[K3PZN-List] Amateur Radio Restructing

[Al Bisasky]

Old "Smiling Mike" Powell is on the case...


NEWINGTON, CT, May 25, 2004--FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell has assured 
US representatives Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), and Mike Ross, WD5DVR 
(D-AR), that the Commission will act "as expeditiously as possible" on 
Amateur Radio restructuring. Walden and Ross wrote Powell a month ago to 
urge adoption of the ARRL's restructuring Petition for Rule Making 
(RM-10867 
<http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6516083735>) 
"in its entirety" along with rules changes needed to put it into place. 
Powell said the League's petition was one of many.

"At this time, the Commission staff is reviewing and analyzing carefully 
all of the petitions, comments and proposed rule changes in this area," 
Powell responded May 21. "Because this matter is of great importance to 
you and the almost 700,000 amateur radio operators nationwide, the staff 
is working diligently to create a comprehensive solution to address the 
proposals the petitioners have submitted." The next step in the process, 
he said, will be to prepare a notice of proposed rule making for the 
Commission's consideration.

In addition to the League's filing, Powell pointed out, the Commission 
received 17 other petitions for rule making that address examination 
requirements and operating privileges for Amateur Service licensees. The 
various proposals attracted more than 5000 comments, he noted--more than 
800 of them on the ARRL's petition alone.

In their letter to Powell, Walden and Ross expressed their belief that 
the ARRL's plan "will encourage the development, refinement and use of 
new technologies; increase the number of young people involved in 
Amateur Radio; and provide incentives for Amateur Radio licensees to 
pursue technical self-training and opportunities for volunteerism in the 
best traditions of our country."

Other comparable restructuring plans were filed by the Radio Amateur 
Foundation, RM-10868, (Part 1 
<http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6515783299>) 
(Part 2 
<http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6515783300>) 
and by the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, 
RM-10870 
<http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6516082208>. 


Fifteen other petitions for rule making came down on one side or the 
other of retaining the Amateur Radio Morse code examination requirement 
to operate on HF. Judging from Powell's letter to Walden and Ross, the 
FCC plans to address all 18 petitions within the framework of a single 
rule making proceeding.