BC-DX TopNews WWDXC #945 BC-DX 945

SWEDEN Radio Sweden Ends English on 31 Oct. 2010.
Swedish Radio's international broadcasts on short and medium wave will
close down from October 31, 2010. This is part of a decision by Swedish
Radio's management on our output and distribution announced on March 16
this year.
This means that from October 31, Radio Sweden's programming in English
will be broadcast nationally (on FM), as well as available on the
Internet, and our podcast will be available here and on iTunes for
downloading.
"I want to strengthen our quality and competence, including in Arabic,
which is the most important language for new arrivals in Sweden", says
Ingemar Loefgren, head of SR International. "It is important to strengthen
the broadcasts for the listener groups who need it the most, such as
Somalis. In addition I want to give a higher profile to the official
minority language Romani, which will shortly start daily broadcasts."
From the Fall Swedish Radio's output in immigrant languages will change,
with resources concentrated on fewer languages than previously. This is
the result of the latest review of SR International's programming. Swedish
Radio will also be ending broadcasts in short and medium wave, and will
instead concentrate on Internet webcasting.
"The number of languages broadcast by Swedish Radio has changed over time,
in order to adapt to changes in the world around us," says Swedish Radio's
Program Director Bjoern Loefdahl. "This is the way it is now, and will be
in the future."
"We have to be where the audience is, and today our audience in the rest
of the world is on the Web," Bjoern Loefdahl continues. "It doesn't feel
relevant to broadcast on short or medium wave, and it isn't economically
defendable or journalistically justified. Now the money can be directed to
where it is needed."
After the latest review, Swedish Radio will broadcast in the following
languages from October 31, 2010:
English - FM and web
Finnish - FM and web
Meaenkieli (Tornedalen Finnish) - FM and web
Sami - FM and web
Romani - FM and web
Arabic - FM and web
Somali - FM and web
Persian - FM and web
Kurdish - FM and web
German - web
Russian - web
The following language services will close:
Albanian
Assyrian/Aramaic
Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian
file:///Z|/DOKUMENTATION-BULLETINS/WWDXD-BCDX/2010/bcdx986.txt[11.06.2012 10:40:26]