No, he does NOT need to buy a new radio! All Futaba FM transmitters are narrow band, and legal, no matter when they were made. Please refer to the Futaba FAQ at
http://www.futaba-rc.com
The new frequency regulations went into effect in 1991, TWELVE years ago, not ten. Most manufacturers were building narrow band radios as early as 1988. You'd have to have a pretty old radio for it to be illegal these days.
In fact, if Drivie chooses the Slow Stick, he doesn't have to buy any new radio equipment if he doesn't want to. The Slow Stick can be outfitted with a standard receiver and servos. It has plenty of wing area and power to handle a couple of ounces of extra weight, and still fly well. All that Drivie has to buy is a 6 or 7 cell battery for the Slow Stick, an ESC, and a charger. The hobby shop that sells you the Slow Stick should easily be able to get you the GWS 6-cell, 400mAh battery and GWS ICS100 electronic speed control (ESC).