September 2016 - arrl-odv - reflector.arrl.org

[arrl-odv:25726] FCC Enforcement
by Christopher Imlay 20 Sep '16

20 Sep '16

Further on the subject of FCC enforcement per David Woolweaver's timely note the other day, here is an article in the new Radio World broadcast engineering publication on the subject. Also, Riley Hollingsworth reports to us from his meeting yesterday with Laura Smith that there are further FCC field office closings in January. On the good news side, Laura, back in her role as Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement, has been given essentially full autonomy in that role by her current boss, Bruce Jacobs. 73, Chris W3KD *WASHINGTON —* The Federal Communications Commission is moving ahead with its plan to shed field staff and close many offices. Meanwhile, few details have been made public about the creation of emergency “Tiger Teams” to handle special enforcement situations; some observers are skeptical that the approach will be effective. *FROM THE EDITOR* *Randy Stine writes here to update us on the closure of FCC field offices. When Randy started work on this assignment, there had been little to no new information from the commission since the hullaballoo over the closures last year, so we thought this story was going to be “FCC mum, Tiger Teams delayed.” But shortly thereafter came word that the closures are in fact pending come the New Year. Let us know what you hear in the trenches.* *— Paul McLane* The commission in January will close field offices in Buffalo, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Norfolk, Philadelphia, San Diego, Seattle and Tampa. Industry watchers expect these moves will put additional pressure on remaining staff. Meanwhile, delays in forming the rapid response teams could allow holes in the enforcement fence to develop. The on-call Tiger Teams are supposed to be based in Columbia, Md., and Denver to supplement enforcement efforts of other field offices and, when necessary, to support high-priority enforcement actions nationwide. Chairman Tom Wheeler testified before the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology in 2015 that the teams would be deployed within 24 hours of an interference crisis. Equipment was to be “prepositioned” at about a half dozen sites across the country. iStockphoto/Sylvie BouchardLittle information had emerged from the commission since then about the status of the Tiger Team effort, but in August an FCC spokesperson told Radio World the commission expects to have the special on-call positions filled by January. “Field office staff will also have the resources and flexibility needed to travel in order to address issues outside of their region,” the spokesperson said. Broadcasters and some on Capitol Hill complained about the field office cuts; the National Association of Broadcasters and the Society of Broadcast Engineers worried that the moves will limit the FCC’s ability to mitigate interference complaints. Before the plan could be implemented the FCC had to reach an agreement over projected job losses with the union representing Enforcement Bureau field employees. The National Treasury Employees Union had been a vocal critic of the overhaul, questioning the commission’s ability to safeguard radio spectrum in the future. A FCC spokesperson told Radio World that displaced agents will have the opportunity to apply for vacancies in the remaining field offices, if a vacancy exists. Field offices will remain open in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Columbia, Md., Dallas, Denver, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland, Ore., and San Francisco. *ON-CALL* In July 2015, the commission decided to close nine field offices and eliminate at least 44 jobs; this was said to be the first reorganization of FCC field operations in 20 years. The moves, led by Chairman Wheeler, were designed to eliminate redundancies and realize cost savings, according to an FCC report. The field office closings are expected to save millions of dollars per year. Data provided by the FCC in 2015 showed the average administrative overhead cost level to maintain one field location came in at $400,000 per year. An earlier plan had called for the closure of even more offices; it would have left only eight remaining but came under criticism and was later scaled back. The revised plan was a compromise with the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology; it keeps 15 regional offices open. To help smooth the transition to a smaller field staff, last fall, the FCC appointed Charles Cooper as its first Enforcement Bureau field director. Cooper, who is expected to be based in Los Angeles, worked prior with the broadcast engineering consulting firm du Treil, Lundin & Rackley. *PIRATES* While the field office transition moves ahead, the FCC has been under pressure to put renewed focus on illegal radio operations. Wheeler told the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology in July that 91 actions had been taken this year against pirate radio stations compared to 130 actions all of last year. A recent engineering survey by the New York State Broadcasters Association found 76 illegal radio signals in New York City and northern New Jersey, concentrated in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Newark and Paterson. The association has been vocal in its call for the FCC to crack down. Some observers believe the move to reduce field offices and staff numbers will hurt the agency’s ability to mitigate interference. An aide for the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, who asked to not be identified, said its chairman, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., is monitoring the situation but isn’t sure how things are working out so far. Walden is a former broadcaster. “We hear complaints about interference in the broadcast radio band continue to come into the FCC but are unsure how the new plans are affecting enforcement efforts, good or bad,” the aide said. “We still have concerns that as the FCC is reducing field staff that they still be able to perform the function of which the agency was founded, which is resolving interference concerns.” The subcommittee aide said Wheeler is “acutely aware” of Walden’s interest in the matter. “We want to see the Tiger Teams set up. We certainly expect the FCC to follow through on its plans.” *CONCEPT “FAILED”?* The Society of Broadcast Engineers remains concerned about the effects of the office closures, said Chris Imlay, its general counsel. “Morale in the Spectrum Enforcement Division at the commission is at a very low ebb; skilled, experienced and tenured field office staff have been retired,” Imlay said this summer. “The promised two Tiger Teams that were to have been dispatched to areas where there is no field office presence to respond to interference cases have not been staffed, and that entire concept appears to have failed.” Imlay said the SBE has learned that positions for the Tiger Teams were posted by the FCC but went unfilled “because the job involved, by definition, 100 percent travel time.” The SBE did not favor the compromise between the House subcommittee and Wheeler last year. It believes the plan is unworkable and an unjustified departure from the commission’s statutory mandate. Walter Gernon, a former FCC district director for the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, is critical of the FCC’s plans. He said the long-term result would be degraded communications for licensees and the general public. “The folks I talk to in the field are demoralized and discouraged. It’s a very delicate situation with a lot of people in limbo for the past year,” he said. “Honestly, the FCC is hemorrhaging technical staff right now because of retirements and the new requirements.” As part of its modernization, the commission also has said it will require all field agents to be electrical engineers. That shift was expected eventually to cost a half-dozen compliance specialists their jobs. “This plan will result in the loss of an astounding amount of institutional knowledge in the field that can’t be replaced,” Gernon said. “I think this plan endangers the communications infrastructure of this country.” Gernon, who spent 30 years with the FCC, doubts the effectiveness of Tiger Teams to deal with emergency interference problems once they are assembled. “FCC field agents at one time were allowed to be proactive and to anticipate problems. They knew all the broadcasters. To think that you could just drop an agent or two into a market without knowledge of that specific market and be successful is unreasonable.” *Comment on this or any story to *radioworld(a)nbmedia.com. - See more at: http://www.radioworld.com/article/update-fcc-field-offices-to-close-in-janu… -- Christopher D. Imlay Booth, Freret & Imlay, LLC 14356 Cape May Road Silver Spring, Maryland 20904-6011 (301) 384-5525 telephone (301) 384-6384 facsimile W3KD(a)ARRL.ORG

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[arrl-odv:25725] Last week IN-News
by Kustosik, Lisa, KA1UFZ 20 Sep '16

20 Sep '16

IN-Newsletter [cid:image001.jpg@01D2135D.72ECBF10] Vol. 41, No. 32 September 14, 2016 - Covers the period September 4-10. Upcoming In-Person Meetings and Events United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) October 3-7 - ARRL HQ Section Managers' Workshop October 7-9 - ARRL HQ Executive Committee October 22 @ 8:30am in Chicago, IL Administration & Finance Committee November 12 @ 8:30am in Newington, CT Field Services & Radiosport Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N DXCC Paper/Fieldcheck Processing Time 2 Weeks Logbook Processing Time 1-2 Days Field Organization/Public Service Team The Section Manager nomination receipt deadline of September 9 arrived, and Leona Adams reports that there will not be any balloted elections this fall. The following incumbent Section Managers who were nominated for new two-year terms of office are not facing opposition: Tom Walsh, K1TW (Eastern Massachusetts); Cecil Higgins, AC0HA (Missouri); Matt Anderson, KAØBOJ (Nebraska); Jim Mezey, W2KFV (New York City/Long Island); Tom Dick, KF2GC (Northern New York); Marc Tarplee, N4UFP (South Carolina); Skip Arey, N2EI (Southern New Jersey); Darrell Davis, KT4WX (West Central Florida). New terms of office begin January 1, 2017. Joe Shupienis, W3BC, of Falls Creek, will become the new Western Pennsylvania Section Manager on January 1, 2017. He is the Affiliated Club Coordinator and a Public Information Officer. Joe was the only nominee in the section, and current Western Pennsylvania Section Manager Tim Duffy, K3LR, decided not to run for a new term of office. Sincerely Compiled by, Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ Education Services Administrator Hamfest/Member Contact/ARRL Representative/Meetings/Vacations Leona Adams 9/23 PTO Steve Capodicasa 9/19-9/23 PTO Mike Gruber 9/26-9/30 PTO Tom Gallagher 9/9pm-9/11 New England Division Convention, Boxboro, MA Ed Hare 10/14 PTO Dan Henderson 9/22-9/25 W4DXCC Convention, Pigeon Forge, TN/SEDCO/PTO `` 11/10-11/13 Indiana Section Convention / Ft Wayne IN Bob Inderbitzen 9/28-10/6 UK National Hamfest, Newark, England/PTO `` 10/7-10/10 RSGB Convention, Milton Keynes, England `` 10/13-10/18 Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, CA/PTO Debra Johnson 10/14-10/22 PTO Becky Schoenfeld 9/26-9/28 PTO

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[arrl-odv:25723] FW: Ethics and Elections Committee Decision
by Doug Rehman 20 Sep '16

20 Sep '16

Per Bylaw 41, I hereby request a review by the full Board of Directors of the below decision of the Ethics and Elections Committee. I also request a roll call vote Doug K4AC “Decisions of the Ethics and Elections Committee may be reviewed by the Board of Directors upon the written request of any candidate for that office or five or more Directors. Review shall be limited to the materials submitted to the Ethics and Elections Committee. A majority of the Board of Directors is required to change any decision of the Ethics and Elections Committee.” From: Dale Williams [mailto:dale.wms1@frontier.com] Sent: Monday, September 19, 2016 10:02 PM To: Doug Rehman <doug(a)k4ac.com> Cc: Rod Blocksome <rod.blocksome(a)gmail.com>; Olson Kent (KA0LDG) <ka0ldg(a)arrl.org>; Chris Imlay <w3kd.arrl(a)gmail.com>; Rick Roderick <k5ur(a)aol.com>; Gallagher, Tom, NY2RF <tgallagher(a)arrl.org> Subject: Ethics and Elections Committee Decision Dear Mr. Rehman: It is our obligation to inform you that at a meeting Sunday evening of the Ethics and Elections Committee, the Committee voted unanimously to find you ineligible for (re)election pursuant to Bylaws 19 and 41.The Committee considered two separate complaints with respect to unethical actions taken by you in connection with your re-election campaign, and as well a series of actions taken by you with respect to your opponent’s election campaign As such, we intend to declare Mr. Sarratt the sole eligible candidate and a ballot will not be mailed on October 1, 2016. We will provide you and the ARRL Board a full and complete explanation of the basis for our decision without delay, inasmuch as you may decide to ask the Board of Directors members to review our decision pursuant to Bylaw 41. However, before doing so, we offer you the opportunity to withdraw voluntarily from the Southeastern Division election for Director for the term commencing January 1, 2017, thus making it unnecessary to present our findings to the Board. So you can evaluate this option, one of the complaints related to campaign information on your QRZ.com site and your Facebook page disparaging ARRL and its Board of Directors. Another related to your election-related interactions with Gigaparts. The Committee also considered the extent to which you took action to remove disparaging information about ARRL and ARRL Board members from your campaign websites and the information that still appears on those web sites; plus the complaints that you have lodged against your opponent Mr. Sarratt. Because it is urgent to convey to the Board both the information available to the Committee and the basis for the decision that we have made with respect to your election eligibility, we would ask for your decision how you wish to proceed not later than the end of the day Wednesday, September 21, 2016. We plan to have our report to the Board ready by early Thursday should that be necessary. The Committee made its decision after careful deliberation and with the utmost reluctance. 73, Dale, WA8EFK - Ethics & Elections Committee Chairman Kent, KA0LDG - Ethics & Elections Committee Member Rod, K0DAS - Ethics & Elections Committee Member

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[arrl-odv:25722] Senate Push
by k5ur＠aol.com 20 Sep '16

20 Sep '16

Almost 50,000 letters have been sent to all Senators (49,464). Great job. Let's keep it going. 73 Rick - K5UR ...

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[arrl-odv:25711] Yea!
by Tom Frenaye 20 Sep '16

20 Sep '16

It's great to see that all 15 Directors sent out messages to their Division regarding the need for Senate support of the Parity Act. I'm surprised to see so few Section Managers have done it - just twenty of them, and seven are from New England. I will say it took a bit of pushing to get all of them in New England on board. There's still (little) time to get the word out from the rest of them. Do we need a different approach to involve Section Managers? -- Tom ===== e-mail: k1ki(a)arrl.org ARRL New England Division Director http://www.arrl.org/ Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444

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[arrl-odv:25718] Can ACCs and Affiliated Clubs help in addition to SMs on HR1301?
by N2COP 19 Sep '16

19 Sep '16

In addition to the SMs promoting Rally Congress, can HQ send an email blast to Affiliated Club Coordinators (ACCs) and/or the point-of-contact for all 2,000+ ARRL affiliated clubs asking for member support? By emailing ARRL affiliated clubs, do we remain within the parameters of maintaining non-profit status? 73 de Bill, N2COP Bill Morine - N2COP Vice Director - Roanoke Division Serving ARRL members in the Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina sections ARRL - The National Association for Amateur RadioT

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[arrl-odv:25710] Video Recording of Section Manager Training
by Doug Rehman 19 Sep '16

19 Sep '16

When the PSC was discussing Section Manager training workshops, we discussed having the sessions recorded and made available online to those that are unable to attend, as well as being available for review by SMs that haven't been to the training in a long time. I have a new SM that will probably not be able to travel next month due to a terminally ill family member. Have any arrangements been made to record the sessions and make them available? Doug K4AC

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[arrl-odv:25709] New Executive Assistant
by Gallagher, Tom, NY2RF 19 Sep '16

19 Sep '16

Ladies & Gentlemen: Carla Pereira has joined the ARRL staff on Monday, September 19, 2016 as administrative assistant in the Executive Office. Before joining ARRL, she served as executive assistant to both the current and the previous presidents of Trinity College in Hartford and before that, as assistant to the college's Chief Financial Officer. Carla also has a background in publishing, having worked for Harper's Magazine under its legendary editor, Lewis H. Lapham. Please join me in welcoming Carla, and make an effort to introduce yourself. Tom Gallagher - NY2RF Chief Executive Officer ARRL Headquarters ARRL - The national association for Amateur Radio(tm) 860 594 0404 cell 704 907 7158 tgallagher(a)arrl.org<mailto:tgallagher@arrl.org>

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[arrl-odv:25707] FCC Field Offices close
by Dr. David Woolweaver 19 Sep '16

19 Sep '16

What happened to the FCC Tiger Teams? http://www.radioworld.com/article/fcc-field-offices-to-close-in-january/279…

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[arrl-odv:25706] A heartwarming story
by James F. Boehner MD 17 Sep '16

17 Sep '16

A heartwarming story, at least for CW Ops. Unfortunately, amateur radio was said only once, and no contact information for the ARRL was given. http://www.wusa9.com/travel/open-road/morse-code-man/319351895 ’73 de JIM N2ZZ Director – Roanoke Division Serving ARRL members in the Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina sections ARRL – The National Association for Amateur Radio™

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