Below are some comments I emailed earlier this evening to Dale W5RXU and also forwarded to some Delta Division officials.

I think the ARRL Board should show some leadership on this issue by publicly stating that communications "on behalf of one's employer" is NOT necessarily equivalent to communications in which the control operator's employer has a pecuniary interest. It seems to me that the W1AW operator situation should make the ARRL Board realize that it needs to take a strong stand on this issue.

----- Original Message -----

From: Mickey Cox

To: w5rxu@flash.net

Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 7:17 PM

Subject: Re: WOW LOOK AT THIS!

The new item in the FCC's public notice dated October 20 is the process in which a government entity conducting a drill can request a waiver of the rule spelled out in 97.113(a)(3). This rule prohibits an amateur station from transmitting communications "in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer." In other words, communications that promote the pecuniary interest of the control operator's employer are prohibited.

My guess is that the FCC will rarely grant such waivers. My personal preference is that the FCC should not have even offered the possibility of a waiver as described. However, I continue to believe that communications during drills can be designed such that the communications do not promote the pecuniary interest of the control operator's employer. When I think of a drill such as the ARRL's Simulated Emergency Test (SET), for example, the test messages are designed to be "make believe" to start with and I don't see how such messages/communications promote the pecuniary interest of the control operator's employer.

For example, let's assume I'm a ham who is also employed at ABC Hospital. If I transmit a radiogram during the SET from the ABC Hospital club station (or from my home station for that matter) signed by "Dr. John Doe" requesting XYZ medicines, how does that promote the pecuniary interest of my employer? It's simply a test message that I have made up for the drill.

Communications "on behalf of one's employer" and communications in which the control operator's employer has a pecuniary interest are not necessarily the same thing. For example, the W1AW operators are paid for operating the club station at ARRL Headquarters; rule 97.113(d) allows them to be compensated and not be in violation of rule 97.113(a)(2). Surely the telegraphy practice and information bulletins transmitted by the W1AW operators are communications "on behalf of their employer" to a significant degree, but these communications do not directly promote the pecuniary interest of the ARRL. Of course, if the bulletins did include such items as encouraging one to become a League member or to donate to the League's spectrum defense fund, etc., then such communications could certainly be considered as promoting the pecuniary interests of the ARRL. (It is important to note that the exception granted in 97.113(c) and 97.113(d) is with regard to communications for hire or material compensation and not to the pecuniary interest of the control operator's employer.)

In conclusion, I think the FCC's public statement simply restates what is already in the rules with the exception of the new waiver provision. Reading between the lines, however, I suspect that the FCC does not fully appreciate the nature of emergency drills as these drills are commonly conducted by ARES and other amateur groups. I have a very hard time understanding how communications of the types that I envision during typical emergency drills violate the pecuniary interest rule.

Feel free to forward my comments to others as you wish.

----- Original Message -----

From: Dale Temple

Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 4:36 PM

Subject: WOW LOOK AT THIS!

Click on the above. At the Sunday morning Arkansas Razorback Emergency Training Net, 3987.5 at 7:00 AM, I was going to talk about the ARRL Board of Directors statement of policy with respect to the use of Amateur Radio entitled "The Commercialization of Amateur Radio: The Rules, The Risks, the Issues. BUT, Guys and Gals the above Policy Statement by the FCC has knocked that right off the front page. Therefore, Sunday morning, October 25, 3987.5, 7:00 AM I am asking Mickey Cox, K5MD, Delta Division Director, David Norris, K5UZ, Delta Division Vice Director and J.M. Rowe, N5XFW, to present their position on this late breaking news.

I know from past emails that J.M. and Mickey have conflicts on Sunday mornings. Therefore, I am asking both Mickey and J.M. to put their position in writing for someone to read to the Sunday morning AM Crisis and Panic Independent Voice of Arkansas Hams. David, if you also have a conflict, likewise send your position to someone to read.

If any of you have conflicts Brian, WA5AM, has a web site, w5ami.net where you can click on ARETN audio clips and listen to the net and previous nets, dated for your convenience.