News Release

March 5, 2001

CRTC SEEKS THE PUBLIC'S VIEWS ON TELEMARKETING

OTTAWA-HULL — Today, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has standardized its telemarketing rules, extended them to all telecommunications service providers across the country and initiated a complete review of their effectiveness.

Starting immediately, the telemarketing rules will apply to all telephone companies in Canada, including resellers of local and long distance services and cellular phone providers. The public can now expect to have the same set of telemarketing rules apply to them regardless of where they live and which service provider the telemarketer is using to complete the call.

The telemarketing rules apply to unsolicited advertisements sent in the following ways: pre-recorded voice messages (referred to as automatic dialing-announcing devices, or ADADs), live voice calls, and faxes. The telemarketing rules are set out as an appendix to this document.

Following its move to extend these rules, the CRTC is now looking for the public's views on their effectiveness and whether or not they should be changed. In particular, it seeks public comment on the following questions:

• Should any other restrictions be placed on live voice calls from telemarketers, including non-profit organizations that solicit?
• Are the current rules that deal with unsolicited faxes that advertise adequate? If not, are additional rules needed, or should faxes be banned?
• What restrictions, if any, should be placed on calls that don't solicit, such as calls from market survey firms?
• Are "do not call" lists effective? How can they be improved?
• Are "dead air" calls or "hang up" calls related to uncompleted telemarketing calls a concern? ("Dead air" calls occur when a telemarketer is not immediately available to take the call that has been placed by an automatic dialing machine.)
• Should ADAD calls be allowed when an on-going business relationship exists between a caller and a client?

Persons wanting to participate fully in this public process (including receiving a copy of everyone's submissions) are asked to notify the Secretary General of the CRTC at procedure@crtc.gc.ca by March 21^st, 2001. Comments must be received by April 24^th, 2001.

If, instead, you prefer to provide the CRTC with your comments without receiving copies of the various submissions, you can call us at 1-877-249-2782, e-mail us at procedure@crtc.gc.ca, or write or fax the Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2 (fax no. (819) 953-0795) by August 17^th, 2001. For more complete information on how to participate, please refer to Public Notice CRTC 2001-34.

Reference documents: Public Notices CRTC 2001-34, 2000-91 and Order CRTC 2001-193

- 30 -

General Inquiries:
   Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2
   Tel: (819) 997-0313, TDD: (819) 994-0423, Fax: (819) 994-0218
   Toll-free # 1-877-249-CRTC (2782), eMail: info@crtc.gc.ca 
   TDD - Toll-free # 1-877-909-2782
Media Relations:
   Denis Carmel, Tel: (819) 997-9403, eMail: denis.carmel@crtc.gc.ca 

Copies of today’s documents are available through our Internet site ( http://www.crtc.gc.ca ) or by contacting the public examination room of any CRTC office. These documents are available in alternative format upon request.

Date Modified: 2001-03-05

Comments about our site

Today's Releases | File, Register and Epass | Decisions, Notices & Orders | Home | CISC | Industries at a Glance | Reference Centre | Canadian Content | Public Proceedings| Statutes & Regulations