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American Morning
Judge Blocks Do-Not-Call System
Aired September 25, 2003 - 07:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, just when you thought it was safe to answer the phone at dinnertime, yet again a judge has blocked the do-not-call system aimed at telemarketers only days before that was set to go into effect. They say 50 million phone lines in this country had signed up for that list.
Andy Serwer is here with more to take us through it.
Good morning, Drew.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: What's it mean, huh? What's a consumer to do, hey?
SERWER: Well, I think a consumer should just sit tight.
HEMMER: Yes?
SERWER: Because I don't think this will stand. The name of the man, by the way, is Judge Lee West in Oklahoma. That's the guy to direct your ire towards this morning. He is the man yesterday who ruled that the FTC did not have the authority to create such a list, the FTC did not have the authority from Congress.
There's an outcry. People are outraged. Fifty million Americans, as you said, have signed up. They're all mad. Congress is mad because who would be against the do-not-call list except the telemarketers? The telemarketers, of course, did some serious lobbying here, perhaps, to get this blocked.
Now, Congressman Tauzin has said that he will introduce a bill -- and I think that's going to happen -- next week. It was slated to go into effect October 1. So just sit tight, because I think it still will happen.
Even if it doesn't happen, you know, there are about 40 states now that have these do-not-call lists. Here you go. They're not hurt by the ruling. They'll block most calls. And if you want to find out which states have that, you can see the Web site, www.the-dma.org. And, of course, there's still the www.donotcall.gov list, if you want to sign on, because I think it will be reinstated.
HEMMER: One of these guys in Washington said it was like a skunk at a dinner party or a picnic was the quote, actually.
SERWER: Yes, a skunk at a picnic, the old skunk at a picnic.
HEMMER: The stocks took a beating yesterday.
SERWER: They did.
HEMMER: We'll get to that next time we talk.
SERWER: OK, that sounds good, Bill.
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 25, 2003 - 07:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, just when you thought it was safe to answer the phone at dinnertime, yet again a judge has blocked the do-not-call system aimed at telemarketers only days before that was set to go into effect. They say 50 million phone lines in this country had signed up for that list.
Andy Serwer is here with more to take us through it.
Good morning, Drew.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: What's it mean, huh? What's a consumer to do, hey?
SERWER: Well, I think a consumer should just sit tight.
HEMMER: Yes?
SERWER: Because I don't think this will stand. The name of the man, by the way, is Judge Lee West in Oklahoma. That's the guy to direct your ire towards this morning. He is the man yesterday who ruled that the FTC did not have the authority to create such a list, the FTC did not have the authority from Congress.
There's an outcry. People are outraged. Fifty million Americans, as you said, have signed up. They're all mad. Congress is mad because who would be against the do-not-call list except the telemarketers? The telemarketers, of course, did some serious lobbying here, perhaps, to get this blocked.
Now, Congressman Tauzin has said that he will introduce a bill -- and I think that's going to happen -- next week. It was slated to go into effect October 1. So just sit tight, because I think it still will happen.
Even if it doesn't happen, you know, there are about 40 states now that have these do-not-call lists. Here you go. They're not hurt by the ruling. They'll block most calls. And if you want to find out which states have that, you can see the Web site, www.the-dma.org. And, of course, there's still the www.donotcall.gov list, if you want to sign on, because I think it will be reinstated.
HEMMER: One of these guys in Washington said it was like a skunk at a dinner party or a picnic was the quote, actually.
SERWER: Yes, a skunk at a picnic, the old skunk at a picnic.
HEMMER: The stocks took a beating yesterday.
SERWER: They did.
HEMMER: We'll get to that next time we talk.
SERWER: OK, that sounds good, Bill.
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
