::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS :: :: from Radio Sweden :: :: Number 2103--July, 17, 1990 :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden. This week's bulletin was written by Lars Ryden. Electronic Edition edited by George Wood. Packet Radio BID SCDX2103 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the Sweden Calling DXers Online Edition, after a lengthy break. I'm back in Sweden after six great months of parental leave in California. Many thanks to Ingemar Sandberg, who wrote so many of these programs while I was gone, as well as Bengt Dalhammar, who alternated with Ingemar. It turns out that Bengt has just moved to Brussels. He's been serving as a stand-by editor for this programme for more than 25 years, and we all wish Bengt the best of luck in his new career as a consultant. He's apparently taken his receivers to Belgium, so we now look forward to some informative contributions from there. Stepping into the breach, Lars Ryden has been been writing the program the last few weeks, and today's shortwave news has been compiled by Lars. I've had a lot of fun over the past few months, taking my son to meet his American relatives. Daniel celebrated his first birthday on July 5th, and I'm sure you're all interested to know that he's walking and can say "mama". But I've done a bit on the media front over the past months as well. Besides a lot of listening to shortwave and domestic media in the United States, I got to put up a satellite TV system at my parents, and had a chance to take a look at the satellite offerings available in North America, as well as listen to satellite radio, including BBC World Service at studio quality on the C- SPAN feed. Back here at home they installed cable television in our apartment house during our absence. So there are a few things that may come up in the weeks ahead. The weeks ahead will also see major changes at Radio Sweden, with the disappearance of our Portuguese programming, and the reduction of our shortwave programs in Spanish and French to 15 minutes each per day. This is to make room (within an unchanging budget) for expansions in our English and German staffs, increasing Estonian and Latvian to 15 minutes each daily, and the addition of Polish. The future should also see major changes in this program. There is a proposal that Sweden Calling DXers disappear from all languages except English, and the emphasis in the program in the future will probably shift more towards satellite and media news, and away from shortwave. (George Wood) THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MEDIA MONOPOLY--Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev has signed a decree taking the monopoly on broadcasting away from the Communist Party. The government will continue to retain control over radio and television but independent parties and groups could open their own stations, if they get permission from state committees. The television monopoly is ending in Portugal as well, after a vote by parliament on Friday. The new law allows for two independent channels to be set up by the private sector to compete with the two operated by the state- owned RTP. There was controversy when the Roman Catholic Church demanded, but did not receive, one of the new channels. STRIKES--The month-long labour conflict over wages at Norwegian Radio and TV ended on July 14th. So Radio Norway International's programming should be back to its normal schedule. However, more than 6500 broadcast employees went on strike in South Korea on Saturday, to protest a new law they say will give the state increased control over radio and TV. The government says broadcasting has to be reorganized to make room for private satellite and cable stations. CABLE-TV--Britain's infant cable industry is turning into a nearly all- American enterprise. With the last three franchises awarded last week, US companies now own or control more than 73 percent of the cable operators in the UK. ("Wall Street Journal") AUSTRALIA--A new station has been established in Australia which uses the facilities of station VL8K in Katherine, Northern Territory. Radio Rum Jungle broadcasts in English and various Aboriginal dialects from 07:35 to 08:30 and from 21:30 to 23:30 on 5025 kHz and 20:50 to 21:30 on 2485 kHz. (SWL, newsbulletin of the ASWLC, quoting information from the Southern Cross DX Club in Australia) - We assume that strictly speaking this is a new programme producing unit rather than a new station. - Other low frequency stations in northern Australia being heard in the recent period in Europe include ABC Alice Springs on 2310 kHz around 19:00 hrs and VL8T Tennant Creek on 2345 kHz parallel to VL8K on 2485 kHz from around 18:00 to 20:00. (Short Wave News of the Danish Shortwave Club International) BURUNDI--Since the 17th June, Radiodiffusion Nationale de la Republique du Burundi, Bujumbura, also identifying as La Voix de la Revolution, no longer announces its tropical frequency of 3300 kHz. It is now on the air from 03:00 to 07:00 and from 09:00 to 21:00 on 6140 kHz. This frequency has been widely reported recently in DX-bulletins around the world. One reason for the good reception probably is the use of a new 100 kW transmitter. A 15 minutes news bulletin in English is heard at 16:00, which seems to be a change from the old scheduled time of 15:30. Best reception in Europe seems to be from around 18:00 until 19:00 hrs, when the frequency is blocked by the Voice of America. (Tarun Sethi, India. M. Sanil Deep, India. Contact, bulletin of World DX Club) COLOMBIA--The Cadena Radial Colombiana, CARACOL, currently broadcasts on shortwave from Bogota on 4945, 5075 and 6150 Khz. Other CARACOL stations active on shortwave include: La Voz del Cinaruco, Arauca on 4865 kHz, Emisora Ecos del Atrato on 5020 kHz, La Voz del Yopol, Casanare on 5050 kHz, La Voz de los Centauros, Villavicencio on 5955 kHz and La Voz de la Selva, Florencia, on 6170 kHz, all in parallel with their medium wave outlets. (Yimber H. Gaviria, Colombia) CYPRUS--Broadcasts in Greek to the United Kingdom from the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation scheduled on Fridays to Sundays from 22:15 to 22:45 are currently heard on 7205 and 9650 kHz. (Daniel Danielidis, Greece) LUXEMBOURG--Radio Luxembourg, usually associated with its mediumwave transmitter on "208", i.e. 1440 kHz,has many other programme services as well, in French, German and other languages. One RTL transmitter rarely reported is the shortwave relay of the French service on 15350 kHz. This 10 Kw transmitter is listed for 24 hrs operation directed towards Eastern North America, but can be heard daytime in Northern Europe as well, e.g. around 08.00 to 09.00 hrs. (DX Editor) NETHERLANDS--The English service of Radio Netherlands has an unscheduled frequency on around 15150 kHz. Heard with poor signal strength during its transmission to South Asia from 11:30 to 12:25 hrs. (V.P. Rajesh, India) - The Radio Netherlands relay station in Madagascar is listed on 15150 kHz, so maybe that is what you heard. NIGERIA--The Voice of Nigeria is being widely reported from 20:00 to 21:00 on 7255 kHz. However, from 20:30 there is interference from European stations on nearby channels. (Vidjit Vijaysanker, India) PHILIPPINES--The Far East Broadcasting Company can be heard with a 15 minute programme in German on Saturdays at 18:45 on 9845 kHz. FEBC verifies reports with beautiful cards which are available with 17 different motifs. (Andreas Mieth, German Democratic Republic) POLAND--We've reported a number of times over the years about Radio Scandinavia, a commercial programme produced in Malmoe, Sweden. Many years ago these broadcasts could be heard from Radio Andorra, and more recently from Italy. Radio Scandinavia is now audible on a regular basis from Radio Polonia weekends from 10:00 to 11:00 hrs on 9675 kHz. (Andreas Mieth, GDR, in "Eter-Aktuellt", Sweden) Zajac Wojciech tells us that the Polish Radio Home Service has been reorganized. Regional programs are now on FM for 12 hrs, with one hour of the BBC Polish service carried at 20:00 hrs. 15 minutes of news from Vatican Radio is broadcast on 225 kHz at 14:55 hrs. (Zajac Wojciech, Poland) ROMANIA--There are now three different programmes available in Romania. A new service is "Romania Tiheret", which transmates Rumanian Youth, and is broadcast on VHF only. There are also programmes for the national minorities in German and Hungarian. Regional transmitters are now active in Timisora, Cluj, Turgu Mures (also broadcasting in German), Craiova, Iasi, Brasov and Konstanza. "Radio Vacanta", the special programme for holiday visitors, now has to share frequencies, 1458 kHz mediumwave and 100.1 mHz VHF, and broadcast time, from 08:00 to 20:00, with Radio Konstanza. Radio Vacanta broadcasts in English, Germany, French, Russian and Rumanian. - In Bucharest there is now a multi-language station "Antenna Bukarest" on VHF 70.4 MHz. In addition to the official stations there are also semi-official ones, mostly of short duration, operating from Bucharest and other places. (Erich Bergman, Romania, via KW-Panorama, Radio Austria International) UNITED KINGDOM--Airport Information Radio has been available for many years in North America. These are low powered transmitters usually operating at one of the band-edges of the mediumwave band, broadcasting short taped messages with parking and departure information for travellers arriving by car. They are advised to tune their car radios to the information radio frequency by signs on at the airport road entrance. Now Airport Information Radio has been introduced in the United Kingdom as well. Since the end of June transmitters operating on 1584 kH serve the London airports of Heathrow and Gatwick with separate programmes. (Bradley Allen, England) SATELLITES--On 12th June the multi-purpose domestic satellite of India named INSAT-1D was successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It will serve the whole of India with many different kinds of telecommunications services. It has two TV channels, two spot beams for regional TV coverage, six radio networking channels, and many other telecommunication service facilities. Its earth control center is at Hassan in the province of Karnatak in South India. INSAT-1D will be operational from 15th July. (Mrs. Jyotsna Sahu, India). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: 15:30 hrs on 17880 and 21500 kHz 02:30 hrs on 11705 and 15295 kHz To Europe, Africa, and the Middle East: 15:30 hrs on 21655 kHz (East Africa and Middle East) 17:00 hrs on 1179, 6065, and 9615 kHz 21:00 hrs on 1179, 9655 and 11705 kHz 23:00 hrs on 1179 kHz 22:30 hrs on 1179 kHz And to Asia and the Pacific: 11:30 hrs on 17740, 21570, and 21610 kHz 14:00 hrs on 17740 and 21610 kHz 01:00 hrs on 15405 and 17860 kHz 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 2:202/297 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 50 contributors this week Good Listening! ============================================================================= Distributed by The Pinelands RBBS * 609-859-1910 * 24/12/3 @ 8N1 * 64 MB FIDO 1:266/32 * RBBS-Net 8:950/2 * Shortwave Listening * Ham & Packet Radio Home of PC Software by W2XQ * Receiver Control Programs for NRD-525, R-5000 English Language SW Broadcast Schedules (1988 WRTH Industry Award Winner) SYSOP Tom Sundstrom * W2XQ * MCI Mail 244-6376 * InterNet 2446376@mcimail.com TRS Consultants * 609-859-2447 * FAX 609-859-3226 * Telex 6552446376MCI UW =============================================================================