Radio Sweden will terminate its medium and short wave broadcasts this October 31st in favour of web services – with Swedish Radio management  stating that is the best use of resources and in line with international trends.

The English-language service is to continue on the web and on national broadcasts.  

The Russian output will be available on the web as is the German now.

Elle-Kari Höjeberg, in charge of short and medium wave broadcasts at Swedish Radio explains  why the decision was made to wind up the broadcasts.

Swedish Radio has decided to discontinue the service in Belarusian, from September 1, 2009.

The broadcasts on medium and shortwave began on a test basis in 2004.  

Elle-Kari Höjeberg, responsible for Swedish Radio’s broadcasts in foreign languages, says that since then “there has been an explosion in other platforms that medium and shortwave”. She adds that Swedish Radio will look for new ways to reach an audience in other parts of the world.

Ingemar Löfgren, head of SR International, which also includes Radio Sweden, says his ambition is to strengthen and prioritize other areas within the department. He points out that SR International will continue to broadcast in Russian, a language that is also understood in Belarus.

The governing board of Swedish public radio want former editor Mats Svegfors as the new chief.

Currently county governor of Västmanland, Svegfors has been editor of broadsheet Svenska Dagbladet, the head of free-market think tank Timbro.

He has also worked for several Swedish conservative governments.

A report on Monday could see a shake up of the rules for commercial radio.

Local commercial stations could see a reduction in the fees they pay, and no stipulation to produce local or original material.

Sweden should get digital radio after all. Thursday saw the Radio and TV Authority express its preference for the latest digital radio version of DAB+ to the government.

Sweden’s biggest commercial TV company TV4 has bought the pay-tv company Canal Plus from German Pro Sieben Sat Eins.

Because of schedule changes we will no longer be relaying programs from Swedish Radio’s domestic service between 20:00 and 21:00 hrs UTC.

The media website ”Resume” reports that the center-right Swedish government is exploring the possiblity of funding private commercial television stations.

A new book poses a number of questions about public service broadcasting. Not perhaps so much if Sweden needs it, but rather if public broadcasters Swedish Radio or Swedish Television CAN or SHOULD have monopoly on the concept of public service.

Azariah Kiros discusses the issue with the Director General of Swedish Radio, Kerstin Brunnberg:

Listen to the interview

The Swedish government has decided to allocate frequencies in the band previously used for analog television to telecommunications companies.

SVT Europa and Radio Sweden are switching from the Sirius 2 satellite to Eurobird 9.

The switch will be made on December 8th, and will affect Radio Sweden’s satellite channels to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

When the Chernobyl nuclear plant exploded in 1986, Soviet authorities tried to keep its people unaware of the extent of the disaster. Thanks to Radio Sweden’s Russian Service, Soviet citizens soon learned what had actually happened.

Back then Radio Sweden was one of the very few Western news sources. On Monday, the Russian Service celebrates its fortieth birthday.

Listen to Alexander Hirschfelder's report

Today marks a milestone in television history.

Sweden turned off its analog television transmitters, one of the first countries in the world to switch completely to over-the-air digital TV.  

The change-over was planned just as carefully as this country’s switch to right hand traffic back in the mid-sixties:

Listen to George Wood's report

The managing director of public broadcaster Swedish Radio, Peter Örn, on Monday announced his resignation with immediate effect.

Our medium wave transmitter in Sölvesborg, which we use to broadcast to Europe on 1179 kHz, is back on the air after technical problems Thursday and Friday.

Swedish Radio’s hopes of a revival in government interest in Digital Audio Broadcasting have been dashed by the new Minister of Culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth.

Radio Sweden’s broadcasts on our European channel of 6065 kHz are once again suffering interference from Iran.

Digital radio is turning into Digital multimedia.

There’s concern here over the agreement on television advertising rules reached among European Union ministers Monday.

“Computer Sweden” reports that the new center-right Swedish government plans to open the terrestrial digital television network up to competition.

When Swedish Television’s new program “Bingo Royal” premiered Saturday night, it was the victim of what at first seemed like internal sabotage.

Right after the general election in September, it was revealed that several ministers in the new center-right  hadn’t paid for  television viewing licences. However on the whole Swedes are happy to pay those license fees that keep public service radio and television up and running.

But is public broadcasting an endangered species? Azariah Kiros takes an in-depth look at the state of public service media in Sweden today:

Listen to Azariah Kiros' report

On Monday 700,000 more Swedish TV households were forced into the digital age.

Sweden’s new center-right government is proposing legislation that would allow public broadcaster Swedish Television (SVT) to charge sports bars that show TV programs.

The Bonniers print media empire has taken virtually full control over Sweden’s only commercial terrestrial television station, TV4.