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[Guest Account]

[Newington, CT] - Citing concerns by Western US hams voiced after new
Canadian and US sections entered the amateur radio mainstream, the
American Radio Relay League today announced the creation of three new
sections in its field organization. It is expected that the sections
will make their maiden appearance some time in 1998.

The sections, all in California, were formed at least partially in
response to complaints from hams geographically distant from the
Newfoundland-Labrador (NL) and District of Columbia (DC) sections which
last year were added to the ARRL's list of jurisdictional areas. NL was
the 79th area, while DC was the 80th. The creation of the western
sections raises the total number to 83. Amateur radio enthusiasts who
operate contests, marathon events in which they attempt to contact as
many other stations in a fixed time period, must contact all sections
to win awards and gain recognition.

Now contesters will be required to add the elusive Tahoe (TA), Central
Coast (CC), and Death Valley (DV) sections to their growing list of
"must get" regions. Currently, no amateurs are known to reside within
the exceedingly rare Death Valley section.

Phasing in of the new multipliers will occur over the next 6 to 8
months, with all three in place by November, just in time for the
premier annual operating event, the November Sweepstakes. The ARRL
would not rule out further additions to the list of sections beyond
1998.

Amateurs in the rest of North America, but predominantly in the
Northeastern US and Canada, overwhelmingly opposed this new action,
questioning the need for the organization to fracture further its
already thinly-spread infrastructure. A spokesman for ARRL stated
that the editor of its monthly publication, QST, has been inundated
with debate on the subject. "It's been mainly from Californians who
are still trying to figure out how they are going to deal with NL
and DC." "They were really upset about the new Canadian section,"
said another ARRL official who requested that his name be withheld.
"With these new ones we threw 'em a bone, and frankly the ones who
are laughing all the way are the big guns in Texas who couldn't care
less how many multipliers they have to go after. They'll work as many
as they need to work. You don't hear them crying about it."

An ARRL member residing in Los Angeles, the most populous of the
sections, said, "It's madness! It's the 'de-Sovietization' of ham
radio in the United States and Canada. I mean, it's like Tahoe is the
Chechnya of the ARRL. Every special interest lobby, every splinter
group wants their own little domain. Before long, you'll have parts of
cities wanting to secede from the rest of the city to create their own
sections. When will it end?"

/NNN



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