PUBLIC NOTICE
                                                                              
   Federal Communications Commission
   1919 M St., N.W.
   Washington, D.C. 20554

                                                                              

                                                                              
   August 22, 1996

                                                                                               AMATEUR STATION VANITY CALL SIGN SYSTEM
                    FILING GATE 2 OPENS SEPTEMBER 23, 1996

Amateur operators who meet the following eligibility standards may request a
vanity call sign on or after September 23, 1996.  File your request on FCC Form
610-V.  Legibility is critical!  If the information on your application is not legible,
you could experience a delay in processing, lose the opportunity to obtain a
requested call sign or even obtain a call sign different from what you want.  You
must hold an unexpired amateur operator/primary station license grant of the
proper operator class, as described below, to request a vanity call sign for your
primary station.  To request a vanity call sign for a club station, you must also
hold an unexpired club station license grant listing you as the license trustee. 
Refer to the licensee data base to verify that the call sign you are requesting is
not already assigned.  A call sign is normally assignable two years following
license expiration, surrender, revocation, set aside, cancellation, void ab initio,
or death of the grantee.  See Fact Sheet PR5000 Number 206-V AMATEUR
STATION VANITY CALL SIGN SYSTEM .  For explanations of Groups A, B, C
and D and the geographic Regions, see Fact Sheet PR5000 Number 206-S,
AMATEUR STATION SEQUENTIAL CALL SIGN SYSTEM.

NOTE:  A separate Public Notice will be released providing guidelines for the
implementation of electronic filing procedures for FCC Form 610-V.

REQUEST BY LIST (PRIMARY OR CLUB STATION) - Provide a list of up to 25 call
signs in the order of your preference.  The first assignable call sign on your list
will be assigned to your station.  When so requesting for your primary or club
station:    
   The call sign must have been unassigned for at least two years.  
   If you are an Amateur Extra Class operator, each call sign must be in
Group A, B, C or D.
NOTE:  Advanced, General, Technician Plus, Technician, and Novice Class operators are 
not yet eligible to request by list.  Advanced Class operators will be eligible at Gate 3. Others will
be eligible at Gate 4.
   Each call sign must be one designated for the Region of your mailing
address as follows:
o One of the contiguous 48 states - Regions 1 to 10. 
o Alaska - Regions 1 to 11.  
o American Samoa - Regions 1 to 10, or Region 13 having numeral 8.
o Commonwealth of Northern Marianna Islands - Regions 1 to 10, or 
   Region 13 having  numeral .
o Guam - Regions 1 to 10, or Region 13 having numeral 2.
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o Hawaii - Regions 1 to 10, or Region 13 having numeral 6 or 7.
o Puerto Rico - Regions 1 to 10, or Region 12 having numeral 3 or 4.  
o Virgin Islands - Regions 1 to 10, or Region 12 having numeral 2.

REQUEST BY FORMER HOLDER (PRIMARY STATION) - Opened May 31, 1996. 
For your primary station, you may request a call sign that was previously
assigned to your primary, secondary, repeater, auxiliary link, control, or space
station.  When so requesting for your primary station:
   You may request your former call sign even though it has been unassigned
for less than two years.  The two year requirement does not apply to an
otherwise eligible primary station if the call sign was previously assigned to a
station of the requestor.              
   You do not have to hold a class of operator license required for the Group
(A, B, C, or D) for the call sign requested.  A call sign request by former
holder may be from any Group in the sequential system.
   Your mailing address does not have to be in the Region designated in the
sequential system for the call sign requested.  A call sign requested by former
a holder may be in any Region. 

REQUEST BY CLOSE RELATIVE OF FORMER HOLDER NOW DECEASED
(PRIMARY STATION)  - Opened May 31, 1996.  For your primary station, you
may request a call sign that was previously assigned to the primary, secondary,
repeater, auxiliary link, control, or space station of your now-deceased spouse,
child, grandchild, stepchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister,
stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law. When so
requesting for your primary station:  
   You may request the former call sign of a close relative now deceased even
though it has been unassigned for less than two years.  Upon the death of the
holder, a call sign is assignable immediately to an otherwise eligible primary
station of a close relative. 
   You must be an Amateur Extra Class operator to request a Group A call
sign.
   You must be an Amateur Extra or Advanced Class operator to request a
Group B call sign. 
   You must be an Amateur Extra, Advanced, General, Technician Plus, or
Technician Class operator to request a Group C call sign.
   You must be an Amateur Extra, Advanced, General, Technician Plus,
Technician or Novice class operator to request a Group D call sign.  
   Your mailing address does not have to be in the Region designated in the
sequential system for the call sign requested.  A call sign requested by a close
relative of former holder now deceased may be in any Region. 
   You must show your relationship to the deceased person exactly as listed
in the instruction, i.e., child, niece or in-law. 
   The license grant of the former holder now deceased must have been
deleted from the licensee database.  That is accomplished by a relative of the
deceased submitting a signed request to have the license grant cancelled
accompanied by a copy of an obituary or death certificate.  The request for
cancellation must be submitted to the FCC, 1270 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg,
PA 17325-7245 prior to filing the application for a vanity call sign.

REQUEST BY FORMER HOLDER (CLUB STATION) - Opened May 31, 1996.  For
the club station for which you are the license trustee, you may request a call
sign that was previously assigned to that station.  When so requesting for a club
station:
   You may request your club station's former call sign even though it has
been unassigned for less than two years.  The two year requirement does not
apply to an otherwise eligible club station if the
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call sign was previously assigned to the club station for which the requestor
is the license trustee.  
   You do not have to hold a class of operator license required for the Group
(A, B, C, or D) for the call sign requested.  A call sign request by former
holder may be from any Group in the sequential system.
   Your mailing address does not have to be in the Region designated in the
sequential system for the call sign requested.  A call sign requested by a
former holder may be in any Region.

REQUEST IN MEMORIAM (CLUB STATION) - Opened July 22, 1996.  If you are the
license trustee for your club station, you may request in memoriam for your club
station the call sign previously shown on the primary, secondary, repeater,
auxiliary link, control, or space station license of a deceased person who was a
member of the club.  When so requesting in memoriam for your club station: 
   The club must have held a club station license grant on March 24, 1995, or
you must be an Amateur Extra Class operator.
   You may request the call sign even though it has been less than two years
following death of the club member.  Upon the death of the holder, the call
sign is assignable immediately to an otherwise eligible club station. 
   You must have in your station records a written statement (do not send to
FCC unless requested) from a spouse, child, grandchild, stepchild, parent,
grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle,
niece, nephew, or in-law of the deceased confirming the deceased person's
association with the club and showing consent of the relative to your request.
   You must be an Amateur Extra Class operator to request a Group A call
sign.
   You must be an Amateur Extra or Advanced Class operator to request a
Group B call sign.
   You must be an Amateur Extra, Advanced, General, Technician Plus, or
Technician Class operator to request a Group C or D call sign. 
   Your mailing address does not have to be in the Region designated in the
sequential system for the call sign requested.  A call sign requested in
memoriam may be in any Region. 
   You must enter the relationship to the deceased person giving consent
exactly as listed in the instruction, i.e., child, niece or in-law. 
   The license grant of the former holder now deceased must have been
deleted from the licensee database.  That is accomplished by a relative of the
deceased submitting a signed request to have the license grant cancelled
accompanied by a copy of an obituary or death certificate.  The request for
cancellation must be submitted to the FCC, 1270 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg,
PA 17325-7245 prior to filing the application for a vanity call sign.

A $30.00 fee is required with your FCC Form 610-V application.  Payment of fees
may be made by check (payable to "FCC"), bank draft, money order or credit
card.  If paying by credit card, you must also complete and submit FCC Form
159 with your FCC Form 610-V.  Do not send cash.  Send your application
package to:

Federal Communications Commission
Amateur Vanity Call Sign Request
P.O. Box 358924
Pittsburgh, PA  15251-5924



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If you do not qualify under the forementioned eligibility standards, your
application will be dismissed.  A future public notice will announce Gate 3
which will have expanded eligibility standards.  
   
For further information, contact the Consumer Assistance Branch at 1-800-322-
1117.

                                    -FCC-