MRA Thinks Positive about Do Not Call

The FCC's proposed new Do Not Call registry could be 'a boon and not a burden' for US survey researchers, according to the MRA's Howard Fienberg.

The FCC's current plan is for a registry limited to Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) numbers but which - unlike its telemarketing DNC predecessor - would restrict telephone survey research.

The MRA says compliance with the current Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) has always been hard as the Act forbids using any form of automated dialing to call 'any emergency telephone line' - including not just 911 but any emergency line of a hospital, medical physician or service office, health care facility, poison control center, or fire protection or law enforcement agency.

In comments filed with the FCC this week Fienberg, MRA's Director of Government Affairs, stated: 'Since there is no reliable listing of emergency lines, the PSAP registry could help prevent researchers from inadvertently calling emergency lines with their autodialers and violating the law. We support the new registry and will work with the FCC to make it functional, efficient and affordable.'

Web site: www.marketingresearch.org .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.