Article: 5256 of rec.radio.info Xref: news.cs.tut.fi rec.radio.shortwave:31981 rec.radio.info:5256 Path: news.cs.tut.fi!news.funet.fi!sunic!EU.net!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!cyber2.cyberstore.ca!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!alberta!ve6mgs!usenet From: 70247.3516@CompuServe.COM (George Wood) Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave,rec.radio.info Followup-To: rec.radio.shortwave Subject: SCDX 2201 Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 08:16:20 -0600 Organization: Finnish University and Research Network Lines: 486 Message-ID: <$scdx2201.1994@ampr.org> Approved: rec-radio-info@ve6mgs.ampr.ab.ca. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: MediaScan :: :: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS :: :: from Radio Sweden :: :: Number 2201--June 7, 1994 :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Satellite, shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden. This week's bulletin was written by George Wood. Packet Radio BID SCDX2201 All times UTC unless otherwise noted. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TELEVISION--This is the time of year when academic reports and new doctor's dissertations make the news. And recent weeks have seen the publication of two such studies on the effect of TV viewing. According to a major study by the University of Lund, a lot of TV-viewing in childhood increases the self-confidence of boys, but has an opposite effect on girls. This, says Professor Erik Rosengren, is because things usually go well for men in television programs, less well for the women. They are often portrayed as passive, and are the victims of mental or physical violence. The study also concludes that aggressive children who watch a lot of TV violence, get more aggressive when they grow up. The 6 year study was based on the TV viewing habits of 4000 young people. It also reveals that boys in working class families watch almost twice as much TV and video as those in middle class families. That leads to a doctor's disseration by Bo Reimer at the University of Gothenburg. He has found that when the number of television channels increases, so do class differences. More choice, he says, far from increasing democracy, actually broadening the gaps in society. We interviewed Bo Reimer in today's edition of "MediaScan" about this unexpected conclusion. NORDIC MEDIA NEWS: RADIO SWEDEN--Since May 25th, our broadcast to Latin America at 00:30 hrs has used 9810 kHz instead of 9850. COMMERCIAL RADIO--The new commercial radio stations here in Sweden are slowing attracting listeners. But according to the latest audience survey, Swedish Radio's non-commercial channels continue to dominate. For example, here in Stockholm, the public service local station, Radio Stockholm, attracts 22 percent of listeners, while the P4 pop channel for 40-somethings and up has 16 percent and the youth-oriented P3 and the talk channel P1 both have around 15 percent. The leading commercial station in Stockholm continues to be the French-owned Energy, at just under 14 percent. Its closest rival is Radio City with a 6 and a half percent audience. Way down at the bottom is the only commercial station that isn't just playing pop music, the women's station Radio Q, which attracts only 0.4 percent listenership. (TT) Radio Q has appealed to the government for support to help it survive. The station cites its many cultural programs, something the other commercial stations lack. In addition, Radio Q says reception is poor in many parts of Stockholm, for which it blames the radio authorities. (TT) According to a new book called "Who Owns What in the Swedish Mass Media", the new commercial radio stations are linking up in networks, although this violates the terms of their licences. The authors say all but one of the 59 private stations are taking part in some kind of networking. (TT) NATIONAL BROADCASTING--Meanwhile, the Liberal party here has proposed the creation of a national private radio channel, as well as a fourth terrestrial television channel in Sweden. The party is also calling for the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation's public service radio and television channels to remain non-commercial. (TT) The sole terrestrial commercial broadcaster here, TV4, is winning the advertising war against its main competitor, the satellite and cable station TV3. But, should the opposition Social Democrats win this Fall's elections, TV4 may risk losing its licence. The Social Democrats are critical of the way TV4 continues to violate its licence terms. The Social Democrats new media group has suggested establishing a new national commercial TV channel, but state-owned rather than private. ("Dagens Nyheter") SATELLITE DISHES--Unlike some other countries, it looks like the right to put up a satellite dish antenna has been recognized here in Sweden. The authorities in a Stockholm suburb had ordered a housing company to remove a dish from a rooftop. But a court upheld the right to put up the antenna, saying that because of developments in radio and telecommunications, a satellite antenna must be considered a normal part of the urban landscape. (TT) TELE-X/SIRIUS--Sweden's TV4 is to continue broadcasts on Tele-X until July 31st. From that date the station will use only the relay on Sirius at the same position on 11.938 GHz. (Bertil Sundberg in "Paa TV") QVC--Norwegians may be thrilled to learn that they are to be the next target for the shopping channel QVC. ("In Orbit") EUROPEAN MEDIA NEWS: INTELSAT--the Nordic Intelsat scheduled for launch last Saturday won't be going into orbit for another week. The Ariane rocket failed to ignite, reportedly because a valve pumping liquid hydrogen did not open. This will be the first Ariane launch from French Guiana since January, when the rocket carrying Eutelsat II-F5 and Turksat-1 crashed. Intelsat 702 is to be placed at 1 degree West, alongside Norway's Thor DBS satellite, and replacing Intelsat 512 at the same position. The largest cable companies in the Nordic region are planning to provide dish owners with a package comparable to cable offerings from the new satellite. (AP) United Artists has combined its three stations on Intelsat 601, the Parliamentary Channel, Wire-TV, and The Learning Channel, onto a single digital transponder on 11.472 GHz. The parallel PAL channels go off the air today. (James Robinson) Wire is screening two hour blocks of highlights from the Wimbledon tennis tournament, under an agreement with the BBC. Wire is understood to be planning to launch a 24 hour cable-only sports channel next year. ("Skyguide") ASTRA--For a couple of weeks recently, Discovery, the Children's Channel, and TV Asia were only soft-scrambling on Astra, which meant anyone with a videocrypt decoder could watch. This was because British Sky Broadcasting was switching from its series 7 subscriber cards to the new series 9, and because some legal cards were affected by the switchover, some of the channels ran uncoded. The switchover wiped out all the pirate cards in Europe, just as a new hack had appeared, using a personal computer and a very simple card interface. Presumeably the hackers are working on a new version. ASTRA 1D--Arianespace says Astra 1D should launch in September or October this year. ("Skyguide") VOX--Viewers hoping to see Super Channel appear on Astra will have to wait a little longer. The bankrupt Vox has received a new lease on life until June 20th. (Bertil Sundberg in "Paa TV" and "What Satellite TV") Some reports indicate Vox may be saved by the RTL group. If this is so, the station may be renamed, currently touted names for the channel are "RTL Classic" and "RTL 3". ("Skyguide") EUROSPORT--Eurosport is reported to be in discussions with Sky with a view towards joining the Sky network, either as a part of Sky Multi-Channels or as a bonus channel for Sky Sports subscribers. (Ironically, Sky once owned half of Eurosport, and the channel almost went under when Sky pulled out.) ("Skyguide") According to a radio interview, Eurosport will remain uncoded. ("In Orbit") Meanwhile, following Teleclub's lead, Eurosport will be moving from the aging Astra 1A to the same channel on a reserve transponder on Astra 1C. Teleclub moved last October, and Eurosport is set to move to 1C in August. (Andy Sennitt, "World Radio TV Handbook" and "Skyguide") EUTELSAT--Eutelsat claims that 200 digital channels will be slotted at 13 degrees East when the upcoming Hot Bird and Hot Bird 2 satellite join Eutelsat II-F1 at that position. These satellites will add the bands 11.45- 11.7 and 11.7-12.5 GHz to those currently available. ("In Orbit") A TV station calling itself the European Arab Company for Radio and Television has been observed during the morning in Arabic on Eutelsat II-F2 on 10.987 GHz. It gave an address in Belgium. This same transponder is used by Eurostep and Croatian TV. (BBC Monitoring) BRITAIN--The Radio Authority has decided on the allocation of the 105-108 MHZ band. 105-106.9 MHz will be allocated to new citywide stations. This will allow at least 2 new stations to be licenced in Britain's major cities, substantially more in London. 107-108 MHz has been allocated for use by smaller local and community radio services. The decision apparently means that Virgin 1215's high-profile campaign to gain an FM channel has failed. (Geoff Rogers) RADIO CAROLINE--The pioneer offshore pirate station Radio Caroline has taken to the airwaves again to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Caroline was launched outside British territorial waters in 1964 to try to break the BBC's radio monopoly. It was outlawed in 1967, moved to Dutch waters, and continued intermittently until 1990. The radio ship "Ross Revenge" has been equipped with a legal FM transmitter for a month of broadcasts from off the Essex coast. Several of the original disc jockeys will take part in the celebration. Radio Caroline manager Peter Moore told the "Guardian" he hopes the temporary return of the station would herald a full-scale revival, this time using satellite technology. (Reuters via Kevin Fay) The ship is currently on the air on 87.7 MHz. Ironically, Caroline itself became a victim of pirates when an intermittent jamming signal was heard on its broadcasts for the best part of a day. This signal was of relatively low power and intercepted the link frequency between the studios on the ship and the shore based FM transmitter station. Radio Caroline were forced to call in their former foes, the Radio Investigation Service of the DTI, to track down the illegal jammer!! The jamming transmitter was fairly swiftly discovered running unattended in a field, and no further trouble with jamming signals has occurred. (Geoff Rogers) GERMANY--The monthly German satellite program "TS-TV", aimed entirely to the satellite enthusiast across Europe, is looking for YOUR equipment. Make your own video of your dish, your receivers, your foto collection of rare satellite channels - whatever comes to your mind regarding your equipment, and send your video to: TS-TV, c/o TELE-satellit Rosenheimer Str. 143a/V D-81671 Munich, Germany TS-TV accepts VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C and Hi8. In return, you will get a 90 min long cassette of either TS-TV #1, #2 or #3. Indicate what tape you want. Your video - if accepted by the TS-TV editors - will be shown within the regular TS-TV transmissions. Those are every last Friday of a month (repeat on the following Sunday) via EUTELSAT II-F1, 13 East, 11.596 GHz H, audio 6.50 MHz. (Alexander Wiese, Tele-satellit) Unfortunately "Tele-satellit" has suspended its Swedish edition. NORTH AMERICAN MEDIA NEWS: FOX--Rupert Murdoch strikes again! Shortly after outbidding CBS for National Football League broadcast rights, Murdoch's Fox network has poached a dozen prized affilates from the three traditional American TV networks, for a price of USD 500 million. All 12 stations are VHF (whereas most current Fox affilates are in the less popular UHF band), 8 are CBS affiliates, 3 have been affiliated with ABC, and 1 with NBC. They are located in key markets such as Detroit, Cleveland, and Dallas. Observers say the unprecidented deal puts Fox in the same league as the Big Three. Fox now has around 150 full- time affiliates, compared with more than 200 for each of its three rivals. (AP and Reuters) BBC--Cox Enterprises says it is talking to the BBC about setting up a national television network in the United States featuring programming from the British satellite channels UK Gold and UK Living. UK Gold carries classic programs from the archives of the BBC and Thames Television, while UK Living is a women's channel launched by the two British companies. Cox owns 24 cable-TV companies that reach a combined 1.8 million viewers. That is apparently not a large enough base for a new channel, and some kind of national network is being explored. (Reuters) COURT TV--Courtroom Television Network, a joint venture between Time Warner Inc, Cablevision Systems Development Corp, Liberty Media Inc and American Lawyer Media LP, is adding a new range of interactive programming onto its trial television network. The new service, known as Back Channel, will allow viewers to access information and legal data about trials being telecast and allow them to take daily quizzes on the trials and relevant law. ("Satnews") CANADA--Canada has awarded 10 new cable TV licences to channels that will broadcast everything from country and western music to nature programs. The new channels are the first awarded since 1987. By adding the cable channels, Canada hopes to forestall a threat from the new American DirecTV system, which will offer 150 digital channels from one position in the sky. DirecTV has been dubbed the "Death Star" by some Canadians, concerned about the affects of American programming on Canadian culture. The new offerings include the (ironically American) Discovery Channel, which provides documentaries and wildlife programming, a women's channel, two French language services, and two English-language pay per view services. (Reuters) TV POLONIA--Plans to carry Polish TV to the United States have run into difficulties. (PAP news agency via BBC Monitoring) LATIN AMERICAN MEDIA NEWS: USA NETWORK--The USA Network has launched a Latin American network, including Spanish language editions of "Entertainment Tonight" and "Hard Copy". ("Satnews") NBC--NBC is expanding towards a fully global service by launching a joint operation with TV Azteca to Latin America. NBC will shortly announce a new service to Asia. ("In Orbit") VOA--The Voice of America's Creole Service has expanded its broadcasts from one and a half hours to two hours Monday through Friday, in addition to one hour a day on Saturday and Sunday in response to recent developments in Haiti following the coup d'etat of September 30, 1991. VOA's Creole Service, which began broadcasting in March 1986, brings accurate and objective news and information to millions of listeners in Haiti and the French Caribbean, in addition to those reached by its programming re-broadcast by five local affiliated stations in Haiti. (VOA press release) MIDDLE EASTERN SATELLITE BROADCASTING: EGYPT--Egypt's Information Minister says that Nile TV on Eutelsat II-F2 is to expand from 2 hours a day to 6 hours a day. Preparations are underway to expand this channel to Africa via Arabsat by the end of 1994. (BBC Monitoring) Nile TV has the most appallingly weak signal. Ironically, the Egyptian Space Channel on the same satellite has a very strong signal. IRAN--A spokesman for Ayatollah Ali Khomenei has denied reports the Ayatollah has issued a "fatwa" (religious decree) on the use of satellites. According to the Deputy speaker, the Iranian parliament, the Majlis, is to discuss the issue of home satellite receivers. (BBC Monitoring) On May 11th, a draft bill to ban satellite receiving dishes was introduced to the Majlis. (Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran via BBC Monitoring) Iranian radio and television is planning worldwide satellite broadcasts. These will carry messages for the Muslims of the world, of unity and strengthening historical and cultural bonds. (BBC Monitoring) ASIAN MEDIA NEWS: RIMSAT--On May 21st Russia launched a second Gorizont satellite for the US- Malaysian company Rimsat for relays over the Pacific. The two satellites carry a total of 12 transponders. The first satellite was launched on November 18, 1993. The Rimsat contract also provides for the lease of channels on another four new generation Ekpress satellites, which are twice as powerful as Gorizont. (Interfax and Itar-Tass via BBC Monitoring) BBC--Two months after being axed from the Northern Asian beam of the Star-TV service on Asiasat-1, BBC World Service Television will return this week to Hong Kong, via cable. Wharf Cable will carry BBC programs on its Cable International Channel from June 11th. Four one hour blocks will be sent out each weekday, and one three hour block each on Saturdays and Sundays. Rupert Murdoch's Star-TV dropped the BBC from the northern beam on April 17th, replacing it with a Chinese pay movie channel, according to reports after pressure from Bejing about the BBC's outspoken news coverage. The BBC still airs on the southern beam to India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The news and information channel will begin relays to Japan in July, expand into Europe (where there is already an entertainment channel) later this year, and is expected to reach the United States by early 1995. It will launch an Arabic channel to the Middle East later this month. (Reuters) STAR-TV--Having also dropped MTV Asia last month, Star-TV launched its own music video service, Channel V, on May 27th. Star-TV has retained the popular MTV video jockeys. Star is splitting its music audience in two, offering music videos in Mandarin on the northern beam. The southern beam will broadcast music programming in English and Hindi. MTV says it will launch its own channel to Asia in the last quarter of this year. (Reuters) CHINA--Chinese police ordered hotels in Beijing to turn off CNN during the June 3-4 anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. (Reuters) This follows a crack-down on private satellite receiving equipment in China. (Reuters) The accident that happened to the Fengyun-2 weather satellite earlier this year will not affect the launching schedule for three foreign satellites later this year. Apstar-1 and Apstar-2 (operated by the Chinese-controlled and Hong Kong-based APT Satellite Co.), and Australia's Optus B3 will be launched during the latter half of this year as scheduled. (Xinhua news agency via BBC Monitoring) The China Telecommunications Broadcast Satellite Corp. has signed a 5 year contract to lease 8 transponders on the Apstar-1 satellite. China will launch the satellite around July 20th. China is anxious to expand and improve its domestic broadcasting as part of an effort to ward off an invasion of Western programming. (AP) DEUTSCHE WELLE--Germany's Deutsche Welle has signed an agreement to broadcast in the C-band via Asiasat 2, which is due to be launched in early 1995. The satellite's footprint will cover an area from Tokyo to Turkey, reaching more than 3 billion people in 53 countries. It will carry 33 transponders. Deutsche Welle is the first customer to lease a C-band transponder on Asiasat 2. (BBC Monitoring and Reuters) JAPAN--Japan Satellite Systems is planning to launch a 50 channel digitially compressed satellite service in Asia within two years. Reception equipment will cost around GBP 450, and the monthly subscription fee for a basic level service will be GBP 23. ("Satnews") The Japanese Posts and Telecommunications Ministry says it will call a panel to study converting Japan's broadcasting system from analog to digital to prepare for the forthcoming multimedia communications era. Satellite broadcasts would begin around the year 2000, with terrestrial broadcasts starting between 2000 and 2010. Industry watchers believe one reason for the delay is that the ministry does not want to affect the analog Hi-Vision HDTV system currently being introduced. (Kyodo news agency via BBC Monitoring) SINGAPORE--Singapore has asked the ITU to reserve 6 satellite slots in space. The island nation hopes to launch its first communications satellites by 1999. (Reuters) The following is extracted from a programme schedule provided by Radio Singapore International: Radio Singapore International (English Service) 9530 kHz in the 31 Metreband 1100 to 1400 UTC hours The English service of Radio Singapore International News, Business and Market Reports, Current Affairs, Lifestyle and Music Programmes. Full news bulletins are broadcast daily at 1130, 1230 and 1330 hours UTC, and News-in-Briefs at 1100, 1200, 1300 and 1355 hours UTC. A roundup of financial and business news from Mon to Fri at 1120 hours and 1220 hours UTC. For more detailed information you may write RSI at: Radio Singapore International English Department Farrer Road P.O. Box 5300 Singapore 9128 Republic of Singapore or you may call them at : 011-65-353-5300 or you may fax them at:011-65-259-1357 (Adrian Seet) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sweden Calling DXers/MediaScan is the world's oldest radio program about international broadcasting. Radio Sweden has presented this round-up of radio news, features, and interviews on Tuesdays since 1948. It's currently broadcast on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Radio Sweden broadcasts in English: Europe and Africa: 16:15 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz 17:30 hrs on 1179, 6065, 9655, and 15390 kHz 20:30 hrs on 1179, 6065 and 9655 kHz 21:30 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz, and 22:30 hrs on 1179 and 6065 kHz Middle East and Africa: 17:30 hrs on 6065, 9655, and 15390 kHz 20:30 hrs on 6065 and 9655 kHz Asia and the Pacific: 11:30 hrs on 13775, 15120, and 15240 kHz 23:30 hrs on 11910 kHz and 01:30 hrs on 9695 and 11695 kHz North America: 12:30 and 13:30 hrs on 15240 and 17870 kHz 02:30 and 03:30 hrs on 6040 and 9850 kHz South America: 00:30 hrs on 6065 and 9810 kHz The broadcasts at 16:15, 17:30, 21:30, and 22:30 hrs (and weekends at 20:30) are also relayed to Europe by satellite: Astra 1B (19.2 degrees East) transponder 26 (Sky Movies Gold/TV Asia/Adult Channel) at 11.597 GHz, audio subcarrier at 7.74 MHz, Tele-X (5 degrees East) (TV4 transponder) at 12.207 GHz, audio subcarrier 7.38 MHz. Radio Sweden is also relayed to Europe via the World Radio Network on MTV's transponder 22 on Astra, audio 7.38 MHz, daily at 20:00 hrs UTC. Radio Sweden can also be heard on WRN's North American service on ASC-1, on SCOLA's transponder 23, audio 6.20 MHz, daily at 00:00 and 20:00 hrs. Contributions can be sent to DX Editor George Wood by fax to +468-667-6283, from MCI Mail or CompuServe to the CompuServe mailbox 70247,3516, from Internet to 70247.3516@compuserve.com, 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 MediaScan/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!