to other
parts of Europe. For Spain say, or Italy.


Unfortunately there's no money yet for European Digital Radio, just a good
idea, and a lot of good will.

WORLD RADIO NETWORK--We've reported before about a similar effort, albeit
analog and satellite-only, called the World Radio Network, or WRN. It spent a
week last year testing a channel on Astra carrying a wide variety of
international radio broadcasters in English. WRN is currently relaying
Vatican Radio in many languages and Radio Canada International in Russian on
Eutelsat II-F1.  James Robinson reports that when WRN returns to Astra it
will be using the 7.74 MHz subcarrier on the Sky News transponder. (James
Robinson)


SPACE SHUTTLE AND MIR:

DISCOVERY--The space shuttle Discovery has been in orbit, and as with many
shuttle missions, Discovery carried amateur radio. Last week I left my packet
radio equipment on during the night on the shuttle downlink on 145.550 MHz.
The first morning, no message from the shuttle, but instead a transmission
from R2MIR on the Russian space station MIR. The next night, however, the
signals from W5RRR on Discovery appeared on the screen. There's FM voice
communications as well from both MIR and the space shuttles on 145.550 MHz.

Since the shuttles and MIR are in low orbit, these signals are fairly easy to
pick up with simple antennas and scanners.

COLUMBIA--We're still waiting for the delayed launch of the shuttle Columbia,
now scheduled for 14:52 hrs on April 24th. Like all shuttle missions, it will
be carried to North American on NASA's satellite transponder on Satcom 2R,
transponder 13. But, because there's a German project onboard, Europeans will
be able to watch the shuttle live in space on the Kopernikus 2 satellite at
28.5 degrees East, on 11.525 GHz. (Bertil Sundberg in "Paa TV")


MEDIUM AND SHORTWAVE:

AFGHANISTAN--Radio Afghanistan has resumed broadcasts in English and Urdu to
Asia. The frequency is 7200 kHz (although 9635 kHz is sometimes announced)
and English is at 14:30-15:00 hrs and Urdu at 15:00-15:30 hrs. The station
says it will resume broadcasting in Arabic, Russian, German, and French very
soon. Radio Afghanistan's main domestic service is heard on 657 kHz at 14:30-
15:30 hrs and on 657 and 7200 kHz between 15:30 and 17:30 hrs. (BBC
Monitoring)

ESTONIA--There's a newe private station on the air in a suburb of the
Estonian capital, Tallinn. Called Nomme Radio, it operates on 1602 kHz, with
just 10 watts of power.

Another Estonian station that had been using 1602 kHz, Mulgi Radio, has now
switched to FM 100.8 MHz. Another new Estonian station is the Finnish-
language Radio Hyvatuuli on 103.5 MHz, which is aimed at tourists visiting
Tallinn. There are future plans for broadcasts in English, German, and
Swedish. (BBC Monitoring)

INDIA--All India Radio has begun broadcasts of national news bulletins to
Indians resident abroad. This is aimed at South Asia, West Asia and the Gulf,
and Southeast Asia and is scheduled at 15:30-15:45 hrs on 7140, 7412, 9910,
and 11670 kHz. (BBC Monitoring)

LITHUANIA--Because of a shortage of funds, Radio Vilnius broadcasts in
Lithuania and English are being reduced from two hours a day in each language
to half an hour a day. The fate of the external service is uncertain
following Russia's demands for transmitter rental. (Radio Vilnius via BBC
Monitoring)

Radio Baltic International, a joint project of Lithuanian and British
companies aimed at broadcasting Radio Luxembourg type programs to
Scandinavia, has been given permission to put a 200 kW transmitter on 684
kHz. Broadcasts were supposed to begin by July. But a station spokesman says
a dispute with local farmers over compensation for crops damaged by
construction has delayed the start until November, 1993. There is also
confusion over a reported remark from the head of the British company
involved that the station would use digital AM stereo, which the Lithuanians
believe could interfere with their own stations. (Radio Vilnius via BBC
Monitoring)

This station is very shadowy. The AM stereo suggestion is strange,
considering no one in Scandinavia has equipment to receive this mode. Not
only has there been no publicity for the station within the proposed target
area, but Sweden's own first commercial radio stations will be appearing by
July. If Radio Baltic International isn't on the air first, there won't be
any audience to speak of.


PHILIPPINES--FEBC Radio International broadcasts in English to Southeast Asia
and India at 00:00-02:00 hrs on 15450 kHz, to China and Southeast Asia at
09:00-11:00 hrs on 11690 kHz, and to India, Burma, and Southeast Asia at
13:00-16:00 hrs on 11995 kHz. (FEBC)

RUSSIA/GEORGIA--The Voice of Abkhazia has been heard on 7305 kHz at 17:30-
18:00 hrs. It identifies as "Apsua Radio" (Abkhaz Radio), apparently
broadcasting to the separatists in the breakaway Georgian region on Abkhazia.
The broadcasts appear to be in Abkhazian except for a news summary in Turkish
at around 17:50 hrs. At around 18:00 hrs the transmission switches to Radio
Moscow's Arabic Service. (BBC Monitoring)

USA--Following the fire at the American private shortwave station WWCR,
their medium wave outlet WNQM is back on the air, thanks to the loan of a 1
kW transmitter from WAKM in Franklin, Tennessee, and the loan of student
equipment from WLAC in Nashville. Speaking with Glenn Hauser on WRNO's "World
of Radio" program, WWCR Program Director Adam Lock said he hopes the first
shortwave transmitter will be back within about two weeks, with the second in
four to six weeks time. It's uncertain whether the first transmitter will be
used to carry programming from the evangelist Gene Scott or for WWCR's wide
variety of programming. (BBC Monitoring and Internet News via Kauto Huopio)

The fire came just as WWCR was about to start a new program about electronic
communications, called Spectrum. If WWCR is back on the air in time, Spectrum
will be on the air Sundays, beginning May 2nd, at 03:35 hrs on 7435 kHz. Even
if WWCR isn't on yet, the program will still be carried by satellite on Let's
Talk Radio on Spacenet 3, transponder 21, 5.8 MHz. (Dave Marthouse)

COSTA RICA--Another station that suffered damage recently is Radio for Peace
International in Costa Rica. Ironically, the station had installed a new 30
kW transmitter and a new antenna in January. In March a hurricane blew down
the new antenna tower, which fell onto a second, which then toppled into the
third tower, totalling putting the station off the air. They want to be back
on the air in some capacity within a month, and are trying to raise 15,000
dollars in donations.

The address for contributions is: RFPI Antenna Tower Fund, Box 10869, Eugene,
OR  97440, USA. ("New Dimensions")

UNOFFICIAL--The National Radio of the Saharan Democratic Republic, operated
by the Polisario Front fighting Morocco in the Western Sahara, has been on
medium wave since the late 70's. The station has now been heard on shortwave.
Broadcasts in Arabic are at 17:00-24:00 hrs on 11520 kHz, in parallel with a
new medium wave channel of 1544 kHz. (BBC Monitoring)


CLUB NEWS:

EDXC--This year's conference of the European DX Council is rapidly
approaching. It will be held Pentacost, or Whitsun weekend, between May 28th
and May 31st, in Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. The EDXC is the umbrella
organization bringing together clubs for shortwave listeners in various parts
of Europe. Marking the growing use of satellites for international
broadcasting, this year's conference will include two lectures on various
aspects of satellite telecommunications.

The final registration date is April 30th. You can write for more information
to AER Canarias, Box 2180, E-35080 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.

DX-ANTWERP--For some reason DX-Antwerp, which hosted an EDXC conference a few
years ago, is organizing a gathering of its own during this year's EDXC
meeting. Open-Door-Days will be held on May 29th and 30th, demonstrating
shortwave radio to the public, along with presentations of amateur radio, TV-
DX, FAX reception, and computer applications. The event will take place at
"Taverne De Schorren", Graspolderlaan 32, B-2660 Hoboken-Antwerp, Belgium, on
Saturday the 29th between 10:00 and 22:00 hrs local time, on Sunday the 30th
between 10:00 and 17:00 hrs local time. For more information, send a self-
addressed stamped envelope or an international reply coupon to DX-Antwerp,
Box 16, B-2660 Hoboken 1, Belgium.

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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 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 [phone],
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.

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Thanks to this week's contributors                           Good Listening!