( BW)(SURVEY-RESEARCH-INDUSTRY) FEATURE
Survey Research Industry Rejects Demand For $500 Calling Fee

   Business/Feature Editors       FEATURE...

   PORT JEFFERSON, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--June 23, 1998--

   The survey research industry has rejected and labeled "extortive" the contractual relationship expressed in mailings from a Chicago-based organization, Private Citizen, Inc. (PCI), requiring a $500 fee if any of its members receive a call to participate in an opinion survey.

   The Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO), the trade association for over 175 survey research firms, said today that subject to federal and state law, survey researchers have a first amendment right to communicate with people.

   "Anyone who attempts to force survey researchers to pay money for doing what they have a right to do we believe commits the crime of extortion," according to CASRO executive director Diane Bowers.

   "More importantly," she said, "survey researchers respect the individual's right not to be interviewed and will accept a refusal not to participate in a survey."

   CASRO chairman Richard Day noted, "As professional researchers CASRO members must adhere to a strict code of standards and ethics that specifically requires balancing the right to privacy versus the need for research.

   "For survey research to be reliable and to provide meaningful data, it must be able to sample a representative and projectable population and count both the people who refuse to participate as well as those who participate. Such a process guards against sample bias and thus the ability to generalize to the population," Dr. Day explained.

   In the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991, the Federal Government recognized the distinction between telemarketing and legitimate survey research calls. The Federal Communications Commission released a report and order on Oct. 16, 1992, that specifically exempts research, market surveys and political polling from the TCPA requirements for do-not-call lists.

   "CASRO works with government, consumer advocacy groups and the general public to protect the survey research industry is most precious resource the survey respondents who make all our work possible," Dr. Day said.

   Members of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations agree to follow rules of ethical conduct for survey research organizations, including responsibilities to respondents that cover confidentiality, privacy and avoidance of harassment.

     CONTACT:  Diane Bowers, 516/928-6954
                      or
               Richard Day, 847/328-2329
                      or
               Dick Altman, 212/697-2620

     KEYWORD: NEW YORK      INDUSTRY KEYWORD: GOVERNMENT