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ITR* Artist's conception of the Creole Queen riverboat berthed at the 1984 Louisiana World's Fair. The new "old" boat built by Halter Marine, Inc., for New Orleans Paddlewheels, Inc., will operate in conjunction with the Fair. 1984 RTCM ASSEMBLY New Orleans, Louisiana — May 29-June 1 The Radio Technical Commis- sion for Maritime Services (RTCM) will hold its 1984 Annual Assem- bly Meeting May 29-June 1 at the Monteleone Hotel in New Orleans, La. The meeting, hosted by the American Waterways Operators, Inc., is being held during the Lou- isiana World's Fair which opens in New Orleans on May 12. The RTCM was established in 1947 as a government/industry or- ganization under the aegis of the Department of State. In 1972, after passage of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, it became a Fed- eral Advisory Committee char- tered by the Federal Communica- tions Commission. Today, it is structured as a nonprofit, tax-ex- empt organization. Today's RTCM is a streamlined version of the original RTCM and has inherited its mantle. All seg- ments of the marine field—govern- ment, private industry, labor, en- vironmentalists, consumers—are partners in providing a broad-based overview of the industry. In the interest of Federal economies, gov- ernment agencies no longer pro- vide funding; however, as a pri- vately supported organization, RTCM's goals remain the same: ". . . to advance the technical qual- ity and professional application of maritime telecommunications for the benefit of all concerned . . ." "Telecommunications" as used by RTCM means any transmis- sion, emission or reception of signs, signals, writing, images, and sounds or intelligence of any na- ture by wire, radio, optical, and other electromagnetic or visual systems. Membership in RTCM is open to all United States citizens and or- ganizations having an interest in furthering the objectives of RTCM. Associate membership is open to foreign citizens and organizations. During the 1984 Assembly Meeting some 28 technical papers will be read covering a wide range of topics of interest to communica- tions people. The papers will be presented each day, May 30, 31, and June 1, in five sessions. The keynote luncheon is sched- uled for May 30, and the luncheon address "Telecommunications Needs of the Offshore Industry" will be presented by Robert T. Lober, president, State Boat Cor- poration, Houston, Texas. A buffet luncheon for all meeting regis- trants, sponsored by Magnavox Advanced Products and Systems Company, will be held on May 31, after which the electronic equip- ment manufacturer's display areas will be open. On the final day, June 1, there will be an interna- tional luncheon with the address "Inmarsat: Quo Vadis?" by Dr. Ahmad F. Ghais, director, Tech- nical and Operations Division, In- ternational Maritime Satellite Organization. The four-day affair will have several social events scheduled starting with a welcoming recep- tion on the evening of May 29, sponsored by the 1984 RTCM Booster Club. A Mississippi River dinner cruise on the diesel-electric sternwheeler "Creole Queen" has been set for May 30, and special tour programs in and around New Orleans include a visit to the Vieux Carre (French Quarter), and a bus trip "up river" for a visit to some of the famous antebellum plantation homes in the lower Mississippi Valley. Technical Papers The technical papers to be pre- sented during the meeting are: "Rulemaking in the Maritime (continued on page 18) 16 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
