CONTACT - August 2016
Vol 14 # 8
In this issue:
WY7KY – 2016 Phil McGan Award Winner
Getting that Press Release Published
WY7KY – 2016 Phil McGan Award Winner
Congratulations to Tom “Tex” Ritter, WY7KY, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, as the 2016 Philip J. McGan Silver Antenna Award recipient. Ritter was cited for demonstrating outstanding volunteer public relations success on behalf of Amateur Radio throughout the state of Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain Division. He has promoted licensing classes for the Shy-Wy Amateur Radio Club and others and actively sought to unify the Public Information Officers in their public relations efforts on behalf of Amateur Radio in the state of Wyoming. Ritter also was recognized for regularly promoting Amateur Radio to the general public through print and radio interviews as well as through social media, and he routinely engages in public relations outreach during public service events and ARRL Field Day. The award's namesake, journalist Philip J. McGan, WA2MBQ (SK), served as the first chairman of the ARRL's Public Relations Committee.
Tom will receive a plaque for his accomplishments. Well done, Tex!
Video of two recent ARRL webinars are now available on the ARRL YouTube channel. The 2016 ARRL Hurricane Preparedness Webinar was held July 21, and featured a preview of the 2016 hurricane season. Presenters include Bob Robichaud, VE1MBR; Julio Ripoll, WD4R; Rob Macedo, KD1CY, and Bobby Graves, KB5HAV.
“Contesting as Training for Public Service Communications” with ARRL Contributing Editor Ward Silver, N0AX, was held on July 24. It features an overview on how ARES groups can use Amateur Radio contesting as on-air training for passing traffic more efficiently, and to get experience with problem solving and contingency planning during high-volume message handling scenarios.
We have a host of new PIOs and PICs who have joined the ARRL fold. Please help me welcome them to the team!
PIOs:
Eastern Massachusetts:
Lela Smith, KC1ACV
Maine:
Jason Cote, W1WDW
Nevada:
Craig Fabbi, KB7FAB
Sam D. Case, KG7HBY
Northern Florida:
Carl Berry, KC5CMX
James A. Brooke K4JBE
Harold Helms, WA4QLA
T H Merritt, KM4TJI
Andrew Naisbett, WB4DTS
Southern Florida
Michael Stowe, KV4MS
Sacramento Valley
Alan M. James, KZ6B
Virginia:
Stephen F. (Steve) Nowak, KE8YN
PICs:
Nebraska: Jason Fink, NØJOB
Northern Florida: Scott Roberts, KK4ECR
Getting that Press Release Published
Press releases don’t amount to much unless you can get them published. Here’s some tips from Daly-Swartz Public Relations on how to get your press release in front of people who will actually read it.
We’ve been talking a lot about developing skills related to outreach, especially to media and other groups in your local area. With the 2016 hurricane season well under way (and newly-formed Tropical Storm Earl in the Caribbean as I type this), we all benefit by ensuring those relationships with local media are in place before they are needed. There’s also other exercises all of us can do to raise our visibility in our area, including some things that may not have anything to do with Amateur Radio.
Beginning this month, I’m going to start offering a PR Challenge of the Month. For August 2016, I’d like you to reach out to three media representatives in your area that you haven’t talked with before. Introduce yourself and your club or group to them and explain what you do and what Amateur Radio is about.
Send me an email before September 1 telling me how things go. If you’re successful, I’ll put your name in a hat to win a 2017 ARRL Handbook, due to be published soon.
Thanks for all you do.
Sean Kutzko, KX9X
Media and Public Relations Manager
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