I’m in agreement with Darrell on this one. I have serious differences as well. I ended my membership back in the 80s when it was perfectly clear that the League did not support AM, my preferred operating mode. Current Leadership even has an obvious bias against the mode and/or its operators.
I'm in agreement that back in the 70's and probably even into the early 80's, the general trend in amateur radio operating was toward the more efficient SSB phone mode. Manufacturers were pushing it, better S/N radio, made less crowded bands, etc. and amateurs were dumping their old AM rigs by the boat load, and the ARRL, QST, CQ, Ham Radio Magazine, and 73 magazine were all on the SSB bandwagon. Back in those days, I bought a Ranger for $65, two working Apache's for $25 (and a 3rd for free) and I could go on. A vast majority of the amateurs were moving on to the SSB mode, many amateurs had no use or interest for AM only equipment anymore, and the Japanese manufacturers were fueling a lot of this activity too.
You said:
"Current Leadership even has an obvious bias against the mode and/or its operators."I'll make the assumption since it was stated in the first paragraph, talking about the 80's, this is the time frame you're referring too.
Given that, I don't think it was as much bias as it was the general trend of many amateurs (members and nonmembers) that were just moving on to the more efficient SSB modes for general contacts, contesting, and DXing.
I can only think of one or two AM amateurs back in the day (with their on the air antics) that may have "rattled" the ARRL management to some degree.
This is borne out by lack of AM technical coverage in the Handbook (yet there’s extensive coverage of less utilized, more esoteric modes),
The AM mode in detail has been covered in many many Handbook publications over the past years. Makes no sense to repeat the same information countless times. The Handbook also doesn't have much (any?) coverage on spark gap stuff either. Maybe we should raise the flag on that one.
lack of AM phone privileges on 10m to Technician Class licensees (insisted upon by the ARRL)
They were lucky to get any phone privileges on any HF band.
past correspondence I’ve had with League leadership on the subject of AM,
Interesting, not to laugh, but maybe it was style or how you approached them with the topic. Difficult to tell; we would probably have to see both sides of the discussion.
Over the last 25 years, any discussions I've had with ARRL management, Directors and Vice-Directors has always been positive. We may have not always agreed on various points, but I never went away pissed off.
from an AM operator formerly employed at the League who was told that his promotions within the organization would be adversely affected if he didn’t “distance himself” from the AMers.
Obviously hearsay, and difficult to discuss and even to substantiate. But, back in the 80's, I was told by senior management at a 3-day customer conference after I arrived, that unless I wore a dress white shirt and tie I couldn't attend any of the customer meetings. I only had the ties and non-white dress shirts. So, depending on the manager, wacky things can sometimes be said.
Has any of that changed in the last 30 years?
I would be supportive of the ARRL if they would lose the AM bias. I’m hoping that the upcoming changes in leadership will change that attitude.
I think a lot has changed at the ARRL over the last 30 years. It had to as amateur radio has changed a lot over the last 30 years too. Back in the early 21st century, when Paul, Mark, and I pushed changes to the WAS award to include the AM mode, we met some resistance, but eventually we got it changed to include AM.
Our own AM page on the ARRL web site has been there for many years. There's no SSB page.
There are a number of ARRL staffers that are active AM operators. During the year long 2014 centennial celebration, W1AW/ appeared many times, from many states, on many bands, operating on the AM mode. QST still posts a classic radio-type article on occasion. I believe there is no AM mode bias, but in today's amateur radio world, there are a lot more modes that have a very active amateur interest and the ARRL and the membership journal needs to keep up with all of them as best they can. That's probably not an easy task to keep everyone happy.
However, one needs to remember that the ARRL isn't just about modes and articles in QST. Their activities reach into the entire domestic radio broadcast world and also provide us a voice in any international radio regulatory matters. One only has to remember their great and persistent actions during the BPL craziness that went on several years ago. Now they're fighting the HOA's on behalf of all amateur radio operators trying to get legislation passed in Washington.