The fact that the ARRL hasn't expressly declared war on AM doesn't
mean they haven't done their utmost to discourage its use. You can
destroy something without overtly attacking it. It can be as simple as
neglect, or saying 'don't worry, it won't hurt you'. I'm not into
conspiracies, but given the ARRL's track record...let's just say I'm
skeptical of their intentions.
~ Todd, KA1KAQ
I recall during the Docket 20777 proceeding (the original
"regulation-by-bandwidth" proposal, which would have eliminated AM
altogether on all frequencies below 28.5 mHz) a League representative spoke
at an ARRL convention I attended at the Statler Hilton hotel in Boston. The
subject of AM came up, and she said that the ARRL's policy towards AM could
best be described as one of "benign neglect". She went on to say that the
League would be opposed to outlawing AM outright, but preferred to "let it
die a natural death".
Docket 20777 was the first real wake-up call to the AM community that there
was a genuine danger that AM might be eliminated by the rulemaking process,
and to the FCC, the League and others, that there was strong interest in the
mode and that the AM community was a force to be dealt with.
When John Johnston became lifetime head of the rulemaking division of the
FCC in charge of amateur radio matters, there appeared a whole string of
rulemaking proposals that would have crippled AM in one way or another if
not eliminated it altogether. During the 70's and 80's we were constantly
destracted from enjoying our hobby by the necessity of having to repeatedly
defend our position. This all culminated in the only proposal that actually
made it through into the rules to damage the status of AM, the power limit
issue.
Perhaps it's because those of us who have been licensed since the mid 70's
were conditioned over a period of years to feeling a constant threat to our
mode of choice, that there is still a strong reaction whenever a threat to
the well-being of AM is perceived. To me, this is perfectly understandable
and for a good reason.
Don k4kyv
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