For Immediate Release

 Robert Osband-N4SCY
Computerist

PO Box 6841
Titusville   FL
USA   32782

Spaceyideas.Com/ozzie
Ozzie@Spaceyideas.Com
Phone:(3-2-1)Liftoff
+1 321 543-8633

2004 March 29

Titusville Resident Elected to
Public Broadcasting
Community Advisory Board



Robert Osband of Titusville FL has been elected to the Community Advisory Board of the broadcast stations of WMFE, the flagship public broadcast stations of the Orlando metropolitan area. Congress mandated that such advisory boards be established by community owned radio licensees as a condition of the Federal Communications Commission granting their license to use the public airwaves.

The board meets three times a year, with members meeting three more times a year on committees established to assist the WMFE staff in decision making. Osband, a long time volunteer at both 90.7 FM and Channel 24 broadcast stations says, "I've been listening to interesting radio since I was 14 when my parents got me a shortwave radio for my birthday. That's when I discovered the BBC World Service, Radio Canada International, and Radio Nederlands. When I later found public radio, I learned I could help out answering pledge phones. They also called me up occassionaly for TV phone duty as well".

"Working on the Community Advisory Board is just another way I can help the stations I enjoy so much", Osband continued. Osband is a member and past vice President of the Titusville Amateur Radio Club. He operated ham radio communications in Oakland CA in 1989 following the Pria Loma Earthqake, in Homestead FL in 1992 following Hurricane Andrew, and in 1998 in Mims and Scottsmoor during the wildfires.

Osband is employed by GSI Commerce of Melbourne as a customer service representative. He is better known as the fellow who convinced the Florida Public Service Commission that the area around Cape Canaveral, the countdown capitol of the world, should get area code 3-2-1.


  Ozzie
Robert Osband, N4SCY
Computerist

Robert Osband currently works in the call center of an internet web-store. He is also a ham radio operator, having put messages on board the Mir Space Station, sent radio signals via the International Space Station, and worked ham radios in Homestead following Hurricane Andrew. He has been a "communications hobbyist" since age 12. He has followed the space program since he was 8, and this confluence of interests caused him to reccommend to Florida's Public Service Commission that when Area Code 407 split, the Countdown Capitol of the World wanted to have Area Code 321. The new area code began serving the area in and around the Kennedy Space Center on 1999 November 1. But Osband really prefers to be described with a line from The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, "He's just this guy, you know?"

The full story of Area Code 321 can be found at http://Spaceyideas.Com/321/

Photos of the First Day of Service are at http://Spaceyideas.Com/publicity/photos/photos.html

Copies of this document can be printed out from http://Spaceyideas.Com/ozzie/ltrs/PRosband040329.html