Good morning / evening. It's Sunday the 31st of May [1998] and here is the GB2RS news broadcast, prepared by the RSGB and intended for all radio amateurs and short-wave listeners.  

In the June edition of RadCom, which was posted to all members last Tuesday, RSGB President Ian Kyle, GI8AYZ, MI0AYZ, announced an important change of RSGB policy aimed at turning round the decline in the number of people coming into amateur radio. He wrote:

 "In this year of 1998 amateur radio is one hundred years old. Yet although the technology used has changed dramatically during that period, with a multitude of new techniques, in some other respects there has been little change. December's RadCom leader contained the phrase 'we live in interesting and rapidly changing times' and that statement and those changes have been reflected in RSGB Council deliberations during recent meetings.

 "At its meeting in April, Council agreed that it would open discussions with the Radiocommunications Agency to begin a process of liberalising access to the HF amateur bands. Council sees the first step in this as an additional licence category giving full access to the HF bands to existing Class B licensees, subject to a 5 words-per-minute Morse capability. The Society hopes that the RA will support this approach. If agreed, however, this licence would only be available for use within the United Kingdom, and would not grant privileges on HF bands in other countries under the CEPT arrangements.

 "The maintenance of Morse as a mandatory requirement for access to the HF bands is IARU policy. Council, however, now believes that this position cannot be sustained in the longer term and will be opening discussions with IARU societies and other interested bodies to reconsider the position to be adopted at the ITU] World Radio Conference in 2001, when the matter of Morse as a necessary qualifier for access to HF bands is likely to be considered. The current IARU policy was determined some years ago, since when circumstances have changed and will no doubt change further by the time of the next WRC at which amateur radio will be discussed.

 "In taking its position on Morse, Council is mindful of the strength of feeling around this issue. Morse has many advantages, including spectrum utilisation, relative simplicity of equipment and cost. The Society wishes to see Morse (and Morse segments of the HF bands) preserved as core elements of amateur radio globally. However, Morse is but one mode among many in current use, and it should take its place alongside the others as an equal.

 "Council is also seeking ways of making the qualifications for the amateur licence - be this the RAE or a new qualification - more accessible and less expensive. Also under discussion are proposals that might lead towards an acceptable system of progressive licensing.

 "Our hobby is in need of stimulation. The numbers of radio amateurs are falling in many parts of the world and this trend is an unhealthy one for the future of amateur radio. We must be seen as progressive and forward looking. We believe that this position will be welcomed by the majority of radio amateurs in the United Kingdom who share the view that the Society should take a forward looking and progressive stance on the future of our hobby."

 In addition to being sent to all RSGB members in RadCom, the full text of this statement has been published on the World Wide Web at: www.rsgb.org, or can be obtained by contacting Fay Huxley at RSGB Headquarters, telephone 01707 659015.