In response to a Freedom of Information request I submitted a few months ago, I have been advised today by Ofcom that the new Prosecution Statistics have finally been published for the year 2006/2007 for stations and operators that have been flouting the law (cheers to Martin – you know who you are – thanks).
Frankly, I am extremely concerned that with a decline in operating standards, intentional QRM and foul-mouthed high-powered CB operators, nothing seems to have been done proactively to drive these awful practices away.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/enforcement/pstats/stats0607
In the US, there’s a culture of self-control, stringent practices and band-police that appear to work fairly well. In this country, you can cause intentional QRM on the ham bands or burn 1kW of FM or SSB at 11 meters into the SSB F layers with a foul mouth – and nobody cares. I was once an 11m operator driving 100w of FT101ZD. I worked hard to become a first class operator and was proud of my standards. I wasn’t a jumped up super-bratt (I was, but not with a radio!).
With the sunspot cycle on the up, the world will once again be able to listen to the UK acting like complete idiots. Don’t come knocking on my door when you want a level of control some time in the future.
73
Callum.