[FLham] Re: Section News

[rts13]

Ahoy flham readers:

The ARRL wants and needs to reduce costs of QST magazine 
printed pages or the league's revenue must increase.  The 
league/QST has seen a reduction in advertiser revenue so 
they must reduce costs of QST publication or increase 
revenue from members.

The printed section news in QST is mostly two (2) months old 
when you read it.  As is everything contained in the magazine. 
For Southern and West Central Florida, some of the section news 
published in QST is displayed much earlier on their nicely done 
section web sites.  Northern Florida has no active section web 
site.  The Southeastern Division has a web site constructed by 
some dedicated individuals in Atlanta.  And the league has a 
very elaborate and busy web site.

Contest scores/results are actually available much earlier than 
when displayed in the printed QST magazine.  Perhaps on the 
ARRL web site, we would see the contest results much earlier.  
And perhaps more detail too. 

My view is that if the league can't reduce some avoidable 
costs, then the subscription rate just has to increase.

Seems to me that this high speed data world oughta be used more 
and where the most practical and cost effective.

If the elimination of some printed pages in QST is opposed by 
the majority of ARRL members, then.....those members must be in 
favor of a dues increase.  My estimate is 3 bucks a year 
increase. 

I would rather see the league's revenue (part of which is 
member's dues) spent for something more real-time, like 
government lobbying and representation at world frequency 
allocation conferences as opposed to printed data that is 
mostly two months old when I see it in the printed QST. Being
an ARRL member is not *just* a subscription to a magazine, 
i.e. QST.

In closing, the bean counter accountants almost always are 
right and win out.  Ya cut this expense or cut a different 
expense; but always in the end, an expense is cut or revenue 
is increased; maybe member dues.

Take your pick.

73,  Pete  K4LDR  Citrus County, FL
Contester
-and I read the QST section news for six different
sections every month, just to keep up with pals where I was 
stationed previously.  But...I won't mind a bit reading the 
section news, contest results, and perhaps some other 
relatively time sensitive news on the web.