"The Shamrock"
The Monthly Publication of the Midland Amateur Radio Club

Volume 17, Number 11
November 1999

PAGE 1

NEW ENFORCEMENT AND CONSUMER INFORMATION BUREAUS OFFICIAL

It's now official! The FCC will create two new bureaus—the Enforcement Bureau and the Consumer Information Bureau—effective November 8. FCC Chairman William Kennard made the announcement during testimony October 26 before the House Telecommunications Subcommittee on the FCC's five-year Strategic Plan.

"Our decision to establish bureaus devoted exclusively to enforcement and consumer information signals the enormous importance of these functions in our transition from an industry regulator to a market facilitator," Kennard said. "This reorganization is the first step in a larger effort to streamline and modernize the FCC."

As expected, FCC Deputy General Counsel David H. Solomon was named to head the Enforcement Bureau. The new bureau will consolidate enforcement functions—including amateur—and personnel from the Commission's existing Common Carrier, Mass Media, Wireless Telecommunications and Compliance and Information Bureaus. Solomon has been Deputy General Counsel since 1994.

Current FCC Legal Adviser for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, says he hopes the reorganization eventually will permit him to increase the amount of time he's able to devote to Amateur Radio enforcement. Hollingsworth will get a new title as part of the reorganization: Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement.

In a surprise move, Kennard announced his intention to name Lorraine C. Miller to be Bureau Chief of the new Consumer Information Bureau. Miller now directs the Office of Congressional Relations at the Federal Trade Commission. Current Compliance and Information Bureau Chief Richard Lee had been expected to become the new CIB chief. Instead, Lee has been appointed Senior Director of Licensing Analysis in the Chairman's office. In that role, he'll advise the FCC on consolidating licensing functions across the agency.

The new CIB will consolidate the FCC's Gettysburg Call Center (to be renamed the Consumer Center) as well as staff from various bureaus who handle consumer complaints and public information requests.

Hollingsworth has agreed to be detailed from the new Enforcement Bureau to the new Consumer Information Bureau to handle the Consumer Center at Gettysburg after the new bureaus become effective November 8. The temporary duty will last four to six weeks. Hollingsworth says Amateur Radio enforcement will be his priority, and, by agreement between the two bureaus, amateur enforcement will continue at its present pace. Hollingsworth's current duties also include Land Mobile Service enforcement.

For more details on the reorganization plan, visit http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Miscellaneous/News_Releases/1999/nrmc9072.html --FCC news release —Copied from The ARRL Letter, Vol. 18, No. 43, October 29, 1999


New MARC Web Page

Our new Web Page is online. The address is: http://www.w5qgg.org.

Bill Bentley, N5POB, is the new webmaster. Bill says that the Web Page is not finished. You will find that it is under construction.

Bill invites you to visit the new Web Page. He also would like your comments, suggestions, and constructive criticisms. Bill’s email address is: n5pob@caprock.net.


MARC Meetings

Clubhouse - 7:30 P.M.

November 8th, 1999

James Giddion, N5XXN, will be talking about Remote Control Airplanes.

Remember the meetings now start at 7:00 PM

2nd Meeting in November There will not be a meeting

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