
  :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
  ::           MediaScan             ::
  ::      SWEDEN CALLING DXERS       ::
  ::       from Radio Sweden         :: 
  ::    Number 2249--June 4, 1996    :: 
  ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 


Satellite, shortwave and other electronic media news from
Radio Sweden.

This week's bulletin was written by George Wood.

Packet Radio BID SCDX2249

All times UTC unless otherwise noted.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I hope everyone noted the corrections that were sent out to
the last bulletin. Just a reminder that the MediaScan section
of our Web site has been re-organized. I've also decided to
continue to upload au-format sound files of the MediaScan
programs, even though this now involves first copying onto
analog tape from a RadioMan terminal, then copying that tape
into a PC with Web server access. You'll find today's program
on our MediaScan pages
(http://www.sr.se/rs/english/media/scdx.au), and I'll also be
putting together an archive of some of the more recent
programs. There is already a new archive of the most recent
html versions of these bulletins.

Swedish subscribers, look for a press conference announcing
the coming launch of Swedish Radio RealAudio service in about
10 days.

NORDIC MEDIA NEWS:

RADIO SWEDEN--We changed some of our shortwave frequencies
Sunday night. To North America at 02:30 hrs we finally got out
of the 40 meter amateur radio band, and switched to 6090 kHz
from 7290. Unfortunately, we're still in that ham band an hour
later. At 13:30 hrs we're using a new frequency of 13740 kHz
instead of 11650.

And at 01:30 hrs we're now broadcasting to South Asia on 9435
kHz instead of 7120. Our schedule lists both frequencies, but
apparently until Monday we were only using the 40 meter band
channel, and now we've switched exclusively to the 31 meter
band.

On the production side, you may have noticed that our switch-
over to all digital technology has not been without problems.
Things seem to have gotten a bit better, and we hope you're
bearing with us as we pioneer the digital frontier. As I
mentioned last time, this is digital production, and we're
still coming to you in the same old way. Our digital
transmissions are limited to DAB in Stockholm, Satellite MPEG
via the World Radio Network to Asia and Africa, and RealAudio
and Streamworks via WRN on the Internet. 

But Swedish Broadcasting has just hosted an international
conference on digital broadcasting. Simon Spanswick was here
from the BBC, which is in the forefront of several digital
projects, including something called Radio E. In today's
program you can hear part one of our conversation, which will
be continued in the next edition of the program.

PRIVATE DAB--Digital Audio Broadcasting, DAB, started here in
Stockholm the same day as the BBC, September 27th, carrying
programming from public broadcaster Swedish Radio. By the end
of this month those transmissions will have been extended to
the Gothenburg and Malmoe areas, reaching altogether around
one third of the country's population. 

Now the Broadcast Licencing Authority has proposed which
private radio stations should be licenced to use DAB. When
private analog radio first went on the air here a couple of
years ago, the then Conservative-led government auctioned FM
frequencies to the highest bidders, with no consideration
given to program format, or even whether the organizations
could afford their bids, which often placed heavy burdens on
stations, and resulted in many being sold, and the
strengthening of networks (which are technically illegal).

When the Social Democrats returned to power, they were unable
to change the system for FM allocations. But format and
economic reality seem to be factors in allocating digital
licences. According to Peter Schierbeck of the licencing
authority, they did take format into account in making their
proposals. The new stations will not have to pay licence fees,
but will have to participate in the funding of new transmitter
network.

The government has the final decision, and the transmitters
won't even been ready until the Fall. It may be even longer
before there are consumer DAB receivers on sale.

The following stations are been proposed for DAB licences in
Stockholm:

NRJ (French-owned youth programming, already on FM in
Stockholm and many other cities)

Bandit Radio (hard-rocker, formerly in English, but switched
to Swedish DJs recently after being taken over by Luxembourg's
CLT)

Kyss ("Kiss") (run by former Swedish Radio personality Kjell
Allinge)

Radio Q (a women's station which couldn't afford its ambitious
current affairs programming, and had to sell its Stockholm FM
licence to CLT)

But three major Swedish networks have not been proposed for
Stockholm DAB licences: Z-Radio, owned by the Kinnevik media
baron Jan Stenbeck; Megapol, run by the Bonniers publishing
empire; and Radio City, which is now completely owned by
Scandinavian Broadcasting Systems, controlled by the American
ABC network, which is to say, Disney.

In Gothenburg, DAB licences have been proposed for:

Stampen (owned by several newspapers, former owner of Radio
Rix network)

Dagen Grupp AB (a religious organization)

Classic FM (from Britain, which has a Stockholm FM licence)

Megapol (owned by the Bonniers publishing empire)

In Malm=F6, DAB licences are proposed for:

City 107 (part of SBS's Radio City network)

Golden Hits (which has an unattended CD-machine broadcasting
oldies on FM in Soedertaelje, southwest of Stockholm)

Z-Radio (Kinnevik)

Thomas McAllevey (founder of Bandit and holder of an FM
licence in Arjeplog, in the far north)

STOCKHOLM FM RADIO--CLT took over Radio Q's FM channel, which
after a couple of weeks of identifying as 104-7 CLT, now calls
itself "Lugna Favoriter", that is, "Calm Favorites". The RDS
still reads only "104.7"

The Conservative Stockholm newspaper "Svenska Dagbladet" has
sold its 35 percent share of Radio City to the Scandinavian
Broadcasting System, which now owns 100 of the station. The
newspaper still owns 11 radio stations and 20 percent of the
local broadcaster TV Stockholm. The goal is to sell these as
well, in order to concentrate on daily newspapers and
electronic media. ("Svenska Dagbladet") (While radio and TV
are usually referred to as "electronic media", in this case
the newspaper apparently means multimedia and the Internet.)

COMMUNITY RADIO--A community radio station that was taken off
the air twice for rasist programming has returned to the
airwaves. Radio Islam lost its licence in 1990 and again in
1991 for anti-Jewish programming. Founder and program
presenter Ahmed Rami received a six months jail sentence as
well the first time, and his replacement as the station's
official representative received a four month sentence on the
second occasion.

Now, the Christian Democrat newspaper "Dagen" reports, the
station has received a new licence to broadcast in Stockholm,
with a third official representative. However, Ahmed Rami is
still a member of the station's board and is making programs.

Recently Radio Islam has tried to set up sites on the
Worldwide Web, but has been kicked off by several Internet
providers. (TT)

SHORTWAVE--On May 22, the Voice of Tibet went on the air from
Norway, broadcasting directly to the Chinese-ruled region, and
to exiled Tibetans in Asia. The 15 minute dialy broadcasts
inlcude reports and features on politics, religion, human
rights, and cultural issues.

Broadcasting in three dialects, the programs are broadcast at
09:45-10:00 hrs UTC, with programs from a network of producers
in Norway, Italy, Britain, and the United States.

The Voice of Tibet was initiated by Worldview International,
the Norwegian Tibet Committee, and the Norwegian Human Rights
House. The project follows the Democratic Voice of Burma,
founded by Worldview International in 1992 and also based in
Olso. (Reuters) That station came after the Norwegian
Parliment awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Burmese opposition
leader An Sang Su Chi. The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai
Lama, another Peace Prize laureate, recently visited Norway.

TV4--In the middle of September the Ministry of Culture will
begin discussions with private broadcaster TV4 about the
renewal of its licence. (TV4 is Sweden's only private national
terrestrial TV broadcaster.) The station's current licence
expires at the end of February, 1998. ("Dagens Nyheter")

The station has come under fire from the broadcast authorities
for repeated violations of the provisions of its licence,
generally regarding commercials.

STIM VS PRIVATE TELEVISION--On June 11 nearly all music may
disappear from private Swedish television channels TV3, TV4,
and Channel 5. The Swedish Performing Rights Society (STIM) is
threatening to withdraw permission for the stations to
broadcast copyright music. (They will be able to broadcast
Bach, Mozart, and other "unprotected" composers.)

As we mentioned last time, STIM wants a straight percentage of
each station's advertising revenues, without regard for how
much music is played or the number of viewers. The stations
want the same system that is applied to public broadcaster
Swedish Television, based on exactly how much music is played,
and the size of the audience. 

A lawyer involved in the conflict says it is inexplicable why
STIM refuses to accept an impartial mediator, as the stations
have suggested, and prefers to use its monopoly to force its
will on them. (TT)

DIGITAL TELEVISION--There's been criticism from the various
agencies responding to the proposal to introduce digital
television to Sweden. The association of cable television
operators is against the idea, since it would offer a plethory
of free competition to their subscription services. Formally
they say terrestrial digital TV is a blind alley that will
cost too much. The cable operators are instead calling for
digital cable networks, offering hundreds of channels,
interactive TV, videophones, and e-mail.

Public broadcaster Swedish Television's comment is that when
digital technology is introduced it should have lots of
channels, and not just its current two, so digital TV won't
just be a chance for commercial broadcasting to expand. (TT)

The commercial interests which would like to operate analog TV
stations on the channels that would be allocated for digital
broadcasts are also against the proposal.

DIGITAL SATELLITE TELEVISION--Nethold's coming digital
satellite package will include Swedish Television's two
channels, the Adult Channel, CMT Europe, TV5 Europe, and TV4
Plus, which seems to be the new satellite channel planned by
private broadcaster TV4, which conveniently shares a brand new
building here with Nethold's FilmNet. But apparently there
aren't any plans for a VH-1 Scandinavia, corresponding to a
coming VH-1 Benelux. (Frank Oestergren, "Aftonbladet")

DIGITAL SATELLITE RECEIVERS--Frank Oestergren has also been
investigating the all important digital decoder question.
Nokia says its Sat-box for the Nethold package will be
available this Fall. The Sat-box is intended to work with
satellite receivers from any company, but will not be
compatible with terrestrial digital signals.

There are also many questions about how much current equipment
can be used to receive digital signals. Nokia says that
current universal LNBs will work, and will not have to be
replaced. These use a tone signal to switch bands, and there
may be a short delay (perhaps one second) when switching
between digital and analog, before the signal is decoded.

There are not supposed to be any problems for owners of
motorized dishes. 

NORWAY--NRK has decided to start encryption on Intelsat 707 as
of June 1. Previously it had been planned to start encryption
when NRK 2 starts on August 31 on this satellite on 11.486
GHz. ("Aftonbladet")


EUROPE:

ASTRA--Despite the legal and contractual objections we heard
from Yves Feltes of SES in the program last month, it appears
that Kinnevik is indeed leaving Astra. And most of its Astra
transponders are being taken over by British Sky Broadcasting!

British Sky Broadcasting has confirmed that it is acquiring
three of Kinnevik's 4 Astra transponder leases. Transponders 7
and 31 will be used by Sky exclusively, beginning August 31st.

The third transponder, number 3, will be used by Granada Sky
Broadcasting, BSkyB's joint venture with Granada, for its
Granada Gold Plus (06:00-23:00 hrs UK time) and Grenada Men
and Motors (23:00-02:00 hrs UK time), beginning October 1. The
other two GSkyB transponders will be on Astra 1D.

Kinnevik's fourth Astra transponder, number 27, has apparently
gone to Viacom. (James Robinson and Reuters)

After tests at 27.8 degrees East, the new all-digital Astra 1F
satellite has been moved into position alongside the other
Astra satellites at 19.2 degrees East. There is a test carrier
on transponder 86 (12.129 GHz). There are now six satellites
at that position, and Astra's owner SES has ordered a further
6 satellites to be in orbit by the end of the decade (century,
millenium). ("Aftonbladet" and "SATCO DX Satellite Chart
Update")

BBC--Coming BBC TV channels include: BBC Gold, BBC Learn, BBC
Nature, BBC History, BBC Sport, BBC Theatre, BBC Home Channel,
and Planet. (Frank Oestergren, "Aftonbladet")

EUROSPORT--Eurosport will cease English audio on 6.5 MHz
during June on Astra transponder 4. English will then only be
available on 7.02 MHz. The new language for 6.5 MHz has yet to
be announced. (James Robinson)

The Eurosport transmission on Hot Bird 1 has an Italian
subcarrier on 7.92 MHz. (SATCO DX Satellite Chart Update)

HEAVY WEATHER--The Weather Network was to start on June 2 via
Orion 1 (37.5 degrees West) in MPEG. This station is based in
Birmingham and is for rebroadcast by UK cable companies only.
However, at present the channel can only be seen in Jersey.

The Weather Channel is to be on Intelsat 601 (27.5 degrees
West). It's transmission format is still unknown, this this
channel can be seen so far by only four cable franchises,
including Stafford and Oxford in the English Midlands. The
Weather Channel is owned by Landmark, which also owns the
Travel Channel on 11.175 GHz on this same satellite. (James
Robinson)

EUTELSAT--TV Festival, the official television channel of the
Cannes Film Festival, transmitted between May 9 and 20 over
Eutelsat II-F1 on 11.638 GHz. 

AUSTRIA--Austria's ORF is expected to begin broadcasts over
Astra soon, with two channels, one encoded and one in the
clear. Foreign viewers with the proper decoders and
subscription cards will be able to watch the encoded channel.
("Aftonbladet")

BELGIUM--The French pay TV group Canal Plus expects to launch
its digital TV package to Belgium by the end of 1996. Canal
Plus Belgium is currently in talks with some 20 cable TV
companies in Wallonia, the French-speaking southern half of
Belgium, and in Brussels. The channel already has 180,000
subscribers for its analog TV programing.

The Belgian digital programming will be similar to France,
where Canal Plus has been offering more than 20 digital
channels via satellite since April 27. In Belgium, where more
than 95 percent of homes are cabled, the digital channels will
be offered via cable. (Reuters)

FRANCE--The following channels have begun broadcasts as part
of AB Productions digital package on Eutelsat II-F1: Channel
1, Animaux, Cartoons, Musique Classique, Encyclopedia, Polar,
Rires, and XXL. These transmissions are only on 12.522 GHz. AB
Productions has another MPEG-2 transponder at 11.638 GHz,
however, Eurotica TV is remaining on this channel for a while.
("Aftonbladet")

GERMANY--Nickelodeon, owned by the American media giant
Viacom, has filed a suit against the German media authorities
for discrimination in favor of planned public children's
channel. Nickelodeon, which began to broadcast in Germany last
July, is taking to court the state media authority in Bremn,
one of three federal states that so far doesn't air the
channel. As a reason for rejecting Nickelodeon, the state says
it is reserving the limited space in its cable system for a
new children's channel planned by public broadcasters ARD and
ZDF. ("Wall Street Journal")

NETHERLANDS--On June 1 Radio Netherlands launched Wereldomroep
Zomer TV on the former SBS-6 Astra transponder 53 on 10.771
GHz. This channel will continue until August 31, broadcasting
from 20:00 hrs to midnight Central European Time. It's the
first channel with full European coverage for 600,000 Dutch
speakers living outside the Netherlands and Belgium. In
addition, millions of Dutch tourists will be able to tune into
the new station. It shares the transponder with the new Racing
Channel. (Reuters and "Aftonbladet")

On around July 1 RTL 4, RTL 5, and Veronica 6 will start MPEG
transmissions on Astra 1 E/F. The radio stations Hit Radio
Veronica, Kink FM, and Neronica Niewsradio are expected to be
part of the digital package. ("Aftonbladet")

Philips Electronics and the Dutch PTT have announced they will
each take a stake in Nethold Benelux. However, the Dutch
Minister for Economic Affairs, Hans Wijers has told parliament
that his government is to investigate the deal. 

"The central question is whether the new combination
diminishes the chances for new entrants into the pay TV market
by too much" Wijers said in parliament.

Under the deal Philips and the Dutch PTT would not have more
than 40 percent of Nethold Benelux. Nethold announced it April
it would launch digital television in Belgium and the
Netherlands this Summer. (Reuters and Curt Swinhart)

RUSSIA--GALS 2 seems to have moved to 36 degrees East from 71
degrees East. Two channels are being transmitted: ACT on
12.168 GHz (PAL), and NTV on 11.835 GHz (Secam). ("SATCO DX
Satellite Chart Update")

SPAIN--The TVE Internacional broadcasts on Hot Bird 1 11.221
GHz  have been replaced with TVE 1 and TVE 2. ("Aftonbladet")

Radio Exterior de Espana on this transponder has moved from
7.92 to 7.56 MHz. ("SATCO DX Satellite Chart Update")

The regional TVC Satellit of Televisio de Catalunya is
transmitting from Hispasat on 12.671 GHz, with Catalonian
audio on 6.60 and 7.02/7.20 MHz daily at 20:00-24:00 hrs CET.
There are two radio channels: Catalunya Informacio on 7.64 MHz
and Catalunya Radio on 7.38/7.56, both in Catalonian.

A few weeks ago the second Spanish digital package started on
Hispasat, called Cableantena. It includes: Canal Fiesta,
Telenoticias, Discovery, Cine Color, and Cine de Siempre. It
uses the DVB system on 12.456 GHz. (Pedro Sedano)

INTELSAT--PandaAmerica Shopping Network and World Harvest TV
have left Intelsat K, as has the BBC Arabic service. ("SATCO
DX Satellite Chart Update)

RADIO--There will be a new radio religious station called
Radio Camponile on Astra transponder 21 (DSF) beginning June
15. The exact subcarrier has not yet been announced. (James
Robinson)

There was a slight change in Astra Digital Radio on June 1, on
the 8.46 MHz subcarrier of transponder 33 (ZDF, also home of
Radio Sweden). For several months there has been an audio tone
on two mono carriers, with channel ID "ASTRA A" and "ASTRA B".
Since June 1 the signal is in stereo, and the ID has changed
to "ABCDEFGH". (James Robinson)

Radio Commercial has stopped transmissions on the 8.46 MHz
subcarrier on RTP International on Eutelsat II-F2. On this
same satellite, on TGRT's transponder, TGRT FM is now
broadcasting on 7.20/7.38 MHz. ("Aftonbladet")


MIDDLE EAST:

ISRAEL--Israel's new Amos-1 satellite is to be positioned at 4
degrees West. (James Robinson)


AFRICA:

SOUTH AFRICA--The SABC Satellite Channel on PAS-4 is on 12.734
GHz. 

The MultiChoice DStv MPEG package is now broadcasting on PAS-4
using IRDETO encoding in Ku-band, while there are MultiChoice
channels in MPEG-2 IRDETO on the same satellite C-band, on
3.711 and 3.743 GHz. ("SATCO DX Satellite Chart Update")

NIGERIA--Nigeria has awarded a licence to operate a satellite
TV station to private broadcasting firm Minaj Systems. The
licence gives the company, which operates a television station
in the eastern Nigerian town of Obosi, permission to operate
worldwide satellite television from Nigeria. It is the second
such licence granted since Nigeria deregulated the
broadcasting industry about five years ago. The first was
issued to Daar Communications, which operatoes Ray Power radio
in Lagos, It was yet to begin television broadcasts. (Reuters)


ASIA/PACIFIC:

NBC--NBC Asia has officially launched its second regional TV
channel. The 24 hour English-language channel, called simply
NBC, is devoted to a mix of Asian and global news, information
and entertainment programming. It is being broadcast encryped
on PAS-2. Along with NBC Asia's existing CNBC business and
financial news channel, it will also be broadcast later this
year as part of the Star-TV package on Asiasat-2.

The this follows a three month in the clear preview of the new
channel. NBC is available through cable operators in the
Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, and China. ("Asiapacific Space
Report")

RIMSAT--Rimsat G1 at 130 degrees East is carrying:

Sun TV on 3.725 GHz
ASEAN Net on 3.825 GHz
Sun Music on 3.925 GHz

("SATCO DX Satellite Chart Update")

INDIA--2x2 has replaced TV India on Raduga 30 on 3.880 GHz.
Ennade TV from Hyderabad is now broadcasting on Intelsat 704
on 4.060 GHz. ("SATCO DX Satellite Chart Update")

Beginning May 15, ESPN India is encrypting is transmissions on
PAS-4. These had been in the clear since launch in October,
1995 in order to familiarise India's cable systems with the
service. ("Asiapacific Space Report")

MONGOLIA--Radio Alma Ata can be heard on Intelsat 510 on
11.525 GHz, 7.50 MHz. ("SATCO DX Satellite Chart Update")


NORTH AMERICA:

GALAXY--Galaxy 9 was launched with a Delta rocket from Cape
Canaveral on May 24, and will be located at 123 degrees West.
Five of the satellite's 24 C-band transponders will be used by
Viacom for West Coast feeds of Showtime, MTV, and Nickelodeon,
plus The Movie Channel and the national feed of the new
Sundance Channel. Additional transponders will be used by TVN,
Computer Television Network, Japan's NHK, General
Communication, and Global Access Telecommunications. (Curt
Swinehart and "SATCO DX Satellite Chart Update")

DISNEY VS MURDOCH--Rupert Murdoch's shadow hangs over Walt
Disney Co.'s decision to postpone indefinately the launch by
ABC of an all-new television service. Murdoch's News Corp is
luring US cable system operators with an unprecedented signing
fee of USD 10 to 11 for each subscriber to carry its all-news
service from its Fox network, a segment now dominated by
Turner Broadcasting's CNN and Headline News.

Recently, John Malone, head of the largest US cable operator,
TCI, said the Murdoch offer is likely to cause ABC problems in
launching its all-news service. (TCI of course is also a part
owner of Turner Broadcasting.)

NBC, by contrast, is using its existing cable service,
America's Talking, as the foundation for its start-up news
service with Microsoft, MSNBC. (Reuters)

Concerning the journalist level of Murdoch's news channel,
remember that back in May, 1991, on the day the Ethiopian
dictatorship fled, his Sky News devoted 20 minutes at the top
of the hour to the problem of pit bull terriers before even
mentioning the news from Ethiopia. The following day Sky News
devoted 10 minutes to the dog story before informing its
viewers that Rajiv Gandhi had been assasinated.

CANADA--A group of Canadian broadcasting and satellite
companies says it will take legal action against RCA Thomson
Consumer Electronics Canada and its distributors unless RCA
Thomsom immediately halts plans to import US satellite dishes
and and systems into Canada. The coalition is being supported
by Canadian program producers, distributors, and other
broadcasters. (Dow Jones)

Presumeably these systems are being used to watch the DirecTV
and USSB services on the DBS-1 and 2 satellites. Whatever
happened to NAFTA?

Tele-Communications Inc says that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp
and MCI once encouraged TCI to make a Canadian satellite TV
deal that the two companies now want the US government to
block. MCI and News Corp have denied the accusation.

The dispute escalates a political fight between TCI and News
Corp, even as the two companies are in separate talks over the
possibility of TCI's cable networks carrying Fox's planned 24
hour news channel. MCI and News Corp have asked the Federal
Communications Commission to block TCI's plan to beam TV
programs to US homes and businesses via powerful Canadian
satellites. MCI and News Corp together spent USD 683 million
on an American DBS licence. They compalin that Canada doesn't
allow access to US providers and that it shouldn't be fair to
allow TCI to escape paying US auction and regulatory fees.

TCI has agreed to sell two satellites to Telesat Canada, and
then lease them back to transmit signals. There are two
tentative agreements. One involves two satellites at 82
degrees West. In total, 32 transponders wouldbe available, of
which 5 would be assigned to Canada, and the remaining 27 for
the delivery of services to the United States. A seocnd
arrangement involves two satellites at 91 degrees West, with
Canada having access to 10 of 32 transponders.

TCI officials have told reporters in Washington that MCI and
News Corp were all in favor of the Canadian arrangement when
the companies talked about a three-way satellite deal after
the FCC licences were auctioned in January. ("Wall Street
Journal" and "The Transponder")

LATIN AMERICA:

TELENOTICIAS--Westinghouse, is in talks to acquired the 24
hour Spanish-language news channel TeleNoticias. The
transaction would provide a new outlet for the news operations
of Westinhouse's CBS network, which is likely to take over the
channel's programming if the deal goes through.

TeleNoticias, which is based in Miami and reaches 14 million
homes in 21 countries, is jointly owned by Reuters Television,
Telemundo Group, and two minority partners. ("Wall Street
Journal")

MEXICO--Direct TVI SSA has received a permit to offer direct
to home satellite television in Mexico. It will use at least
four satellite transponders that will carry a minimum of 8
channels each. Earlier the Mexican Communications and
Transportation Ministry awarded three other permits, to
Multivision (which is connected with Hughes), Grupo Medcom
(which has formed a venture with Scientific-Atlanta), and
Televisa (a joint venture with News Corp, TCI, and Brazil's
Globo). (Curt Swinehart)


LAUNCHES:

ARIANE--Today the first new generation Ariane 5 rocket is
being launched. It is carrying into orbit four identical
satellites that will study the relationship between the Earth
and the Sun. The four satellites, called "Cluster" were
scheduled for launch at 11:35 hrs UTC from French Guiana. 

The launch was being carried on Eutelsat II-F1 on 11.593 GHz
from 10:30 hrs UTC. (With an initially very weak signal, and
English sound on 6.65 MHz far worse than the French soundtrack
on 7.20 MHz.)

North Americans could view the launch on Telstar 401 on
transponder 7, on 3.840 GHz.

The Ariane downlink frequencies are:

2203, 2206, and 2218 MHz.

The Cluster downlink frequencies are: 

Cluster 1.......2242 MHz
Cluster 2.......2249 MHz
Cluster 3.......2277 MHz
Cluster 4.......2270 MHz
Cluster spare...2256 MHz

(Reuters, Curt Swinehart, Keith Stein, and "SATCO DX Satellite
Chart Update") 

COMING LAUNCHES--Turksat 1C and Arabsat 2A will launch with
Ariane on July 5.

GE-1 will launch with Atlas on August 20 or 22.

Hot Bird 2 is scheduled to launch with Atlas on September 4.

(Reuters and "SATCO DX Satellite Chart Update")


CYBERSPACE:

TRANSPONDER--"The Transponder", with news about the retail
electronics industry, C-band, Ku-band, and DBS satellites, a
Dealers' Corner, Computer Connection, and more, can now be
found on the Web at:

http://terrapublishing.com

VOICE OF AMERICA--Voice of America Global News can be found
at:

http://www.goshen.net/newspage/voa/

(James Porteous via Curt Swinehart)

WEBTOWN'S TELEVISION HOME PAGE--Web pages devoted to the
content and technology of television can be found at:

http://www.wmbakerassociates.com/tv.html

(Curt Swinehart)

MED-TV--The Kurdish channel Med-TV (uplinked from Britain, and
much criticised by the Turkish authorities) has a home page
at:

http://www.ib.be/med/

("SATCO DX Satellite Chart Update")


-------------------------------------------------------------
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:

18:30 hrs    1179, 6065, 9655, and 11615 kHz (also
Africa/Middle East)
19:30        1179 and 6065 kHz  (also Africa/Middle East)
20:30        1179, 6065, 9430, and 9655 kHz (weekends only)
21:30        1179, 6065, 9430, and 9655 kHz (also
Africa/Middle East)

Asia/Pacific:

12:30 hrs    13740, and 15240 kHz
13:30 hrs    9835 kHz
01:00 hrs    9435 kHz

