Congress wants to restore "technical expertise" to FCC

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[Articles Home] [Add Article] Articles by Category Antennas Contesting DXing Editorial Emergency/Public Service General How To Humor News Operating Opinion Products Propagation Radios Regulatory Space ARNewsline # 1689 -- December 25 2009:

Bill Pasternak (WA6ITF) on December 26, 2009
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Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1689 - December 25 2009
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1689 with a release date of Friday, December 25th 2009 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. Congress may force the FCC to have engineers as advisors to the Commissioners, the Emergency Communications Enhancement act gets a nod from the U-S Senate, a power company is told to turn off part of its system due to alleged interference to aircraft, hams worldwide welcome the XW-1 ham-sat to the airwaves and a visit with an all grown up Veronica Harrington, KC6TQR. All this and more an our Christmas week Amateur Radio Newsline™ report number 1689 coming your way right now.
RADIO LAW: CONGRESS TO CONSIDER PUTTING STAFF ENGINEERS BACK AT FCC
Engineers may soon be advising FCC Commissioners if the United States Congress has its way. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, reports:
United States Senator Olympia Snowe, of Maine, has introduced a bill that would potentially add one electrical engineer or computer scientist to the staffs of each commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission. Known as S. 2881, the bi-partisan measure co-sponsored by Senator. Mark Warner of Virginia would create the new position of Staff Engineer and would require that the person have a degree in electrical engineering or be a computer scientist.
According to the Society of Broadcast Engineers, if eventually passed into law the new authorization would effectively undo a loosening of requirements for technical staff at the highest level of the FCC that began more than 25 years ago. SBE President Vinny Lopez said the bill will go a long way toward returning technical expertise to the FCC commissioners' offices.
This creation of the mandatory Staff Engineer would be an additional position. The bill does not seek to replace any of the current three authorized staff assistants in each commissioner's office. The Society of Broadcast Engineers says that it will seek to get a companion bill introduced in the House.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennent, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.
The previous attempt to add technical expertise to the FCC commissioner's offices took place way back in 1991. That's when Representative Don Ritter introduced HR. 3501, which would have required that at least one member of the commission be skilled in the engineering sciences. It went down to defeat. (RW (quote)

I thought this was an interesting tidbit.

CWM

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

It's about time. I can't believe they dropped bonafide engineers from their staff. Perhaps in the near future the FCC will actually begin to understand just what the hell they are talking about again.

 

[hookedon6]

they can add all the engineers in the world,............ it ain't gonna make any difference.

the FCC is a puppet and marches to the whims of its political bosses.


if you think medicine is expensive now, wait 'till it's "free"

 

[Shockwave]

For quite some time I was under the impression the FCC was operating and making decisions without proper education on the subject. Now I find out they removed the engineers 25 years ago? That's hilarious. Comparable to removing teachers from schools or gas from gas stations. Goes to show you, remove the people in the know from any organization and the end result is garbage.

 

[mackmobile43]

Why not hire someone who is professionally trained to do the job rather than Amateurs appointing their Amateur friends to do the job?

 

[mackmobile43]

For quite some time I was under the impression the FCC was operating and making decisions without proper education on the subject. Now I find out they removed the engineers 25 years ago? That's hilarious. Comparable to removing teachers from schools or gas from gas stations. Goes to show you, remove the people in the know from any organization and the end result is garbage.

It's called the AMPOWER SYNDROME which keeps smart people from finding out how not smart they are.

 

[mackmobile43]

they can add all the engineers in the world,............ it ain't gonna make any difference.

the FCC is a puppet and marches to the whims of its political bosses.


if you think medicine is expensive now, wait 'till it's "free"

It has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with keeping the common man down and installing you're will despite what everyone else thinks, kind of like the deal that started the Boston tea party(taxation without representation).

 

[GLR]

And this is why the FCC should be abolished.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Why not hire someone who is professionally trained to do the job rather than Amateurs appointing their Amateur friends to do the job?

I am sure that the actual percentage of amateur radio operators within the FCC is pretty low. I really don't know where you keep coming up with this idea that the FCC is run by ham radio operators and that hams should not be allowed to work for the FCC. The ARRL is a lobby group for sure but no more than any other lobby group in other fields of interest. I know you have a hate on for hams but get real man.

 

[mackmobile43]

I am sure that the actual percentage of amateur radio operators within the FCC is pretty low. I really don't know where you keep coming up with this idea that the FCC is run by ham radio operators and that hams should not be allowed to work for the FCC. The ARRL is a lobby group for sure but no more than any other lobby group in other fields of interest. I know you have a hate on for hams but get real man.

I do not hate hams, I hate that hams are allowed to control what the FCC does in that many of the top members there hold Amateur licenses and are obviously partisan.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I do not hate hams, I hate that hams are allowed to control what the FCC does in that many of the top members there hold Amateur licenses and are obviously partisan.

When you have a job that is related to communications it would be pretty hard to employ people that are not interested in communications like hams are. Commercial broadcasting has probably the highest percentage of hams on staff than ANY other profession because of the interest those people have in radio. The job compliments the hobby and vice-versa. Not allowing someone to have a job based on their hobby is nothing less than discrimination. I'm sure the hams that are at the FCC have a bit more to worry about than keeping the CB'ers under their bootheel. I don't doubt that there are a few that would like to do that but like the old saying about about a few bad apples.....

 

[hookedon6]

...many of the top members there hold Amateur licenses and are obviously partisan.

ok, i'll bite.

would you care to name a few of these amateurs, their calls, and exactly what position they hold?

inquiring minds want to knowop:op:

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

If hams are disallowed at the FCC then ALL radio operators of ALL services shpuld be disallowed. That includes CB'ers, they might lobby for legalization of freeband freqs., and even business licensees as they may sway the government into taking freqs. away from one service and give to business users. Ooooops, that already happened. FEDEX I believe it was convinced the FCC to steal 3 MHz away from the hams to use for business purposes and in the end they never used the freq allocation and the hams never got it back either. In the end I personally think that it is quite unrealistic to think that the hams that are at the FCC are calling the shots. The FCC has SOOOOOO much more to look after than just simply radio communications. They cover everything from receiving junk faxes to broadcasting, to the do-not-call registry. Maybe hams are responsible for all those unsolicited faxes from HRO etc.

 

[HiDef]

That was United Pot Smokers who robbed 222 mhz.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

That was United Pot Smokers who robbed 222 mhz.

LOL Yes it was,tnx for the reminder. I knew it was one of those parcel abuser companies.