::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS :: :: from Radio Sweden :: :: Number 2066--Oct. 24 1989 :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden. This week's bulletin was written by Agnes Carbon. Electronic Edition edited by George Wood. Packet Radio BID SCDX2066 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE--When the worst earthquake in the United States since 1906 struck San Francisco last week, the ABC television network was just beginning its live broadcast of a baseball World Series game. The picutre immediately vanished, and after a brief announcement from a shaken announcer in the stadium, the network filled with a comedy program. All of the television stations in San Francisco went off the air. KNTV in San Jose, closer to the epicenter, had problems because it's transmitter was damaged. The network stations in San Francisco, KGO, KRON, and KPIX returned on generator power. KRON had problems and for awhile was broadcasting from the transmitter shack on Mount Sutro, and feeding both NBC and CNN with an uplink provided by Sacramento's KCRA, which had satellite gear in San Francisco to cover the World Series. In fact, because telephones, landlines, and even cellular telephones were out, the only coverage out of San Francisco at the beginning was coming from the networks with satellite trucks at the baseball park, including the sports network ESPN. It turns out that while most of the world followed the earthquake by television, local residents relied on radio. And it was MW radio that did the best job--the local FM stations went on playing music. The ABC radio network put KGO radio on a satellite for feeds that were carried by many ABC affiliates. KGO itself managed to continue broadcasting on 810 kHz. Two of its three antenna towers crashed, and the station was reduced from 50,000 watts to just 10,000 watts. The other network affiliates, KCBS on 740 and KNBR on 680 kHz, have also been praised for their coverage. As usual, radio amateurs provided emeregency communications. Ham radio reports from the earthquake zone could be heard on 14275 and 14280 kHz. Locally, 145.150 MHz carried a lot of activity. Scanner monitors could follow the Oakland police on 154.295 MHz, the Cypress Command Post on the Fire Department's 47.06 MHz, and CalTrans maintenance on 42.18 MHz. (Thanks to contributors to the CompuServe Broadcast Professional and HamNet Forums) SATELLITES--Arianespace has found a problem with the pyro initiators of the Ariane 4 third stage of missions V34, V35 and V36. This problem will cause at least a one month delay in the launch of SPOT-2, along with the MicroSats and UoSATs. ("SpaceNews" via Kauto Huopio, Finland) CANADA/AUSTRIA--The RCI relay via Radio Austria International is now on 11925 kHz at 03:00-05:00 in English and French. (Joe Hanlon, USA) COLOMBIA--La Voz del Valle de Sibundoy in Putumayo was heard at 21:50 on 5550 kHz. (Yimber H. Gaviria, Colombia) ECUADOR--Updating SCDX- 2059, Radio Nacional de Ecuador can be heard on 15220 kHz at 17:30-18:00 and on 640 kHz at 03:30. Radio Cadence Nacional in Guayaquil broadcasts on 610 kHz with a power of 50 kW but the announced frequency of 4910 kHz is not audible. Radio Atalaya broacasts also from Guayaquil on 680 and 4760 kHz. (Yimber H. Gaviria, Colombia) Due to a lack of time caused by his new duties as head of the English departement, HCJB's Brent Allred has temporarily dropped the Monday edition of the DX Party Line, leaving only the Saturday Edition. (Joel M. Rubin and Thomas Sundstrom, USA) FRANCE--Radio Monte Carlo has plans to broadcast on FM in Paris before the end of the year. North and Latin America should be next (our listener does not say if this would be on FM or MW and what) at the beginning of next year. RMC relays SOMERA programmes in Arabic for the south of France, North Africa and Arabic countries on medium waves (1466 kHz). The RMC transmitter in Cyprus will double its power (600 kW to 1200 kW) and the station has plans to build a new transmitter in an Arab country to be heard in Yemen and further east. ("Liberation" via Bernard Chenal, France) Radio France International now broadcasts its English news bulletin at 12:30-12:55 instead of 12:45-12:55. The frequencies remain the same. (Edwin Southwell, England) GREECE--The Voice of Greece was heard with news in English at 15:30, followed by Swedish at 15:40 on the new frequency of 17535 kHz. 15630 and 11645 kHz were announced along with 17535 but the first two frequencies were not heard. (Joe Hanlon, USA) IRAQ--Updating SCDX-2053, Radio Baghdad in English for Europe is now an hour later at 21:00-22:50 on 13660 kHz. (Joe Hanlon and Thomas Sundstrom, USA) PANAMA--Following the uprising against General Noriega at the beginning of October, the Panamanian government has cancelled the frequencies allocated to the "La Exitosa" radio network. La Exitosa itself broadcast on 740 kHz. The Exitosa network, the state owned radio station and Channel 4 television all broadcast the statement made by the rebel officiers, but the directors of Radio Nacional and Channel 4 say they did it under threat. (BBC Monitoring) PORTUGAL--Radio Portugal announces broadcasts at 02:30 hrs to Eastern North America on 9600 kHz and to Western North America on 9705 kHz; and at 19:00 hrs to the Middle East on 21530 kHz, 15250 kHz to Africa and 11740 kHz to Europe. At 02:30 hrs, 11840 and 9680 kHz can still be heard in addition to the announced frequencies. (Thomas Sundstrom, USA) SUDAN--Radio Omdurman in Sudan has been observed since the beginning of October with a relay of its general program on 11625 kHz at 03:55-06:00 and 10:55-19:00. The programmes are mainly in Arabic except at 15:30-16:00 hrs when there's a broadcast in English. This English transmission has also been heard on 9540 kHz, a frequency also used to relay the clandestine Radio Voice of Ethiopian Unity at 04:00-06:00 and 18:00-20:00 hrs. (BBC Monitoring) SWITZERLAND--RSI is now on 15570 kHz, replacing 5965, to South America at 22:15-01:00, in Portuguese, Italian, German, French and Spanish. 9810, 9885 and 12035 kHz are still in parallel, the latter via Gabon. (Joe Hanlon) UNITED KINGDOM--Updating SCDX-2064, according to "Waveguide", the additional BBC transmitters on Ascension island will be used for a morning broadcast to South America from 09:00 on 15180 kHz. The experimental broadcasts from Brazil have been discontinued. (Joe Hanlon, USA) UNITED STATES--Updating SCDX-2064, the Christian Science Monitor station WSHB in South Carolina is now using 15610 kHz at 20:00, instead of 15225. At the same time, its sister station WCSN in Maine broadcasts on 13770 kHz (ex 15610) to Europe. (Kjell-Aake Hult, Sweden; Joe Hanlon and Thomas Sundstrom, USA and Aristides Ginannarelis, Greece) USSR--Radio Minsk has been observed with a new broadcast in Belorussian for listeners in North America from 23:30-24:00 daily on 17690, 15180, 11675 and 9610 kHz. Latvian Radio has introduced a new transmission in Latvian to Western Europe from 17:30-18:00 on 1143 kHz. (BBC Monitoring) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 21610 kHz 02:30 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz To Europe, Africa, and the Middle East: 15:30 hrs on 21655 kHz (East Africa) 18:00 hrs on 1179, 6065, and 7265 kHz 21:00 hrs on 1179, 9655 and 11705 kHz 23:00 hrs on 1179 kHz 00:00 hrs on 1179 kHz And to Asia and the Pacific: 12:30 hrs on 15190, 17740, and 21570 kHz 14:00 hrs on 11905 and 17740 kHz 01:00 hrs on 7225 and 9640 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 2:202/297 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 20 contributors this week Good Listening!