Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave From: xberri@quark2.aero.org (Jason E. Berri) Subject: SCDX 2147 News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41 Reply-To: xberri@arecibo.aero.org Organization: The Aerospace Corporation Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1992 06:28:00 GMT ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: MediaScan :: :: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS :: :: from Radio Sweden :: :: Number 2147--Jan. 7, 1991 :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Satellite, shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden. This week's bulletin was written by George Wood. Packet Radio BID SCDX2147 All times UTC unless otherwise noted. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (This edition was compiled by George Wood, in a wood-heated California farmhouse, equiped with laptop computer, shortwave receiver, and satellite dish.) THE GLOBAL VILLAGE/FUTURE TECHNOLOGY: CNN--The founder of the Cable News Network, Ted Turner, has been named Man of the Year 1991 by "Time" magazine. Turner was hailed as a visionary, whose network the magazine says changed the definition of news "from something that has happened to something that is happening at the very moment you are hearing it." It was just 15 years ago that Ted Turner put his little Atlanta station WTCG on a satellite. It was the first of the so-called "Super Stations" and the beginning of modern American cable television. WTCG had had an audience of just 24,000 in Atlanta. Within a year, it could be seen in almost 2 million homes. That number doubled the following year and doubled again the year after. Today, the Turner empire includes the Turner Broadcasting System, Turner Network Television, CNN, and CNN Headline News. The National Cable Television Association in the United States has ranked CNN as the number 1 cable network channel. With 58.9 million viewers, CNN is pursued by the sports channel ESPN, with Turner's TBS channel in 3rd place, followed by MTV. CNN has also won the cable industry's highest honour - the Golden ACE, for the second year running, for its coverage of the Gulf conflict. Meanwhile, Turner Broadcasting is expanding. Turner and Scientific- Atlanta have joined forces to produce the "Checkout Channel", a live television service which will be broadcast to American supermarkets. Turner Broadcasting has also bought the Hanna-Barbera cartoon production company, home of Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound. SatNews says Ted Turner is believed to be planning the launch of an animated children's television network in 1993. (AP, "Los Angeles Daily News", and "SatNews") FUTURE TECHNOLOGY--Satellite television expert Mark Long predicts integrated receiver/descramblers in the next century. Viewers will call up a special onscreen menu and specify what kinds of programming they want to watch, with an order of preference. The satellite receiver will then call up a satellite-delivered log of the month's program fare, and propose one or more custom viewing scenarios. Once a schedule is chosen, the receiver automatically will perform all the right moves to put the selections on the screen as they occur. (Mark Long in "Satellite Orbit" magazine) CABLE TELEVISION--The average American cable TV system is capable of receiving around 35 channels. But in Queens, New York Time Warner Inc. has launched the world's first 150-channel cable television system. The Queens system was already larger than usual, with 75 channels. Fifty- seven of the new channels are for pay-per-view programming, including the on-screen ordering of movies and special events. The other 18 channels will be reserved for satellite programming services and interactive telecommunications tests. These include a minicellular telephone service, computer networks, fax machines, electronic banking, and, as the technology develops, high definition TV television, or HDTV, the planned high density images that will include screens with the proportions of movie screens. ("Los Angeles Times") HDTV--A Japanese satellite is already broadcasting in HDTV, using a system called Hi-Vision, which some observers say is already obsolete, since it is totally analog. The United States is moving ahead on developing a completely digital HDTV system. The American Federal Communications Commmission is to choose between four digital technologies in 1993. Europe is in the middle, with the European Commission trying to impose a half-digital/half-analog system called HD-MAC on broadcasters. EC Technology Commissioner Filippo Maria Pandolfi and electronics companies hoping to sell millions of new television sets, wanted to force satellite broadcasters to switch to a system called D2-MAC as part of the planned transition to HD- MAC. So far, just abuor the only user of D2-MAC has been the Swedish ScanSat, which operates TV3 and TV1000. Other satellite broadcasters have continued to use the current PAL system. The efforts to impose D2-MAC and HD-MAC suffered a setback on December 19th. Following 15 hours of intense discussions, EC ministers agreed on a significantly watered-down version of the directive proposed by Technology Commissioner Pandolfi. The directive says the D2-MAC standard must be used for all new satellite-TV services in the extra-wide, 16-by-9 ratio format, as of 1995. But contrary to initial plans, existing TV channels won't be required to switch over to D2-MAC. The directive also leaves the door wide open for future broadcasts using all-digital technology. While the Japanese and HD-MAC systems are imcompatible, digital systems can easily be converted in other standards. (Dow Jones, Reuters) FILMNET--D2-MAC has won one small victory. FilmNet began regular broadcasts using D2-MAC on December 16th, on Astra 1B channel 23, 11.559 GHz. Transmissions will continue in parallel with the PAL broadcasts on Astra 1A channel 11, 11.362 GHz. (Jan Johansson, Sweden) SATELLITE TELEVISION: EUROPE--Satellite television continues to grow in Europe. According to a report from Continental Research more than two million satellite dishes are now installed in British homes. Continental believes that 6.8 million dishes will be installed by 1996, and 7.25 million by 2001. ("SatNews") SHORTWAVE: CHINA--Radio Beijing is now broadcasting at 20:00 and 21:00 hrs via Mali on 15170 kHz instead of 15110, and was broadcasting via the USSR at 22:00 hrs on 7170 kHz instead of 9880. (Tom Sundstrom, USA) CROATIA--Croatian Radio has been heard on a new frequency of 6210 kHz, instead of 7240. The schedule is now: 06:00-19:00 hrs on 9830 and 7240 kHz and 19:00-06:00 hrs on 9830 and 6210 kHz. (BBC Monitoring) CUBA--Radio Havana Cuba is now broadcasting in English to the Americas: 00:00-02:00 hrs on 11950 kHz; 02:00-04:00 hrs on 5965, 11950, and 15140 kHz; and 04:00-06:00 hrs on 6180 (from 05:00), 11760, and 11950 kHz. To Europe and the Middle East: 19:00-21:00 hrs on 17705 kHz; 20:00-21:00 hrs on 9760 kHz; and 22:00-23:00 hrs on 7215 kHz. (The last two transmissions are listed from transmitters in the former Soviet Union.) (BBC Monitoring) NEW ZEALAND--Radio New Zealand International is on the air 08:00-12:05 hrs on 9700 kHz, 18:00-22:05 hrs on 15120 kHz, and 22:06-08:00 hrs on 17770 kHz. (BBC Monitoring) THE FRAGMENTING USSR--With the end of the Soviet Union, the Radio Moscow World Service has been taken over by Russia's Radio. Russian programming is scheduled for 7400 kHz between 18:00 and 23:00 hrs. (Lou Josephs on CompuServe) But it's unclear what is happening to programming in other languages. The English service to North America was still on the air on 7115 and 7150 kHz at 04:00 hrs on January 2nd. (DX Editor) TURKMENISTAN--Radio Tashkent broadcasts in English at 12:00 and 13:30 hrs are now on 5945, 9540, 15470, and 17745 kHz. (Tom Sundstrom) UNIDENTIFIED--Does anyone know what station / service I heard on 4860 kHz from 20:15 (tuned in while program in progess) until 22:00 UT? It is apparently out of Moscow as there are frequent "Ist Moskva" IDs. At 20:58 there is a Moscow ID followed by the usual R. Moscow IS but then at 21:00 there is an IS played on a piano (several chords) followed by a female announcer saying something like "ee-tokway radijo" or "isti wokway radijo" which is repeated by a male announcer. Reception is only fair so I couldn't make out the ID any clearer. The language doesn't sound like Russian - it could be an eastern European or western Asian language perhaps. At 22:00, R. Moscow in Spanish begins without an obvious change in transmitter or antenna bearing. Any idea as to what I'm hearing? Transmitter location? While I'm at it, do you know where the transmitter is located which is producing the Moskovska Radio signal on 4795 kHz at about the same time? (Richard Langley, New Brunswick,Canada) UNOFFICIAL RADIO--A station called the Voice of Kashmir Freedom has been heard broadcasting in Urdu, Kashmiri, and English. The station opposes Indian control over Kashmir, and although it says it broadcasts from Indian soil, BBC Monitoring says it probably operates from Pakistan. There are one hour broadcasts at: 02:30, 07:00. 11:00, and 14:30 hrs on 5000 and 6300 KHz, and at 16:30 hrs on these two frequencies plus 5900 kHz. (BBC Monitoring) PUBLICATIONS--For those who like to tune in to utility stations, such as ships, aircraft, and news agencies, the 10th edition of the "Guide to Utility Stations" hasjust been published. It includes more than 7500 new coastal and fixed station frequencies, as well as changes caused by the Gulf War and recent events in Eastern Europe. The frequency list covers nearly 20,000 channels. There are also 69 RTTY press services listed on 371 frequencies. This essential guide for the utility DXer costs DEM 70 including airmail, from: Klingenfuss Publications, Hagenloher Str. 14, D-7400 Tuebingen, Germany. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Radio Sweden broadcasts to Europe in English at 19:30-20:30 hrs on medium wave 1179 kHz, as well as shortwave 6065, 9655, and 15270 kHz. The rest of the Radio Sweden English schedule is (half hour programs): To Europe: 21:30 hrs 1179 and 6065 kHz 23:30 hrs 1179 kHz To Asia/Pacific: 13:30 hrs 17740 and 21570 kHz 01:00 hrs 9765 kHz To North America: 15:30 hrs 17870 and 21500 kHz 01:00 hrs 9695 and 11705 kHz 02:00 hrs 9695 and 11705 kHz To Latin America: 23:30 hrs 9695 and 11705 kHz 15:30 hrs on 17875 and 21500 kHz 02:00 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz 03:30 hrs on 9695 and 11705 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! -- Jason Berri [berri@aero.org or berri@arecibo.aero.org] [SPEEDX USSR Editor - send email for more info on the SPEEDX SWL club]