You may be surprised to learn that one of the most read items in each issue of QST is the advertising. Members flip through pages, eager to see what's new. Revenue derived from advertising is used to promote Amateur Radio, recruit individuals into the hobby, and to protect our existing frequency allocations. The ARRL Advertising Department is the gatekeeper that assures our members that only quality products are offered.

QST is a membership journal, not a magazine produced just for the reading public. In fact, one cannot simply subscribe to QST. While it is true that QST is sold over the counter at selected locations, all ARRL members receive QST as a benefit of membership.

When QST arrives in the mail, a reader might typically flip rapidly through the pages looking for new offerings from advertisers. It's the primary way to be aware of new products. But advertising does more than inform; it's also a major source of the revenue that allows the ARRL to carry out its programs. Other revenue sources are membership dues, publication and product sales, and special fund-raising activities such as the Defense of Amateur Radio Frequencies Fund Campaign.

The ARRL Advertising Department is responsible for all advertising in QST, NCJ, QEX, several books-for instance The ARRL Repeater Directory and The ARRL Antenna Book--and ARRLWeb. Incidentally, our sales research indicates that The ARRL Repeater Directory is most often the first ARRL publication purchased by the new ham.

Quality and Integrity

Two issues are of major concern to the Advertising Department: Physical quality of ARRL publications and integrity of the advertiser and his products. ARRL spends $100,000 per year for just the ink used in publishing QST! Younger members may not realize that QST was once printed with black ink only. Consider the enormous changes that were necessary to switch to full color. Technical issues such as registration and color separation came at a price. The final product, QST, starts with selecting the best basic materials--inferior ink and paper are not acceptable--and ends with an attractive publication delivered to our membership in a timely manner.

ARRL also had to choose a printing company whose philosophy of quality reproduction was compatible with the League's desires. RR Donnelley and Sons Company, Glasgow, Kentucky prints QST and mails it directly to our members. Their modern facility also prints many other well-known titles including PC Magazine and Country Living.

Most advertisers today send their copy to ARRL electronically, but ARRL is also capable of creating high quality images to meet the exact requirements of the advertiser who does not have the resources to create camera-ready copy. The ARRL Production Department can create full-page film, ready for the Donnelley presses. Our production and graphics capabilities were discussed in a previous article in this series--ARRL's Production and Graphics Department.

Advertising Acceptance Policy

ARRL's Advertising Acceptance Policy is the linchpin that assures members of quality products and provides our advertisers a forum unsullied by inferior and unfair competition. The Advertising and Technical Departments at the League examine all advertising copy that is submitted for publication. When the Technical Department reviews an ad from a new company, or a new product type from an existing advertiser, they sometimes request a spec sheet or product sample. Most products are evaluated for acceptable construction quality, safety, and advertised claims. Those products covered by FCC regulations are subject to laboratory testing to determine compliance with manufacturer's specifications and FCC regulations. Advertising Acceptance examination results are confidential and never published.

The "battle for the best antenna" is a case in point. A few years ago some antenna manufacturers boasted that their antenna performance figures were better than their competitors'. A half dB here and another dB there and before you knew it the specifications exceeded any reasonable expectation for performance for an antenna erected on a less than perfect platform. Today the battle has subsided, but gain figures that appear in ARRL publications must conform to EIA Standard RS-329, Part 1 or, in lieu of RS-329-certified results, the advertiser may advertise performance figures derived from specific antenna modeling programs. See ARRL Antenna Ads in ARRL Publications for answers to frequently asked questions and for sample graphs. Legitimate manufacturers welcome the chance to compete on common ground. The desired effect of these guidelines is to improve the quality and quantity of antenna-related information available to help our members make rational purchasing decisions.

An Influential Publication

International readers tend to be influential people in their respective countries. Recognizing that fact, advertisers wishing to sell to foreign customers find QST a desirable location for their ads. The US government and private companies, looking for qualified engineers, recognize QST as a good place to reach prospects. Ninety-five percent of all companies active in the Amateur Radio industry advertise in ARRL publications on a regular basis.