This list has mentioned that in 2012 January the Radiocommunications Assembly (RA) will probably vote on a revision of ITU-R TF.460, the document which defines the time scale used in radio broadcasts, and thus also in internet time services. For more details on the decade-long history of that effort see my web page http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/leapsecs/onlinebib.html As currently worded the draft revision would abandon leap seconds in the UTC time scale. Adoption of the draft revision requires a 70% supermajority vote of the delegates. In 1970 (the previous instance of significant change to broadcast time signals) the wording of the draft was modified during the assembly. I would like feedback from the members of the tz mail list on the pros and cons of the applicability of a possible modification of the broadcast time signals which preserves the traditional meaning of time-of-day while removing the leap seconds from the broadcasts. The modification uses the existing zoneinfo database and code. I have a description and test example of the modification here http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/leapsecs/right+gps.html This is aimed as an implementation which can be tested now. If the ITU-R were to rename the broadcast time scale at the same time as abandoning leap seconds then it might also serve posterity. -- Steve Allen <sla@ucolick.org> WGS-84 (GPS) UCO/Lick Observatory--ISB Natural Sciences II, Room 165 Lat +36.99855 1156 High Street Voice: +1 831 459 3046 Lng -122.06015 Santa Cruz, CA 95064 http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/ Hgt +250 m