From: UKTONY@cup.portal.com (Tony C Harding) Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave Subject: Re: SCDX #2138 Date: 23 Sep 91 18:22:40 GMT Organization: The Portal System (TM) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS :: :: from Radio Sweden :: :: Number 2138--Aug. 20, 1991 :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden. This week's bulletin was written by George Wood. Packet Radio BID SCDX2138 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Remember all times are UTC. USSR--This week's English edition of Sweden Calling DXers includes an interview with Richard Meesham of BBC Monitoring about the situation of broadcasting in the Soviet Union following the hardliner coup against President Gorbachev. Richard tells us that (as of 09:00 hrs August 20) all Soviet Television has been combined into one channel. This has kept Russia's Television, operated by the government of Russian President Boris Yeltsin, off the air. A similar reduction on radio has kept the corresponding radio station, Russia's Radio, also off the air. The new junta has taken control over most of the media. There are reports that private radio stations, such as Radio Echo of Moscow, have gone off the air. However, the local station in Vladisvostak has remained in the hands of Yelstin supporters. The former jamming transmitters near Moscow previously turned over the radio stations of the Soviet republics are now broadcasting central programs. Despite media reports that Soviet troops have occupied broadcast stations in Latvia and Lithuania, BBC Monitoring is still receiving stations from both of these republics as well as Estonia. (Richard Meesham, BBC Monitoring) Radio Sweden's Tim Mansel has reported from the Estonian broadcast house in Tallinn that barricades have been erected around the building to protect it from a feared invasion by Soviet troops. Here are frequencies for some of the independent stations in the Soviet Union, supplied by Jorma Mantyla, via Kauto Huopio: 1116 kHz Radio Europa Plus, Moscow 1206 kHz Radio Echo of Moscow (closed) 1260 kHz Radio SNC, MOscow and Leningrad 1458 kHz Radio Baltica 13710 kHz Radio Stantsiya Vedo, Volgograd The radio stations of the Baltic Republics transmit on: Radio Tallinn (Estonia) 1035, 1215, 1332, and 5925 kHz Radio Riga (Latvia) 576, 1359, 1422, and 5935 kHz Radio Vilnius (Lithuania) 666, 1107, and 1557 kHz Radio Moscow continues to be heard well on many frequencies, with news from the new junta. The Soviet news agency TASS has been heard in RTTY on 16348 and 14901 kHz, around 15:00 hrs. (Bob Brown on CompuServe) Lots of reporting is being done from Moscow. The Transponder Newsletter has faxed us a list of satellite channels to look for: Ghorizont 12 at 11 degrees West is carrying feeds on 11.526 GHz. The transponder on that same frequency on Ghorizont 15 at 14 degrees West is carrying Visnews, NBC, and NHK feeds. On Eutelsat 2-F1 at 13 degrees East, there are Dutch NOS feeds on 11.146 GHz, and VisEurope is using 12.521 GHz, in the Telecom band. On Intelsat 6-F4 at 27 and half degrees West, the EBU is using 11.470 GHz and Brightstar 11.515 GHz. And on PanAmSat at 45 degrees West, there are feeds on 11.595, 11.636, and 11.676 GHz. ("Transponder") Over North America, CNN used transponder 14 on the Galaxy 2 satellite at 74 degrees West, for feeds from the Moscow summit a few weeks ago. That same transponder may be carrying a lot of news from Moscow during the current crisis. Audio is on the subcarrier on 6.2 MHz. (Gary Bourgois via Internet News and Kauto Huopio) SWEDEN--We've reported on our plans to begin broadcasts over the Astra 1A satellite, starting sometime this coming Spring. But we'll begin changes in our schedule as soon as September 29th. Starting that day, Radio Sweden will be broadcasting an hour program on medium wave 1179 kHz, in parallel with shortwave, every day at 20:00 hrs. EUROPEAN SATELLITE RADIO: Swiss Radio International has announced it is also plannning to use a channel on Astra. Radio Netherlands' management is studying the possibility. An official announcement is expected before the end of the year. (Radio Netherlands "Media Network") Quality Radio FM started August 15th on the Sky Movies channel on the Astra 1A satellite, using subcarriers on 7.38 and 7.56 MHz. (Radio Austrian Radio's "Kurzwellenpanorama") EUROPEAN SATELLITE TV: SUPER CHANNEL--The European satellite TV station Super Channel is making some changes in their news broadcasts next month. The new schedule lists a half hour of BBC World News and weather every day at 20:00 hrs. This may be the same newscast run at that time on the BBC's own satellite relay. But since the BBC programming is coded and carried on a weaker Intelsat satellite, Super Channel's programming on Eutelsat 2-F1 may find a larger audience among home satellite receiver owners. Beginning September 9th, Super Channel is to carry NBC News at 04:00 hrs. (Super Channel) MBC--The long expected MBC channel in Arabic was to begin broadcasts from London to Europe and the Middle East on August 1st. MBC is using Eutelsat 2- F1 at 13 degrees East, using the transponder on 11.554 GHz. (Wolfgang Schultz via Internet News and Kauto Huopio) GERMANY--Sat-1 has stopped its broadcasts on Eutelsat 2-F1. This channel continues on Kopernikus 1 and Astra 1A. JSTV--We've reported before about the Japanese channel JSTV which now has its own transponder on Astra 1B, on 11.567 GHz. There are now English subtitles during the newscast at 18:00 hrs, and English sound on a subcarrier on 7.20 MHz, during the newscast at 20:30 to 21:00 hrs. (Radio Austria International "Kurzwellen Panorama" and "Elektronikvaerlden") OLYMPUS--The European Space Agency's experimental satellite Olypmus has been been rescued and has returned to its proper position at 18.8 degrees West. The satellite used to carry BBC World Service Television, the Italian RAI, and the programs from the educational service Eurostep. ("Transponder") NORTH AMERICAN SATELLITE TV: INTELSAT--On August 14th an Ariane rocket carried Intelsat 6-F5 into orbit. The satellite it to provide television, telephone, and date services for what is referred to as the north and south Atlantic ocean regions of Africa and the Americas. According to reports, the new satellite is Intelsat's largest. (Reuters, AP) Coverage of the launch was broadcast on satellite to North America. Arianespace broadcast the launch on the Westar 5 satellite, transponder 15. (Michael Stephens on CompuServe) MTV--Music Television is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The 24 hour music video channel now reaches 201 homes in 38 countries, most in North America. MTV Europe, which started 4 years ago, is seen in 25 million European homes, and a new service to 33 Asian countries starts next month. MTV is now planning to split into three channels in North America. One will be a pure rock channel, the second will carry rap and dance music, and the third will be aimed at what is called mature viewers. Tests are to begin in North America next year and the three channels are to cover the entire United States in early 1993. The same division is to be made eventually in Europe, where MTV arrived 4 years ago. CANADA--Telesat Canada has confirmed that the new Anik E2 satellite is meeting all performance specifications, which is good news for a satellite that was about to written off as a failure. Bob Lyle reports on CompuServe that E2 is to begin regular transmissions on around September 1st. Test pictures are reported to be very strong, with color bar tests on transponders 19 and 23. The satellite is located to the west of the current Anik D1, which is at 104.5 degrees West. ASIAN SATELLITE TV: STAR-TV--Star TV's Prime Sports Channel is to begin broadcasts on the Asiasat satellite on August 26th, with live coverage of the US Open Tennis Tournament. The satellite is at 105.5 degrees East. Two channels will be used, a northern beam on 3.8 GHz using the NTSC standard, and a southern beam on 3.86 GHz using PAL. CNN--CNN has cut off broadcasts to China, apparently because hotels and other organizations have refused to pay licensing fees. The move came in connection with a switchover to a new satellite. The network has given the new location co-ordinates only to paying customers. (Guruka Singh Khalsa on CompuServe) SHORTWAVE: LEBANON--BBC Monitoring reports that a station called Radio 1 FM has been heard on a frequency varying around 27174 kHz at 10:00 hrs until past 15:00. A station by this name operates in Lebanon and it is possible 27174 kHz could be a low power link from the studio to the transmitter. SWITZERLAND--Stan Slonkosky reports on the computer network GENIE that Swiss Radio International has been carrying an experimental service in radioteletype. The schedule is 18:30-19:30 hrs on 17530 kHz and 20:00-21:00 hrs to Africa, 00:30 to 01:30 hrs and 02:00-03:00 hrs on 10515 kHz to North America. (Allan Courtney) USA--WWCR has a new transmitter. Ironically, in this age when shortwave broadcasters are going over to satellite, this new shortwave outlet is being used by a satellite-TV broadcaster, the American evangelist Gene Scott, who's University Network is on the Westar 5 satellite. Here is the new schedule: Weekdays 03:00-11:00 hrs on 7520 kHz, 11:00-15:00 hrs on 12160 kHz, and 15:00-21:00 hrs on 17525 kHz. Weekends 17525 kHz continues until 01:00 hrs, followed by 7520 kHz for a 24 hour schedule. (Gary Bourgois via Internet News and Kauto Huopio) Thanks to Kauto Huopio in Finland for many contributions this time, gleaned from Internet News. And don't forget our free publication, the new edition of Communications in Space, all about tuning into satellite radio and television. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 since 1948. The program is now broadcast on the first and third Tuesday of each month. RS broadcasts to North America: 15:30 hrs on 17875 and 21500 kHz 02:00 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz 03:30 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz To Latin America: 23:30 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz To Europe, Africa, and the Middle East: 17:00 hrs on 1179, 6065, and 9615 kHz 18:30 hrs on 6065 and (Middle East) 15270 kHz 19:30 hrs on 1179, 6065 and 9655 kHz 20:30 hrs on 6065 kHz 22:00 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz 23:30 hrs on 1179 kHz And to Asia and the Pacific: 11:30 hrs on 11960, 17740, and 21570 kHz 13:00 hrs on 11960, 17740, and 21570 kHz 01:00 hrs on 9765 kHz Contributions can be sent to DX Editor George Wood by fax to +468-667-6283, 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 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! .