NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 30, 1999 - Amateur Radio will get a new look in the new millennium. The FCC today issued its long-awaited Report and Order in the 1998 Biennial Regulatory Review of Part 97--more commonly known as "license restructuring." The bottom line is that starting April 15, 2000, there will be three license classes--Technician, General, and Amateur Extra--and a single Morse code requirement--5 WPM.
"We believe that an individual's ability to demonstrate increased Morse code proficiency is not necessarily indicative of that individual's ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art," the FCC said.
 

The comments below were sent to me by a friend. I think they represent the views of all the amateurs I've spoken to since the ruling came out.

Dude, here it is.... This really sucks, and I think it is utter bullshit. Mark my words - and I can bet you money on this - that the next thing to go will be the CW subbands... The SSB bands will be increased, and the CW portions will be decreased to the bottom 25 KHz of each ham band, no longer the bottom 100 KHz and novice subbands. I forsee ALL CW going to be cut to the lowest 25 KHz of each band, novice thru extra. I wouldn't have much argument if I passed the CW exam years ago but never got on, but I DO operate CW, a couple of times a week at least, and sometimes better than 20 WPM (on a good night...) Maybe I'll get into CB radio. Or HI-FI... You don't need a license to be a HI-FI or SWL either, do you? I feel cheated, just like back in 1986, when the no-code license first came out. Too bad we have to continue to reduce requirements and reduce standards in this country just to keep the crybabies from having to work too hard. I really didn't feel there was a lack of novices back in 1981 when I first got licensed. There was always great incentive to upgrade, and CW never hurt anyone, and like you, it was just a matter of a few months before I had 13 wpm under my belt. I started out as a SWL and remember tuning the ham bands and hearing lots of stations on.... They had to start giving away the VHF licenses (tech-minus) just to sell more radios (proof - look at the prices of VHF and UHF radios now - like a new 2-mtr handheld for under $100! They are the Standard brand, which has made a lot of commercial gear, and other brands are not much more....) I am disgusted. I almost never listen to 2-mtrs anymore. I don't know why I wasted my money on a dual bander a coupla years ago. Like you, I rarely find anyone I want to listen to. The discussions of "speaker-mics" and "mag-mounts" and "the autopatch...." - never any HF. I remember comparing notes with others on the repeater about what states and countries you've worked, and how to build a better antenna, or using your gutter to work the world. It is really too bad, because the repeaters we have today are great, with the links and interties, and I like to still have to ability to talk up and down the front range and western Colorado, but there was something different about the hams of the past. At least when you met a ham on the repeater, you know that first he was an HF operator, and probably did NOT buy his complete ham shack from Radio Shack. He had to build and erect antennas, set up his rig, possibly a tuner; he had to address a grounding issue, understand some propogation; know that just because he worked Canada the day before on 7 MHz doesn't mean that he'll work them again tonight.... Unlike the repeater, where a contact is virtually guaranteed. How is working someone on the repeater any different than having a conversation on a telephone?!? Hell, I think I almost prefer the privacy of the telephone! Ok, well, I am disheartened...so I am gonna git, as you say.... I am thinking of buying a matching VFO for my HW-16 - the HG-10B. I saw a couple in nice shape on www.ebay.com - you ever go there? Lots of ham stuff pal - lots of REAL ham gear, as in HF.... Hope all is well with you. Haven't heard from you in a while....might call you later if I get the chance. 73's, from a real ham to another......