SB QST @ ARL $ARLB018
ARLB018 FCC chairman responds to request to support ARRL restructuring 
Plan

ZCZC AG18
QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 18  ARLB018
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  May 26, 2004
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB018
ARLB018 FCC chairman responds to request to support ARRL restructuring
Plan

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) ''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 restructuring plans were filed by the Radio Amateur
Foundation, RM-10868, and by the National Conference of Volunteer
Examiner Coordinators, RM-10870.

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.
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