From The Ole Va Hams List, Of Which I'm A Part.
      RADIO LAW: BROADCASTERS SOON TO CLEAR PARTS OF 40 METERS

      Ham radio should soon have less interference to contend with on 40 meters. This if all goes as its supposed to in about six months time when those powerful shortwave broadcast stations are supposed to move away from 7.1 to 7.2 MHz as that spectrum fully reverts to the Amateur Service.

      By way of background, before 1938 there was an exclusive amateur allocation of 7.0 to 7.3 MHz. But due to world unrest that band parcel was taken away to accommodate propaganda broadcasting in the lead up to World War II.

      It had been thought it would be returned to the Amateur Service afterward, but its use for broadcasting continued due to the Cold War. In fact broadcasting increased the size of its primary allocation. While in some parts of the world radio amateurs managed to retain 7.0to 7.3 MHz only the bottom third was amateur exclusive and the remainder shared with shortwave broadcasters.

      So, the International Amateur Radio Union mounted a campaign for the 40m band to be return globally to the Amateur Service. Its case stated that such as change would ensure effective communications support particularly in the event of natural disasters.

      The I-A-R-U pursued the issue at the World Radio communications Conference in 2003. There its work gained 7.1 to 7.2 MHz worldwide for the Amateur Service. It also got an extra 100 kilohertz added on the exclusive allocation, while sharing between 7.2 and 7.3 MHz continues. (WIA News)