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| To: From: Date: Subject: |
The Federal Communications Commission Bob Bulmash - President, Private Citizen, Inc. August 21, 2003 The FCC July 2003 Report & Order concerning the national do-not-call registry and its exemption from regulation of non-subscription radio and TV broadcasters (at paragraph 145). |
It is difficult to fathom the logic behind the FCC's exemption of radio and television broadcast advertisements via telemarketing. Pursuant to the regulations, such commercial 'telenuisance' calls may repeatedly disturb the quietude of homes which are listed on the national do-not-call registry. I fail to see the difference between a privacy invasive commercial call from a firm advertising a rug cleaning service, and a privacy invasive commercial call from a radio station asking that I tune in to a broadcast which includes an advertisement for that same rug cleaning service. With the many UHF and VHF TV stations broadcasting (on average) more than 30 shows each day, as well as the many AM and FM radio stations, the repercussions of the FCC's exemption may well be enormous. Is the commercial broadcast industry so revered by the FCC that it was given free reign over my friend's ability to recuperate at home after surgery? How did the commercial broadcast industry gain such favor with the FCC that it may barge into the home of my elderly/blind father, with a prerecorded message encouraging him to watch a TV broadcast containing commercial messages? And for those families who attempt to limit which TV shows their children watch; imagine the impact on such families when their pre-teen children answer the phone to hear a Fox TV advertisement. It may go something like, "Summer may be nearing its end, but Thursday nights are about to get hotter as the provocative and dramatic unscripted series TEMPTATION ISLAND premieres" (from Fox's website of 8/21/03 http://www.fox.com/temptation3). The FCC's exemption in favor of telemarketing by broadcast media is not only contrary to respect for our right to be left alone at home, it may commonly result in messages which are antithetical to cherished American values, such as the unhampered ability to raise our children in a safe home environment. For the sake of the FCC's own creditability and the sanctity of our homes and families, I ask that you eliminate the exemption discussed herein. |
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