[Elecraft] O.T.: End of (another) era

[Phil Kane]

On 7/16/2013 11:33 AM, Sandy Blaize wrote:

> Considering the non radio and non engineering political/legal types who
> are taking over as FCC Commissioners, 

"Taking over"?  They've been there for many decades.  The last engineer
commissioner was George Sterling (of blessed memory) who had headed up
the Radio Intelligence Division in WW-II and was a commissioner in the
late 1940s.  There have been several who were real communication lawyers
and some who were broadcasters, so they had some exposure to the
industry.   I have had personal contact with two who were excellent -
Richard Wiley (communications attorney - 1970s) and James  Quello
(retired broadcast executive - 1990s) and at least three others who
weren't (names withheld to protect the guilty).

Today's crop dances to the tune of "broadband and wireless for the
masses".  No doubt the broadband and wireless lobbies are happy to see
the radio and engineering people go away and play somewhere else.

My main gripe is that none of the recent commissioners have worked their
way up through the agency since Rosel Hyde (communications attorney -
late 1960s) who was the chief of the Common Carrier Bureau and fairly
familiar with international marine radio issues.  Perhaps the Bureau
Chiefs knew something that wasn't obvious when they declined to become
commissioners!

> I would bet they want to "rub out" the "old" systems from ceiling to floor!

They couldn't care less.  Look to the lobbyists.

73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
Elecraft K2/100   s/n 5402

>From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon