Apparently-to: scdx@get.pp.se
From: "George Wood" 
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  ::           MediaScan             
  ::      SWEDEN CALLING DXERS       
  ::       from Radio Sweden          
  ::   Number 2263--Jan. 21, 1997     
  ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 
Satellite, shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio
Sweden.
This week's bulletin was written by George Wood.
Packet Radio BID SCDX2263
All times UTC unless otherwise noted.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's nice to be back after several weeks vacation at home in
California. What was amazing was to see how cheap digital satellite
reception equipment costs there now. With three competing systems, the
price has fallen to around 250 dollars. Back here, Nethold officially
launched the first digital satellite system to Scandinavia back in
November, but as far as I can see, it's still not being advertised.
Presumeably when marketing starts, the equipment will cost at least 5
times as much as the American counterpart.
NORDIC MEDIA NEWS
NETHOLD--Nethold's Danish subsidiary, MultiChoice Danmark, and the
Danish telecom operator, Tele Danmark, have agreed to work together to
promote pay cable television. Under the agreement, MultiChoice Danmark
will handle the subscriber management of all existing and future
analog and digital encrypted services on Tele Danmark's cable
networks. Tele Danmark will acquire the cable decoders previously
owned by Multichoice, and will have the exclusive cable distribution
rights to the FilmNet and Hallmark channels in Denmark.
("Tele-satellit News")
DISNEY--Disney has signed a contract with the private terrestrial
channel TV4, giving it first rights to Disney programming, instead of
the public service Swedish Television. So this past Christmas was the
last time Swedish Television carried the "From All of Us to All of
You" program on Christmas Eve, something which has become a real
holiday tradition here.
The secondary rights to Disney programming has gone from satellite
broadcaster TV3 to arch-rival Channel 5. This is not surprising as
Channel 5 is largely owned by ABC, which is now part of Disney. 
SATELLITES--There have been a few changes at the Nordic satellite
positions at 1 degree West (Tele-X, Sirus) and 5 degrees East
(Intelsat 707, Thor, TV-Sat). Turner's Cartoon Network and TNT are now
coded at 1 degree West (10.995 GHz). Norway's digital Telenor package
is no longer at 5 degrees East, but continues at 1 degree West, on
10.974 GHz. And the SciFi Channel has also stopped broadcasts from 5
degrees East, but continues in PAL from 1 degree West, on 12.054 GHz.
(Richard Karlsson, "Aftonbladet") Curiously, the sound from the Nova
shopping channel can be heard before SciFi starts, with a SciFi
screen.
Kinnevik's Sportkanalen, having given up the fight with Nethold's
SuperSport, has left its Swedish service on Sirius and its Danish
service on TV-SAT 2. ("SATCO DX Chart Update") The Swedish TV6
service, which shared the transponder with Sportkanalen, has resumed
weekend programming.
SIRIUS--But Sweden's satellite position at 5 degrees East, currently
the home of the Sirius 1 and the aging Tele-X satellites, will be
getting a boost soon. General Electric's Sirius 2 satellite is
scheduled to be launched in July. It will carry 32 transponders. Half
will be used for Scandinavian channels, and GE will use the other half
for its own new Pan-European service.
In today's program I talk to GE Americom's Vice President for
International Marketing, George Monaster, about the new satellite.
When Sirius 2 is in orbit, it will carry 26 transponders between 11.7
and 12.5 GHz, half of which will be for a Nordic beam, the other half
a European beam. There will also be 6 more transponders between 12.5
and 12.75 GHz, for a North/Central European beam.
RADIO SWEDEN--On January 1st, NBC Super Channel formally became NBC
Europe, on Eutelsat II-F1, on 10.987 GHz. And we hope our European
listeners have tuned into Radio Sweden's new satellite service on that
same transponder, on audio channel 7.56 MHz. Our relays on Astra and
Tele-X will be coming to an end in March.
DAB--Public broadcaster Swedish Radio has to save an additional 5
percent of its budget, around 12 million dollars, by the turn of the
century, in order to complete the introduction of Digital Audio
Broadcasting. This is in addition to the government-imposed 15 percent
cutbacks of recent years. ("Dagens Nyheter")
ARENA--Swedish Minister of Culture Marita Ulvskog is critical of
Swedish Education Broadcasting's plans to start Arena, a Swedish
version of C-SPAN, the highly successful two channels covering the
American Congress. A study is being conducted on the future of the
company, and the results are expected in September or October at the
earliest. ("Etermedia")
TV4--The Swedish government recently agreed to let the commercial
terrestrial TV4 broadcast more advertising, in return for keeping the
company's local studios around the country in operation. The media
magazine "Resume" reports the deal may mean tens of millions of
dollars in additional annual profits for TV4. ("Svenska Dagbladet")
TV5--The French TV5 Europe, which won a bizarre legal fight to force
Sweden's TV5 to change its name a few years ago, has been removed from
the basic tier on most of Sweden's cable TV networks. Telia Kabel TV,
the country's largest operator, has moved TV5 to its European package,
which it now shares with channels from Britain, Germany, Italy, and
Spain. The channel's Swedish audience has now shrunk from 1.25 million
households to 15,000 households. Telia Kabel has replaced TV5 with the
Swedish channel TV6, which was already available as an "extra" free
channel on many networks. The reason given for the switch is
preparations for upgrading to digital operation during 1997. The
Swedish Tenants Union has filed a complaint againt Telia Kabel TV with
the national anti-monopoly authorities. ("Dagens Nyheter")
EUROPE
ASTRA--Flextech (the British subsidiary of American cable giant TCI)
is reorganzing its UK channels. The Family Channel is being renamed
Challenge TV, to reflect its new concentration on game shows. Bravo is
extending its broadcast hours from February, with "weird and cult
programmes" in the evening, and a new "channel" targeted at teenagers
from noon to 8:00 PM British time. Playboy TV has moved to Astra
transponder 31 (and left transponder 42), sharing it with Sky Sports
3, with an earlier start time. The Children's Channel (TCC) seems to
be abandoning its recent fixation on the teen market, and will once
again be broadcasting for children, in the 4 to 9 age group.
Meanwhile, TCC's pre-school programming, Tiny TCC, will move to a
special three hour slot on UK Living 6:00-9:00 AM British time daily,
called "Tiny Living". ("What Satellite TV")
Nickelodeon Germany and VH-1 Germany have started on Astra transponder
27 in clear PAL, replacing the D2-MAC Nickelodeon Sweden (which
continues on Sirius). ("SATCO DX Chart Update")
Pro Sieben Schweiz has started on Astra transponder 61 in PAL. It is
identical to the ordinary German Pro Sieben on transponder 14, with
some special commercial windows for Switzerland. ("SATCO DX CHart
Update")
Although a spokesman for Warner Brothers TV has told "What Satellite
TV" that they are optimistic of a launch "sometime in January", the
feud between Rupert Murdoch and Time Warner continues. WBTV intends to
broadcast on Astra transponder 57. Murdoch prevented the channel from
joining British Sky Broadcasting's Multi-Channels package after his
Fox News Network was refused a place on Time Warner's cable systems in
the US. (After Time Warner bought Turner broadcasting, its cable
systems were obliged to add an alternative to Turner's CNN. Time
Warner choose msNBC over Fox.) In a speech to the United Nations in
New York, Ted Turner continued to criticise Murdoch's media empire:
"They want to control the television world. We have to do everything
we can to stop them". ("What Satellite TV")
HOT BIRD--Here are some of the channels operating on the new Hot Bird
2 satellite (located with Eutelsat II-F1 and Hot Bird 1 at 13 degrees
East):
11.727 GHz  RTP Internacional (PAL)
11.747      Emirates Dubai TV (PAL)
11.766      RAI (clear MPEG-2)
11.785      Polonia 1
11.804      RAI (clear MPEG-2)
11.919      Italian Mediaset package (clear MPEG-2) (see below)
11.938      TPS  8 new channels (MPEG-2)
11.958      DStv package (MPEG-2)
11.996      DStv package (MPEG-2)
12.015      ART Europe (PAL)
12.034      DStv package (MPEG-2)
12.073      DStv package (MPEG-2)
12.092      TPS (MPEG-2)
("SATCO DX CHart Update" and "Tele-satellit News")
Other broadcasters booked on Hot Bird 2 include Germany's WDR
(probably with a children's channel), and digital packages from
Telepiu, Nethold, Sweden's Svenska Kabel, and NBC. ("What Satellite
TV")
Bloomberg Italy, a new news and information channel, has joined the
Telepiu package. ("Tele-satellit News")
ANIMAL PLANET--Animal Planet, a new channel from the BBC and
Discovery, is close to launching in Europe. Initially on cable, it
will move to satellite later this year. It may launch as early as
March or April. The channel is already on the air in the United States
(now on Satcom C4 on 4.000 GHz), with wildlife documentaries and drama
shows with animals, like "Flipper". ("What Satellite TV" and "SATCO DX
Chart Update")
INTELSAT--KinderNet and Travel have left Intelsat 601 11.175 GHz.
("SATCO DX Chart Update")
Tara TV has started on Intelsat 603 on 11.158 GHz, in MPEG-2. ("SATCO
DX Chart Update")
AFRTS on Intelsat 707 has split into several channels, and has changed
from B-MAC to PowerVu (MPEG). ("SATCO DX Chart Update")
The Italian private stations Canale 5, Italia 1, and Rete 4 are
closing their analog service on Intelsat 602 (63 degrees East) on
February 19. The three channels are already being carried as clear
digital channels on Hot Bird 2 on 11.919 GHz. ("Tele-satellit News")
HISPASAT--VH-1 UK has started on Hispasat, on 12.456 GHz in MPEG-2.
("SATCO DX Chart Update")
MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA
STAR-TV--Star-TV's Middle East unit has launched a package of 6
channels relayed on the Orbit Satellite Television and Radio Network.
The new channels include Star Plus International, Star Movies, Star
Sports, NBC, CNBC, and the Fox Kids Network. Three more channels, Sky
News, Channel [V] International, and Viva Cinema, will be added to the
package in April. The package is being offered for subscription, as
Sky Select. ("Tele-satellit News")
ASIA/PACIFIC
AUSTRALIA--Staff at Radio Australia stopped work January 21 for 45
minutes to protest the possible closure or sale of the shortwave
station. They called on the government to support the continuation of
public international broadcasting as a central plant of the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation's charter. A review of the ABC by a former
chief executive of Optus and Fairfax, Bob Mansfield, is believed to
recommend that the ABC sell Radio Australia. The Mansfield inquiry is
due to release its findings Friday. Radio Australia employs around 150
workers. (AP)
PALAPA--TNT/Cartoon Network are on Palapa C2 on 3.760 GHz, in B-MAC.
("SATCO DX Chart Update")
NORTH AMERICA
SKYLINK--AT&T Skylink has announced that its Telstar 401 satellite
cannot be recovered. The satellite suffered a fatal failure on January
11. In the meantime, AT&T is bringing Telstar 301 back into service at
97 degrees West to take over some of the traffic that has been
displaced. The old satellite will remain in use until Telstar 5 is
launched later this year. The new satellite will take over many of the
customers that were on Telstar 401, including ABC, Fox, UPN, and PBS.
The satellite was part of a deal under which AT&T is selling its
Skylink service to Loral. The two companies are now renegotiating the
price of the buyout. ("Tele-satellit News" and "SATCO DX Chart
Update")
LATIN AMERICA
BRAZIL--The TVA digital package on Brazilsat B1 is using 3.840, 4.080,
and 4.120 GHz in MPEG-1. There are 25 channels altogether. ("SATCO DX
Chart Update")
FRANCE--Canal France International is now on Intelsat 601 on 3.766
GHz, beamed to South America. ("SATCO DX Chart Update")
LAUNCHES
ARIANE--A technical problem aboard Western Europe's 93rd Ariane rocket
has delayed its scheduled January 28 launch for two days. A statement
from the Paris-based Arianespace says a Helium leak was discovered
during launch preparation. Ariane flight 93 is scheduled to carry the
American GE-2 and Argentina's Nahuel-1A into orbit. The launch has
been rescheduled for the night between January 30 and 31 UTC.
(Reuters)
CYBERSPACE
SWEDEN--Sweden's ONTV is Europe's first Internet-only TV station, with
regular broadcasts (in Swedish). Four programs a week are available,
both live and on-demand. Among the interests behind the station is the
Bonniers publishing empire. Reception requires the VivoActive Player,
which can be downloaded from ONTV's Web pages, at:
http://www.ontv-sverige.com
(TT and "Internet World")
-------------------------------------------------------------
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) (through March) and on Eutelsat II-F1, 10.987
GHz (NBC Europe), 7.56 MHz 
21:00 hrs via the World Radio Network on Astra transponder 22 (VH-1)
In all cases (except Eutelsat) 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
North America:
Satellite:
02:30 hrs UTC via WRN on Galaxy 5 transponder 6 (WTBS), audio 6.8 MHz
(9:30 PM EST, 6:30 PM PST)
Shortwave:
12:30 hrs on 15240 and 11650/13740* kHz
14:30 hrs on 15240 and 9485/11650* kHz
02:30 hrs on 6200 kHz
03:30 hrs on 7115 kHz
Latin America:
00:30 hrs on 6065 kHz
01:30 hrs on 7265/7290* kHz
* = may shift from day to day
Each program Monday to Friday, recorded at 13:30 hrs UTC, is available
in the RealAudio format at:
--- NetMgr 1.00.g4+
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