From: xberri@arecibo.aero.org (Jason E. Berri) Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave Subject: SCDX 2122 Date: 23 Dec 90 00:20:44 GMT Organization: The Aerospace Corporation -- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS :: :: from Radio Sweden :: :: Number 2122--Dec. 18, 1990 :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden. This week's bulletin was written by George Wood. Packet Radio BID SCDX2122 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SWEDEN--There were some changes in the Radio Sweden schedule that went into effect yesterday, December 17th. At 12:30 hrs to Asia, 11715 kHz has changed to 9765. At 15:30 hrs to North America, 17880 kHz, has been shifted 5 kHz to 17875 kHz, to get away from interference from the BBC. Finally, to Africa and the Middle East at 18:00 hrs, 11900 kHz has been replaced by 15270. CANADA--We told you last time about the threatened closure of Radio Canada International. We're happy to report that the future is much brighter now for RCI. Partly because of the expense of maintaining Canadian forces in the Gulf, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's government ordered the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to cut its budget by 120 million American dollars over the next three years. The CBC is laying off more than 1000 employees, and closing several television stations. The CBC is also withdrawing all funding for Radio Canada International, as well as for the live broadcasts from the Canadian parliament carried in English and French on the Anik D1 satellite. However, the Canadian government has agreed to find alternative funding for RCI and the satellite transmissions. But, as RCI's Ian McFarland has faxed us, at this point there is no way of knowing what of RCI's present broaadcasting activities will remain as of April 1st, 1991, the start of the next fiscal year, which is when RCI ceases to be funded by the CBC. (Ian McFarland, RCI) UNITED KINGDOM--It's ironic that the conflict in the Gulf, which has had such a devastating effect on Canadian broadcasting, should have been such a boost for the BBC. We've reported before how the BBC World Service budget is being increased, with the Gulf crisis underlining the importance of the broadcasts. Now, the long discussed plans for World Service television are to become a reality, also partly because of the Gulf. BBC TV International is to be based on World Service radio and the current BBC TV Europe, which relays programs from both BBC 1 and 2 television via satellite to 7 million European cable households. World Service will contribute a new World Service Television News program. According to World Service Managing Director John Tusa, the new TV service will start early next year. (BBC World Service) GLOBAL NEWS NETWORK--Claiming that the Cable News Network is forcing US news on the rest of the world, the head of Japan's NHK says he wants to create a global news network with other broadcasters from around the world. Under the plan, broadcasters from Asia, Europe, and North America would be responsible for 8 hour daily segments focusing on their own region. The BBC, which has its own plans as mentioned above, has shown little interest in the proposal. (AP-DJ) NORDIC CHANNEL--Britain's Independent Television News now broadcasts a daily 15 minute English newcast to Europe via the Swedish satellite broadcaster Nordic Channel. The ITN service began yesterday, December 17th. It's being carried at 19:00 hrs, on the Eutelsat 2-F1 satellite. Nordic Channel has become the poor relation of Sweden satellite broadcasters, largely ignored by the press. While Swedish Television's two channels both attract more than half the TV public here daily, the four year old TV3 has around a third of the audience, and the new TV4 is just over 10%. Nordic lags behind at about half that figure. It's an unusual broadcaster, relying for its technical facilities on the Swedish Educational Broadcasting Comnpany, a subsidiary of the non-commercial public Swedish Broadcasting Corporation. (Christine Chapeau, Nordic Channel and "Dagens Nyheter") SATELLITE RADIO--We've talked before about satellite radio, which some believe could replace shortwave in the future. Last week studio 4 at Broadcast House in Stockholm was the scene of a very interesting evening sponsored by the Swedish section of Deutschlandfunk, devoted to satellite radio. Besides presenting some of the variety of satellite stations to the studio audience, there was also a panel discussion, including representatives of two major Swedish cable operators, Telecom and Stjaern-TV, and a live broadcast on DLF. Deutschlandfunk uses four channels on the Astra 1A satellite, two to relay German in stereo, two for relays of other languages to Europe. Uwe Schoop, the head of the Swedish Service at Deutschlandfunk, has a plan similar to something we've discussed here at Radio Sweden. While the BBC, Radio France, and Deutsche Welle can put out 24 hour services in their native languages by satellite, services which can be relayed over cable networks, it's much harder for small broadcasters. If Radio Sweden had a satellite channel, what cable system would relay it, with a series of programs in varying languages? What's needed is for many international broadcasters to book a series of satellite radio channels, one for English, one for French, one for German, etc. Then they would take turns, and cable operators in Britain, for example, could offer one channel with alternating programs, say from Sweden, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and so on. Uwe Schoop calls it time-sharing, and it may be the only viable future for many international broadcasters. SHORTWAVE--An Iraqi radio service in English calling itself "Voice of Jihad, Voice of the Holy War, from Baghdad" was first heard by BBC Monitoring on December 4th on 15170 kHz. The service suddenly came on the air at 16:14 hrs, with a news bulletin starting two or three minutes later. Announcements stated that the broadcast, from 16:00-18:00 hrs, was directed at India and Pakistan. (BBC Monitoring) There won't be an edition of Sweden Calling DXers, or an Electronic Edition, on the first Tuesday of January, since that is New Year's Day, and we'll have a special program then looking back at the Nordic region during 1990. But look for a special extended edition of Sweden Calling DXers on January 8th, when we'll be looking at media news from the year gone by, as well as taking a peak into the future. In the mean time, thanks for all your support during the year gone by, and happy holidays to those of you celebrating Christmas and New Years. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: 18:00 hrs on 1179, 6065, 9655, and 15270 kHz 19:30 hrs on 6065 and 7265 kHz 22:00 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz 23:30 hrs on 1179 kHz 01:00 hrs on 1179 kHz And to Asia and the Pacific: 12:30 hrs on 9765, 17740, and 21570 kHz 14:00 hrs on 9765 and 21610 kHz 01:00 hrs on 9770 kHz The Radio Sweden schedule to Europe in Swedish, English, German, French, and Spanish can be found on EuroSport (on cable and on the Astra and Eutelsat I- F4 satellites) Tele-Text page 496. 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 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! ============================================================================= 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 JRC & Kenwood 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 ============================================================================= Jason Berri (SPEEDX USSR Editor) INTERNET: berri@aerospace.aero.org or berri@arecibo.aero.org