SB QST @ ARL $ARLB016   
   ARLB016 New Amateur Radio Vanity Call Sign Fee Set at $21.40   
      
   ZCZC AG16   
   QST de W1AW   
   ARRL Bulletin 16  ARLB016   
   > From ARRL Headquarters   
   Newington CT  September 4, 2014   
   To all radio amateurs   
      
   SB QST ARL ARLB016   
   ARLB016 New Amateur Radio Vanity Call Sign Fee Set at $21.40   
      
   The FCC has adjusted very slightly downward - to $21.40 - its   
   proposed Amateur Service vanity call sign regulatory fee for Fiscal   
   Year 2014. In a June Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), the   
   Commission said it was planning to hike the current $16.10 vanity   
   fee to $21.60 for the 10-year license term. The FCC released a   
   Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (R&O) in   
   the proceeding on August 29, in which it recalculated the fee to   
   $21.40 for the 10-year license term. The $5.30 increase still   
   represents the largest vanity fee hike in many years.   
      
   The new $21.40 fee does not go into effect until 30 days after the   
   R&O is published in The Federal Register.   
      
   In the R&O, the FCC said it considered eliminating the regulatory   
   fee for Amateur Radio vanity call sign applications but decided not   
   to do so "at this time," because it lacks "adequate support to   
   determine whether the cost of recovery and burden on small entities   
   outweighs the collected revenue; or whether eliminating the fee   
   would adversely affect the licensing process." The Commission said   
   it would reevaluate this issue in the future to determine if it   
   should eliminate other fee categories.   
      
   The FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau sets the vanity call   
   sign regulatory fee using projections of new applications and   
   renewals, taking into consideration existing Commission licensee   
   databases, such as the Universal Licensing System (ULS) database.   
      
   The FCC reported there were 11,500 "payment units" in FY 2014. The   
   Commission said the vanity program generated an estimated $230,230   
   in FY 2013 revenue, and it estimated that it would collect nearly   
   $246,100 in FY 2014.   
      
   The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable when applying for a   
   new vanity call sign or when renewing a vanity call sign, although   
   some older vanity call signs are not subject to the regulatory fee.   
   NNNN   
   /EX   
      
      
   )\/(ark   
      
   If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until   
   you hire an amateur.   
      
   --- FMail/Win32 1.60   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.71)