This got sent to a mailing list that I'm on:
UNFOUNDED RUMORS: Region 2 IARU Band Plan & AM Operation
7 NOV 2007 - 2050 CST
Fellow Central Division ARRL Members:
For those who follow FCC proceedings and already understand what the
IARU is and how it operates, a lot of what I'm about to say may be old
news to you. However, we still appear to have individuals, who do not
understand the IARU (and sometimes even the FCC), get very excited when
somebody tells them their cherished mode of amateur radio operation is
in danger of being eliminated. What follows is for the benefit of
these people.
The recently approved IARU Region 2 Band Plan is only an advisory band
plan for use, as desired, primarily by those amateur radio societies in
Region 2 that have little in the way of a band plan. This is the
second IARU Region to adopt a new or revised band plan. Region 3 still
has yet to act on this item.
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is only an advisory
organization made up of the amateur radio societies in each respective
region. Region 2 is North and South America. The geographic regions
mirror the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Regions. The
ITU is the body that develops the rules at World Radio Conferences that
then have to be adopted by each country. The IARU has no such power.
The current mini-uproar is the result of a very few ignorant people
with issues making postings to various un-moderated Internet email
reflectors.
There is no plot to shut down amateur radio AM operation in the U.S. or
it's territories. The existing AM footnotes to our current band plan
still apply and will continue to do so until the FCC changes or erases
them from its Part 97 Regulations. I repeat, there is no ARRL plan to
get rid of HF amateur radio AM operation in the U.S. I also point out
that the AM footnotes (that enable AM operation) in the current FCC
Amateur Radio Service band plan would have still applied to our
regulation by bandwidth proposal, if it had become an FCC Regulation.
Only the portions of the HF band plan that would have been changed were
listed in the ARRL petition to the FCC. This is standard procedure in
an FCC filing. Many people still do not "get it".
I find it absolutely amazing that many people jump to conclusions
before they do their own homework. This is true in many activities,
including amateur radio. There have been, and apparently always will
be, individuals who are gullible, biased, have an axe to grind, or are
some combination of the three when it comes to discussing and
considering amateur radio regulations. They are few in number, but
there are a lot of others who are taken in by these people simply
because they don't understand the situation and don't want to spend the
effort to get the facts directly from the source.
I don't have a good answer to this situation other than to keep working
to spread the truth. I apologize for my exasperation that shows
through in this message.
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ARRL Central Division
Director: George Isely, W9GIG
w9gig@arrl.org--------------------------------------------------------------------
My response, even though I'm no where near being in his division:
George,
I take great offense at the inference that I am "ignorant," solely due to my expressing support for the AM mode, and for voicing these comments to the ARRL.
The ARRL claims to represent Radio Amateurs of the United States, and regularly solicits our opinion on various matters. Commentary such as yours does nothing to dissuade the notion that some of us have that the League's interest lies primarily in our membership dues, and least of all in our opinions.
With a representative body such as this, with representatives such as yourself, who both claim to know what is best for its "ignorant" membership, it should be no surprise that we feel the need to LOUDLY express ourselves.
Please look up the term "political correctness," and give it some thought. In your capacity as Division Director, you are, though however minor a role, a politician. The league, yourself, and your constituency would all benefit if you employed a bit of tact in your communications.
Sincerely,
Jason Sogolow KF6PQT, ARRL Member
Burbank, California.