AmateurRadio.com

ARRL DUES GOING UP
YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR WINS AGAIN
BRITISH HAMS LEND A HAND
HITCHING A RIDE
A-HUNTING WE WILL GO
SOME MORE FOR MORSE
REPEATER NEWS WORTH REPEATING
WORLD OF DX
CQ, CQ AND I DO
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• BREAKING: FCC Closures
• Packed House at Hamvention
• Yukon Station shows remote possibilities
• An Alternate Satellite Frequency
• Stalking the latest Cubesat
• Report from Camp Courage
• New Balloting for Kosovo
• The World of DX
• Young Ham of the Year

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• Amateur Radio Newsline returns; welcomes KD2GUT to the team.
• Heightened recognition comes for radio amateurs in the days before Field Day.
• Some new QSOs make their mark aboard the International Space Station.
• Changes are coming on 160 meters.
• In Europe, young hams are packing for a one-week radio camp in Italy for amateurs
• And the FCC seeks additional comments for new usage on lower and medium frequency bands.

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UPDATE ON BILL PASTERNAK WA6ITF: Don Wilbanks AE5DW and I had a conference call with Bill Sunday evening (6/7/15). The good news is: Bill is not in the ICU; the bad news is he is in serious condition after being diagnosed with--as he termed it--”a broken back.” I take this to mean he has fractured at least one vertebrae. He is being treated for the pain associated with such an injury, and thus is not able to write (type), nor can he read for very long. He said it is also impossible for him to receive very many phone calls, so they must be kept to a minimum. Bill stated that for the immediate days ahead, his focus needs to be on the healing process, and improving his health, so that’s where his focus will be. He asked us to pass along his appreciation for all of the thoughts and prayers that have been sent out on his behalf. He also asserted that the Young Ham of the Year Award for 2015 will be awarded this year, with the recipient to be announced very soon. The YHOTY award ceremony takes place at the Huntsville (Alabama) Hamfest in mid-August.

From Producer Skeeter Nash N5ASH: this is a Facebook post from Sunday, 5/24/15 by the Amateur Radio Newsline Facebook page administrator, James Pastorfield KB7TBT:

Hi folks, got some bad news to report:
A few days ago Bill Pasternak WA6ITF was admitted into the hospital. He is currently in ICU and stable. I have not directly talked to bill but i am in constant contact with Dave Booth KC6WFS who has been with him every day. Bill has said that "it was ok to mention his situation to you and to understand if the reports are a delayed". 

Bill is still listed under critical condition, please put him in your thoughts and prayers. 
I will keep everyone updated...

73
James-KB7TBT

Bill's health is the most important thing right now. However, I know that he is also very concerned about the ongoing production of the weekly Newsline reports. During Bill's previous extended hospital stay earlier this year, he reached out for help with producing the newscast. I stepped forward, and we got it back up and going. At the time, it was not a problem for me to do, time-wise. I was doing the Morning Drive show on KTPK-FM (Country Legends 106.9) here in Topeka, and had time in the afternoon to devote a few hours to editing and producing the audio. Bill was able to write the scripts; first from the rehab facility, then from home once he was released.

However, in mid-March, I was promoted to Program Director of KTPK, in addition to still holding down Morning Drive. This has resulted in many 12+ hour days (as we are in a ratings period), which has severely limited the time I have available to produce Newsline. Now, with Bill in ICU for an indefinite amount of time, there is no way I would have time to write the script, assign the reports, etc., let alone edit and produce the finished newscast. Therefore, at least for now, Amateur Radio Newsline will be on hiatus.

With all that said, I am sending out an appeal for help. Bill has--over 37-plus years of production--set the bar very high in terms of quality, both in the writing and production of Newsline. The attempt has always been to produce a newscast that is on-par with any national radio network newscast, and this has been accomplished over 37 years by an all-volunteer staff. These volunteer hams include many, such as myself, who have worked as broadcast radio/TV professionals. We have looked upon Newsline as not only a service to the hobby we enjoy, but also as a "labor of love." It certainly has been for Bill, ever since its early days as the "Westlink Radio Report."

IN ORDER FOR NEWSLINE TO RESUME PRODUCTION, WE NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS:

1. WRITER/ASSIGNMENT EDITOR: This requires a time commitment to gather amateur radio-related news stories from our various sources, and re-write them for broadcast. You must be fluent in "ham-speak." This person would also network with our anchors and reporters all over the globe, assigning them as they are available to record the anchor track and "actuality" reports for each week's newscast. A background in broadcast news writing/production and a passion for amateur radio are must-haves. An ideal candidate might be a retired broadcasting pro who is a licensed, active radio amateur.
2. PRODUCER/EDITOR: In this position, you would be responsible for gathering audio from our volunteer anchors and reporters, and edit together a seamless, network-style newscast that can run up to approximately 27 minutes in length. Audio files will be retrieved from a Dropbox folder. A background in broadcast audio production and digital editing, the ability to edit for time, and an ear for audio quality are required. Access to digital editing software (i.e., Pro Tools, Adobe Audition, Gold Wave, Audacity, etc.) is required. Time commitment would be approximately 2-4 hours per week, on average.
3. ANCHOR/REPORTER: We would like to add a few voices to our current roster of volunteer anchors/reporters. As you can imagine, these positions require a clear, pleasant speaking voice, with the ability to deliver a natural-sounding, authoritative read. There is a rotating roster, which means you might be called upon once every few weeks to help. Anchors are sent the full script (usually by Wednesday each week), and record an approximate 20 minute (+/-) anchor track. A good quality microphone is needed for both anchors and reporters, as you may be asked to handle either task. Audio should preferably be recorded monaurally, and saved as a good-quality MP3 file.

Again, I must emphasize these are VOLUNTEER positions (no pay). In keeping with Bill's high standards for the quality of this production, I am asking for any amateur operators interested in joining the Newsline team to please submit a resume`, so that I can get an idea of your background/experience. Also, for those interested in the Producer/Editor position, a brief sample of audio you've edited would be helpful. For the Anchor/Reporter positions, I am also asking for a resume` and audio sample. If you would simply like to take a story from a previous Newsline report and read it as if you were anchoring or reporting, that would be fine. Scripts can be found in previous posts on this website. A minute or so of audio will suffice.

If you would like to be considered, please email your submissions to: [email protected], with "NEWSLINE HELP" in the subject line.

I realize that I'm asking a lot for unpaid, volunteer positions. I am treating this (somewhat) as if you were applying for a position at my radio station; the reason being, Amateur Radio Newsline has a tradition of being as close to a professional-sounding production as possible. Many hams have expressed how important Newsline is to them each week, so I am committed to maintaining the standards set by Bill Pasternak over these many years. Thanks for understanding that I am looking for serious inquiries, only. Please also understand that unless someone steps up to fill these positions, the Amateur Radio Newsline will cease production...possibly permanently. I know that's NOT what Bill, or any of the rest of us involved in it, would like to see happen...but that's just the reality of the situation. Thanks, and ~73~ from N5ASH.

NOTE FROM THE PRODUCER:

Greetings! Producer Skeeter N5ASH here. Due to an extremely long and challenging work week at my full-time broadcast radio gig, Newsline Report 1966 will not be available until around mid-day Central time on Saturday 5/23/15. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thanks for understanding. ~73~ N5ASH