| Radio Society of Great Britain | |
|---|---|
 |
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 Lambda House, the RSGB headquarters in Potters Bar prior to their move to Bedford in April 2008 |
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| Abbreviation | RSGB |
| Formation | 1913 |
| Type | Non-profit organization |
| Purpose/focus | Advocacy, Education |
| Headquarters | 3 Abbey Court, Fraser Road, Priory Business
Park, Bedford MK44 3WH IO92sd |
| Region served | UK |
| Membership | 22,600 |
| President | Colin Thomas G3PSM |
| Main organ | Board of Directors |
| Affiliations | International Amateur Radio Union |
| Website | http://www.rsgb.org/ |
First founded in 1913 as the London Wireless Club, the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) is the United Kingdom's recognised national society for amateur radio operators. The society's patron is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and it represents the interests of the UK’s 60,000 licensed radio amateurs. Long recognised as one of the leading amateur radio organisations in the world, the society is the national member society representing the United Kingdom and certain dependent territories of the United Kingdom in the International Amateur Radio Union. It also acts as a medium for communication between the enthusiasts and the UK government.
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The RSGB has traditionally acted as the organisation through which amateur radio enthusiasts interact with the telecommunications regulatory authority of the United Kingdom, Ofcom. Although Ofcom has recently used its web site to solicit opinions directly from interested parties, the RSGB continues to advise and to seek to influence Ofcom on the likely impact of proposed changes in many areas – from decisions on licensing and bandwidth controls through to the use of Broadband over Power Lines PLT (which it is thought would cause large amounts of electromagnetic noise).
RSGB also acts as a parent organisation to many smaller groups and societies. Some of these societies unite local areas (such as repeater groups) or groups of individuals (such as Forces service groups, or old timer groups) or even people interested in a particular amateur radio band (such as 2 meter band groups).
The society publishes a monthly magazine called RadCom, along with a range of technical books.
The RSGB made the first radio transmission across to the United States, but failed to have any receiving equipment. Many members were slightly annoyed by this fact and so formed other sections of the RSGB which were later absorbed into the RSGB itself.
During World War II, the entire RSGB Council and many of its members were recruited into MI8, also known as the Radio Security Service. Its mission to was to intercept clandestine enemy transmissions.[1][2]
In 2006, the RSGB cooperated with Ofcom to revise the amateur radio licence in the United Kingdom. Changes included removing the annual licence fee and removing the requirement to log all transmissions. Amateur radio operators gained permission to operate one's amateur radio station remotely, and the changes increased the spectrum available to the lower classes of licensees.[3].
There are competing demands from more and more non-amateur uses of radio (for example mobile operators and wireless devices). Despite this, the RSGB has been able to maintain existing amateur radio allocations and negotiate some new ones.
   | RSGB website - Radio Society of Great Britain |
| | Office of Communications (OFCOM) - Home page | Ofcom |
| | Amateur Radio in ITV1 Pride of Britain Programme - Amateur Radio in ITV1 Pride of Britain Programme |
| | Cumbria - Features - Amateur Radio - BBC - Cumbria - Features - Amateur Radio |
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