::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS :: :: from Radio Sweden :: :: Number 2034--Mar. 14, 1989 :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden. This week's bulletin was written by Ingemar Sandberg. Electronic Edition edited by George Wood. Packet Radio BID SCDX2034 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CORRECTION--Please note that the editor of edition 2033 was Ingemar Sandberg. We regret the mistaken attribution. (George Wood) SATELLITE--The American space shuttle Discovery is in orbit, and has released the third TDRS, Tracking and Data Relay Satellite. The first TDRS was launched by Challenger in 1983, and another was destroyed with Challenger in 1986. Discovery released another TDRS last September. With the third satellite the system will be complete, and NASA will be able to close 6 ground tracking stations. Under the current system, there are 14 ground stations around the globe, and the shuttles relay through whatever station is closest. Because the stations are so far apart, astronauts aboard the shuttle can't contact Earth at all for 85 percent of the time. The ground station for the new system will be White Sands, New Mexico. The stations which are closing, which may be a bit of a loss for shortwave listeners monitoring shuttle flights, are Ascension Island; Santiago, Chile; Guam; Kauai, Hawaii; Dakar; and Yarragadee, Australia. The stations at Madrid, Canberra, and Goldstone, California will be used for a porject managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Five stations will continue to provide tracking data during shuttle launch or landing. They're in Florida, Bermuda, Virginia, and California. SATELLITE-RADIO--As of Feburary 15th, the following radio channels are being carried on Eutelsat: BBC World Service (11.674 GHz), Cable One (11.175 GHz), Norway P1 (11.180 GHz), Norway P2 (11.180 GHz), Radio 10 (11.140 GHz), RTL (11.091 GHz), Sky Radio (11.650 GHz), Starsat Radio (11.507 GHz), and VOA Europe (11.507 GHz). (Radio Netherlands via "WRTH Downlink") SATELLITE-TV--There's a new satellite TV broadcaster beginning later this month, called Nordic Channel. Among those behind it are the Swedes and Norwegians reponsible for the "Good Morning Scandinavia" programs on Sky Channel. Nordic Channel has signed an agreement to carry the practice matches of Sweden's defending World Champion ice hockey team prior to the new World Championships in April. The question is who can watch--the first matche is on March 27th, and Swedish Telecom can't guarantee a channel in its cable TV networks by then. Telecom says they may be able to connect to a quarter of a million households in Sweden's three largest cities in time. But otherwise, the only people watching Nordic Channel will be those with home satellite receiving equipment. In Brussels Monday European Community cultural ministers put the finishing touches on rules governing broadcasting in the satellite era. With satellite technology offering a future with dozens of available channels across the continent, the ministers don't want "television without frontiers" to turn into a free-for-all. France and Southern European countries wanted to require European channels to carry at least 60 percent European produced programming. But the compromise says only that broadcasters must devote a majority of their airtime to European programs, "where practical". The rules also say commercials can't be more than 15 percent of broadcast time. On Wednesday the Council of Europe, which includes the 12 EC countries, is to meet to approve similar rules. Soviet, American, French, and Japanese television networks have agreed to organize live transmissions from the South Pole. The first broadcasts will be in December to mark the 30th anniversary of the Antarctica Treaty. (BBC Monitoring) JAMMING--According to the West German news agency DPA all jamming activity from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union of broadcasts from Western countries has ceased. However, Dan Ferguson reports that the Voice of Turkey's broadcasts in Bulgarian are still jammed. Also remaining jammed are also some broadcasts from Iran and Syria and broadcasts from Taiwan to China. Deutsche Welle reports that broadcasts in the Afghan languages of Pashtu and Dari have been not jammed since March 2nd. Nor are the VOA broadcasts in these languages. (Dan Ferguson) Several contributors to CompuServe note jamming to Radio Havana Cuba on 9655 kHz. The interference, which began only a few weeks ago has been heard especially in New York and New England around 00:00 and 03:00. (Larry Ober, Rich Friedman and Allan Courtney via CompuServe) BANGLADESH--The Radio Bangladesh external service has replaced 11510 kHz with 11550 for the at 16:00-20:00, with English at 18:15-19:00. 7520 kHz continues in parallel. (David Kernick, England) The domestic service of Radio Bangladesh is heard at 13:30 on the new frequency of 15530 kHz. (Gaurab Banerjee, India) BRAZIL--Trans World Radio is planning to construct a transmitter station near Goiania in central Brazil. Transmissions will be on medium wave and short wave and are intended to cover the whole of the country. (TWR via Cesar Fabian Higa, Argentina) The new station Radio Novas de Paz, reported in SCDX-2027, is in Curitiba. It is operated by Radio Marumby Limitada which can be heard with different programming on 9665 kHz. (Christian Zettl, Austria) GUAM--The new DX-program from KSDA, "DX Asiawaves", on which we reported in SCDX-2029, is also broadcast at 10:30 on 13720 kHz. This is part of a new English broadcast 10:00-11:00 hrs. (Vidjit Vijaysanker, India) HAITI--Political disturbances in Haiti continue to affect broadcasting. On March 6th a conflict at the Catholic station Radio Soleil put the station off the air, while the director declared a hunger strike. The station has been an outspoken critic of human rights abuses in Haiti. Journalists at Radio Soleil say the conflict is between the country's conservative Church hierarchy and the director, Father Hugo Triest, who takes a more progressive editorial stand. The technical staff have sided with the bishops, and took the station off the air, after he had fired the technical director. Haiti's Radio Nationale reports that a judge has ruled that Radio Antilles Internationales can resume broadcasts on FM 93.5 MHz. The station had been taken off the air by the authorities in October. (BBC Monitoring) JAPAN--Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications says that broadcasts in Fax, or Facsimile, could begin as early as 1991. The Ministry will soon begin legal and other preparations for Fax broadcasting. 9600 bits per second will be used, and broadcasts may be used in connection with correspondence courses, and communciations for organizations and companies. According to the report, receivers would cost around 700 dollars. (BBC Monitoring) JORDAN--English to Europe and North America from Radio Jordan mornings until 14:15 hrs is observed on the new frequency of 13655 kHz which replaces 11955 kHz. 9560 continues to be used after 14:15. The Arabic service of Radio Jordan has been heard on new 15435 kHz from 22:00 until close down at around 22:30. (Edwin Southwell and David Kernick, England and Frank Hermann, GDR) LEBANON/ISRAEL--Updating SCDX-2032 the Voice of Hope returned to the air at the end of February on 6280, 945 and 684 kHz. It is not known whether the station is still operating from South Lebanon or has now transferred facilities to Israel as was reported by Radio Lebanon on February 9th. (BBC Monitoring) MALAYSIA--The domestic service in English from Radio Television Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, now has an extended schedule on 7295 kHz: Mondays-Thursdays at 22:00-01:00, 05:00-06:00 and 09:00-16:00. Fridays at 22:00-06:00 and 09:00-16:00. Saturdays at 22:00-16:00. (Arthur Cushen's DX World, New Zealand) MONGOLIA--Updating SCDX-2027, the Radio Ulan Bator 12:00 hrs transmission on Tuesdays and Fridays on 12015 and 9615 kHz is not in English but in Japanese. (Mrs. Dahiben Patel, India) MOZAMBIQUE--The English broadcast from Radio Maputu 18:00-19:00 uses 11820 kHz instead of 4855. 3338 and 9620 kHz remain in parallel. (V. Neelakandan, India) NETHERLANDS ANTILLES--Updating SCDX-2020, the new Trans World Radio "Monitor DX" program will be on the air to Latin America Tuesdays beginning March 20th at 01:30 on 15385 kHz on 6180 and 800 kHz. The program is produced by "El Grupo de Escucha de Buenos Aires" in Argentina. (Alejandro E. Muraro, Argentina) PHILIPPINES--The "DX-Dial" program over Far East Broadcasting Company which was suspended in December is being reintroduced in March. (V. Neelakandan) SURINAM--Radio Surinam International now uses 17765 kHz for the 17:00- 17:45 hrs broadcast via Radiobras in Dutch and English. (Joseph Klein and V. Neelakandan) UNITED KINGDOM--The new BBC local station BBC Wiltshire Sound is testing on 1332 kHz. On the 27th of March "Coast-AM" will begin broadcasts via the transmitters of Invicta Radio in Kent on 1242 and 603 kHz. On April 4th "Xtra-AM" is to begin using 1152 and 1359 kHz (Bradley Allen, U.K.) UNITED STATES--WHRI has been heard at 15:00-17:00 on the new frequency of 21840 kHz. At 16:00 the broadcast was in an East European language, probably Serbo-Croatian. (Frank Hermann) For about one year KGEI has been broadcasting in a seldom heard language: Romany, spoken by the world's about 15 million Gypsies. The transmission from KGEI is directed to the Gypsy population in Latin America. Times and frequencies for the broadcasts are unfortunately unknown. Other stations planning to add Romany to their services are the FEBC stations in Saipan, Korea, the Philippines and the Seychelles. (Christian Zettl) UNOFFICIAL RADIO--A station calling itself Radio, Tehran, the Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was heard on March 2nd broadcasting extracts from Salman Rushdie's book "the Satanic Verses". The Ayatolleh Khomeini has objected to the book and has issued a death threat against the author, which has led to international protests. The real Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran does not call itself Radio Tehran. The clandestine station used a frequency less than 1 kHz away from Iran's usual channel of 9022 kHz, and was heard at 09:30-10:15 hrs. (BBC Monitoring) The "Voice of the SPLA, Sudanese Revolutionary Armed Struggle" has been heard in English at 13:00 on approximately 11715 kHz. (V. Easwaran, India) A new clandestine station began operating from Sri Lanka on February 4th 1989: "Thamizan Kural"-"Voice of Tamils". According to announcements the station is supported by the "Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front." Programs are in Tamil only. The schedule is 01:30-02:15 and 10:30-11:15 on 7000 kHz plus/minus 5 kHz. (V. Neelakandan) INTERNATIONAL WATERS--On March 26th Radio Caroline celebrates 25 years on the air. A VHF service is expected to be introduced for the occasion. (Bradley Allen, England) AMATEUR RADIO/SHORT WAVE LISTENING--Some radio amateurs in South Asia are planning to start a net on the 20 meter band for amateurs who are also broadcast band DXers. If you are interested, drop a line to SWL DX NET, Box 907, Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Abhilash Thadhani, India, VU2JYY) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. RS broadcasts to North America: 14:00 hrs on 15345 and 21615 kHz 02:30 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz To Europe, Africa, and the Middle East: 03:30 hrs on 11705 kHz (Middle East) 15:30 hrs on 15240 kHz (East Africa) 18:00 hrs on 1179, 6065, 7265, and 11845 kHz 21:00 hrs on 1179, 6065 and 9655 kHz 22:30 hrs on 1179 kHz And to Asia and the Pacific: 12:30 hrs on 15190, 17810, and 21570 kHz 14:00 hrs on 17810 kHz 15:30 hrs on 15330 and 17810 kHz The Radio Sweden schedule to Europe can be found on Sky Channel's teletext Service, Sky Text, on page 496. The Electronic Edition is based on the Sweden Calling DXers bulletins which are mailed out every 4 weeks to contributors. Contributions can be sent to DX Editor George Wood to Swedish telex 11738, CompuServe (via the HamNet Forum or Easyplex 70247,3516), through the FidoNet system to 2:501/297 or to SM0IIN at the packet radio BBS SK0TM. 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 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 66 contributors this week Good listening!