The "Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award" was originally known as the "Westlink Report Young Ham of the Year."  Known as the YHOTY (pronounced YOTEE) this award program was conceived in late 1995 by "Amateur Radio Newsline" Producer Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF in association with the then "Westlink Report Amateur Radio Newsletter" which agreed to lend its name in
support. 

Bill Pasternak created the award after realizing that -- other than scholarship programs, there was no program anywhere to acknowledge the numerous accomplishments of the youth of Amateur Radio.  It is his belief that the real-life experience of being honored for their youthful accomplishments in Amateur Radio may lead the award winners -- and through their example - many also lead other young hams into technology based careers that will make them the scientific, telecommunications and educational leaders of the future.
 

Joining in 1986 as the first (and continuing) Corporate Underwriter was/is Vertex-Standard (Yaesu USA)  Corporation of Cerritos California. 
 

Gordon West's Radio School served as an "additional gift" participant from 1986 through 1989.
 

The first YHOTY presentation was made in 1986 to Shawn Alan Wakefield, WK5P, of Bartelsville Oklahoma.  Making the presentation were Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF of Newsline, Sanford "Burt" Hicks, WB6MQV, of Westlink Report and C.H. "Chip" Margelli of Vertex-Standard (Yaesu USA) Corporation.
 

From its inception in 1986 until 1995 the award traveled the nations ham radio convention circuit looking for a permanent home.  It found that location when Mr. Scott Neustadter, W4WW, who is Chairman of the "Huntsville Hamfest," offered the hospitality of his event and his city. The Huntsville Hamfest, held each August in technology-based Huntsville Alabama is one of the nations largest and most popular Amateur Radio conventions.  Its venue the Von Braun Civic Center in downtown Huntsville and usually attracting some 6000 attendees.
 

In 1993 the ARRL, through its Educational Department the ARRL became an ongoing "additional gift" participant in the Newsline "Young Ham of the Year Award Program.
 

With the absorption in 1995 of the Westlink Report readership base into Worldradio Magazine, the awards originator Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,  decided to continue it under the banner of his own "Amateur Radio Newsline" organization.  Vertex-Standard (Yaesu USA) offered to remain a primary corporate underwriter.
 

1995 saw the addition of CQ Publishing as a second corporate underwriter as its owner Richard Ross, K2MGA, offered the assistance of his corporation.  This same year also saw the formation of the "Young Ham of the Year Steering Committee" chaired by Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.  Initial participants were Kevin Karamanos, WD6DIH of Yaesu USA Corp.; Rich Moseson, W2VU of CQ Magazine; Rosalie White WA1STO of ARRL; Mr. Keith Glispie, WA6TFD of KKTV Fox 11 Television and Capt. Larry V. Zettwoch, KR4IF of U.S. Airways.  Mr. Glispie resigned in 1998 and was replaced by Mr. Sandy Donahue, W4WU of WGNX Television.
 

1995 also saw the formation of  the "Young Ham of the Year Judging Committee" chaired by Capt. Larry V. Zettwoch, KR4IF, of U.S. Airways with Rosalie White WA1STO and Rich Moseson W2VU of CQ Magazine as judges.
 

In 1996 Newsline was contacted by Mr. Nick Smith of TAP Publishing offering ongoing free advertising including publication of the "Young Ham of the Year Award" nominating form in his weekly Amateur Radio Trader Magazine.
 

In 1996 CQ Publishing expanded its involvement in the "Young Ham of the Year" program by underwriting the cost of a week at Spacecamp-Huntsville for the youngster selected as YHOTY recipient.
 

In 1999 the "Young Ham of the Year Judging Committee" was expanded to include former ARRL President George Wilson, W4OYI and former YHOTY recipient Brian Mileshowsky N5ZGT.  Mr. Todd Hitzeroth, N6ZXJ, of 20th Century Fox Television was added as an Alternate Judge.
 

From 1997 through 2001 Rosewood Communications was an "additional gift" provider.


HOW THE YHOTY AWARD WORKS
 

"The Young Ham of the Year Award" is presented annually to a United States licensed Radio Amateur (Ham) who is 18 years of age or younger and who has provided outstanding service to the nation, his community or the betterment of the state of the art in communications through the Amateur Radio hobby/service.
 

The Any continental United States (48 contiguous states) FCC licensed Amateur Radio operator aged 18 and younger who has used Amateur Radio to significantly contribute to the benefit of the service, to the sate of the communications art, to their community or the nation is eligible to be nominated.
 

All nominations must be submitted before May 30 of any given calendar year on an official application and accompanied by verification materials. Applications forms are available for a self addressed stamped envelope mailed to the Young Ham of the Year Award % Newsline, 28197 Robin Avenue Santa Clarita  California 91350.  These nominating applications are also available for electronic download from our website at http://www.arnewsline.org.


SOME BACKGROUND ON THE PRIMARY AWARD SPONSORS

The Amateur Radio Newsline, Inc., better known as "Newsline" is the worlds largest not for profit (501(c)(3) and totally independent ham radio broadcast news and data information service.  It was organized in 1976 by Jim Hendershot WA6VQP and Bill Pasternak WA6ITF.  Since that time it has produced and put to air over 960 consecutive weeks of news of free bulletin programming dealing with Amateur Radio and related personal communications issues. 

Primary corporate underwriting since the inception of the "Young Ham of the Year Award" program is supplied by Vertex-Standard Corporation (Yaesu U.S.A.) and CQ Magazine.  Vertex-Standard  is a world leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of Yaesu brand high quality Amateur Radio and Vertex brand commercial two-way radio equipment. 

As of 1995, CQ Publishing has been an additional corporate underwriter. CQ Magazine and its sister publication CQ-Contest are owned by CQ Communications and are considered the trend-setting publications serving today's modern radio amateur.


ABOUT THE UNITED STATES AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE

The United States Amateur Radio service is force of over a 625,000 publicly spirited personal radio operators who are licensed and regulated by the Federal Communications Commission.  They provide the nation with a pool of trained radio operators and technicians to assist the United States in improving international relations.  They are also available as a voluntary group of skilled public service-oriented individuals with their own radio equipment who are available to provide emergency communications in times of disaster.