Who must designate the station control operator?

The designation of the station control operator falls under the responsibility of the station licensee. The licensee is the individual or entity that holds the license for the station and has authority over its operation. This includes the responsibility for ensuring that the station complies with all regulatory requirements and operates within the established guidelines.

The station control operator is tasked with overseeing station operations while ensuring that all transmissions adhere to proper protocols and regulations set forth by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). As the licensee is ultimately accountable for the station’s compliance and operation, it is their duty to designate a qualified individual to act as the control operator who will manage the station during its broadcasts.

In other contexts, the FCC does regulate and monitor communication stations, but it is not responsible for naming the control operator; instead, that authority rests solely with the station licensee. Similarly, while frequency coordinators help manage frequencies to minimize interference among users, their role does not involve designating control operators. The ITU (International Telecommunication Union), on the other hand, predominantly focuses on coordination and regulation on an international scale, which does not include specifics regarding individual station operators in the context of U.S. amateur radio licenses.

Thus, the station licensee is the correct choice because they