Larry,

This is sort of what I have been saying all along. There are plenty of
people out there that might be interested, (regardless of the state of
testing methods and requirements) but are unaware that amateur radio even
exists!!!!
Of course the argument that "kids" are running to internet is true. Ya
can't run to something if you didn't know it existed in the first
place......

I don't know if they should plow every dime, but there definitely needs to
be a good percentage of the annual budget for PROMOTION, or a good offense
to use a sports term. The other funds other than expenses of doing
business, should obviously be for defense, i.e methods of alerting FCC
officials as well as elected members of the congress and senate as they DO
have influence on the various departments/commisions etc. including the FCC.

This should not only be an ARRL effort but it should also extend to other
organizations as well as on the immediate local level. I have said it
before and I will say it again, I bet for somewhere under $100,000, I (or
others) could make wonderful PSA commercial, and even a full 30 minute show
that could be place on a medium that could be aired over radio and
television, make enough copies of these to get to the radio and television
stations, and cover the cost of shipping to them as well for that amount.
100 grand is a smaller chunk of change, looking at the big picture. Radio
and television are REQUIRED to air a certain percentage of these PSA's of
their broadcast day.




3. Get the ARRL to plow every dime's worth of it's net worth into a
national,
televised advertising campaign. Get ham radio into the public eye, and
stress
the FUN, not the public service (i.e. the work and worry).


Excellent idea. And using a good cross-section of existing celebrity hams,
as well as getting other people that are celebrities involved and licensed
as well would be a good thing too.


4. Get the ARRL to enlist the assistance of any and all celebrity hams in
the
accomplishment of #3 above.



--
Ryan, KC8PMX
FF1-FF2-MFR-(pending NREMT-B!)
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