Apparently-to: scdx@get.pp.se
From: "George Wood" 
Part II:
DIGITAL TELEVISION--The television and computer industries ended their
bitter disagreement over the design of a new generation of TV sets
late on Monday November 25. The compromise, reached after three days
of intense negotiations, clears the way for federal regulators to
finalize a plan for shifting the nation to digital TV and its promise
of super- sharp pictures and sound.
Negotiators for computer companies, broadcasters and TV-set makers
agreed to recommend that the Federal Communications Commission adopt a
standard that doesn't specify a video format for digital TV, but
instead lets the various industries and companies choose formats they
think will best suit consumers. The compromise gives computer makers
the technological flexibility they sought while making it almost
certain that the FCC will act quickly, which the broadcasters want.
FCC Chairman Reed Hundt, who has resisted adopting a standard while
the industries disagreed, called the compromise "wholly welcome"
because it "eliminates needless government regulation on technical
issues better left to the marketplace." Commissioner Susan Ness, who
had urged the negotiations, said she is "confident" the FCC can act
before the end of the year.
The computer industry had favored adopting a single video
format better suited to computers or, as in the final agreement, none
at all. The standard still would set many of the rules for digital
transmission, like how voice and video material is carried on the
signal. And most TV-set makers are likely to build sets incorporating
an 18-format plan anyway, at least for the next few years.
But the lack of a mandated video format sets the stage for a lively
competition between set makers and personal-computer manufacturers,
who will woo consumers by combining sharp pictures with features
peculiar to computers.
For example, consumers could be watching a baseball game and call up
statistics by dialing into the Internet, said Donald Norman, vice
president of research for Apple Computer Inc., the computer maker that
has been fighting the digital issue for years. Paul Misener, manager
of telecommunications and computer technology policy for Intel Corp.,
said, "This is a great victory for PC users ... because [computers]
won't be constrained by an overly intrusive government mandate."
Broadcasters were especially eager for a deal because they worried
that a delay might jeopardize their chances of getting, without paying
for them, the airwaves they need to shift to the new technology. Sen.
John McCain (R., Ariz.), who is in line to become chairman of the
Senate Commerce Committee, has said he would explore auctioning those
airwaves to the highest bidder.
TV-set makers have said digital sets could be on sale in two years at
USD 1,500 to USD 3,000 apiece. Prices are expected to fall as the
technology and manufacturing methods are perfected. ("Wall Street
Journal")
AFRTS--The Armed Forces Radio and Television Service will soon
provide its audiences around the world with more program choices
through the use of digital compression technology.
Digital compression equipment will replace the current satellite
transmission and reception system that has reached the end of its life
cycle and is no longer manufactured.  The new digital PowerVu system
will allow multiple audio and video signals to be compressed into the
same satellite transponder space that now carries only one television
service.
AFRTS will begin transmitting all of its programming to outlets
directly by satellite from its broadcast center at March Air Reserve
Base near Riverside, Calif.  Overseas audiences who receive AFRTS on
cable or wireless cable will have at least three television channels.
An entertainment channel, called the American Forces Network,
will be customized and time-shifted for each AFRTS regional
audience.  Another channel, known as AFN NewSports, will
feature a variety of current affairs, news and sports programs.  A
third channel, AFN Spectrum, will offer alternative entertainment and
family programming from selected U.S. cable networks and the Public
Broadcasting Service.  A variety of radio entertainment and
information services will also be available. (US Air Force News
Service , via Curt Swinehart)
CYBERSPACE:
BRITAIN--The BBC's "Big Byte" program will be taking up online radio
in its next edition, Sunday at 12:05 UTC on Radio 5 Live. Radio 5 is
available on medium in the UK, and also on Astra transponder 23 (UK
Gold) 7.92 MHz.
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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:
To Europe:
Satellite:
13:30, 17:15, and 19:30 hrs on Astra transponder 33 (ZDF) and Tele-X
(Kanal 5 -- 12.475 GHz)
21:00 hrs via the World Radio Network on Astra transponder 22 (VH-1)
In all cases our audio subcarrier is 7.38 MHz
We're also broadcasting to Africa and the Middle East via WRN at 00:30
Central African Time (Saturdays only also 02:30 CAT) on Intelsat 707
3.9115 GHz in MPEG-2, Audio Stream WRN1. 
Shortwave:
19:30 hrs    1179, 6065, 7240, and 9655 
20:30        1179 and 6065 kHz  
21:30        1179, 6065, and 7230 kHz 
22:30        1179, 6065, and 7325 kHz 
Asia/Pacific:
Satellite:
Via WRN on AsiaSat-2 on 4.000 GHz, MPEG-2 DVB, Audio Stream WRN1, at
20:00 and 23:00 hrs UTC (06:00 and 09:00 AET).
Shortwave:
13:30 hrs    7155 and 13740/15240* kHz
14:30 hrs    9435/9485* kHz
01:30 hrs    7265/7290* kHz
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(9:30 PM EST, 6:30 PM PST)
Shortwave:
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* = may shift from day to day
Each program Monday to Friday, recorded at 13:30 hrs UTC, is available
in the RealAudio format at:
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Each day's program, recorded at 01:30 hrs UTC, is also available from
WRN in  RealAudio format. See:
http://town.hall.org/Archives/radio/Mirrors/WRN/audio/0130.ram
FTP versions of both files (for those behind firewalls) are available
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and
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Contributions can be sent to DX Editor George Wood by fax to
+468-667-6283 or by e-mail to: wood@rs.sr.se
Reports can also be sent to: 
      Radio Sweden 
      S-105 10 Stockholm 
      Sweden 
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Thanks to this week's contributors            Good Listening!
************************
George Wood            wood@rs.sr.se
Radio Sweden           http://www.sr.se/rs
S-105 10 Stockholm   tel: +468-784-7239
Sweden		        fax: +468-667-6283	
************************
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