[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 1 (Monday, January 4, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 61-62]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-34408]


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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 308


Pay-Per-Call Rule

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment period; change in date for 
public workshop; and availability of additional material.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission (``the Commission'' or ``FTC'') 
has extended the date by which comments must be submitted concerning 
the review of its Trade Regulation Rule Pursuant to the Telephone 
Disclosure and Dispute Resolution Act of 1992 (``Pay-Per-Call Rule''). 
This document informs prospective commenters of the change and sets a 
new date of March 10, 1999 for the end of the comment period, and new 
dates of May 20 and 21, 1999 for the public workshop. This document 
also informs interested parties of typesetting errors in the 
Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (``NPRM'') on the Pay-Per-
Call Rule. Finally, this document informs interested parties that, for 
the convenience of the commenters, certain materials that were cited in 
the NPRM will now be made available for public inspection at the 
address listed below.

DATES: Written comments will be received until the close of business on 
March 10, 1999. Notification of interest in participating in the public 
workshop must be submitted separately on or before March 10, 1999. The 
public workshop will be held at the Federal Trade Commission on May 20 
and 21, 1999, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. each day.

ADDRESSES: Six paper copies of each written comment should be submitted 
to the Office of the Secretary, Room 159, Federal Trade Commission, 600 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington,

[[Page 62]]

DC 20580. If possible, comments should also be submitted in electronic 
form, pursuant to the instructions contained in the NPRM. Comments 
should be identified as ``Pay-Per-Call Rule Review--Comment. FTC File 
No. R6111016.'' Notifications of interest in participating in the 
public workshop should be addressed to Carole Danielson, Division of 
Marketing Practices, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., 
NW, Washington, DC 20580. Materials cited in the NPRM are available for 
public inspection at the FTC's Public Reference Section, Room 130, 
Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 
20580.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Adam G. Cohen, (202) 326-3411, Marianne K. Schwanke, (202) 326-3165, or 
Carole I. Danielson, (202) 326-3115, Division of Marketing Practices, 
Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, 
DC.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 30, 1998, at 63 FR 58524, the 
Commission published a request for comment on its Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (``NPRM'') regarding proposed amendments to its Pay-Per-Call 
Rule. The Pay-Per-Call Rule governs the advertising and operation of 
pay-per-call services, and establishes billing dispute procedures for 
those services as well as for other telephone-billed purchases. The 
comment period is currently scheduled to close on January 8, 1999, and 
the public workshop is scheduled for February 25 and 26, 1999.
    On December 14, 1998, a diverse group representing a broad cross-
section of interests \1\ filed a Joint Request for Extension of Comment 
Deadline, in which they requested an extension of the comment period by 
thirty (30) days to February 8, 1999. The parties indicated that 
additional time was required to prepare thorough, thoughtful responses 
to the comprehensive and complex set of proposals contained in the 
NPRM. Subsequently, the Commission received two additional requests for 
extension; the first also seeking an additional 30 days,\2\ and the 
second seeking a 60-day extension of the comment period.\3\
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    \1\ The Joint Request signatories include: the American 
Association of Retired Persons, the Billing Reform Task Force, the 
Coalition to Ensure Responsible Billing, AT&T Corp., the Promotion 
Marketing Association, and the Teleservices Industry Association.
    \2\ On December 15, 1998, a request for a 30-day extension was 
received from the law firm of Kelley Drye & Warren, LLP, on behalf 
of Cable & Wireless (West Indies) Ltd.
    \3\ The Electronic Commerce Association submitted a request on 
behalf of its members, on December 16, 1998, requesting a 60-day 
extension of the comment period.
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    The Commission is mindful of the need to resolve this matter 
expeditiously. However, the Commission is also aware that the issues 
raised by the NPRM are complex and it welcomes as much substantive 
input as possible to facilitate its decision-making process. 
Accordingly, in order to provide sufficient time for these and other 
interested parties to prepare useful comments, the Commission has 
decided to extend the deadline for comments by sixty (60) days, until 
March 10, 1999. The Commission has likewise rescheduled the public 
workshop for May 20 and 21, 1999.
    It should be noted that the NPRM as published in the Federal 
Register on October 30, 1998, omitted italicization that the Commission 
had included in many places throughout the text for emphasis or 
organizational clarity. The italics were erroneously removed in the 
printing process. An accurate and properly italicized version of the 
Commission's NPRM is available in the Commission's Public Reference 
room and on the Commission's Web page, at www.ftc.gov. Commenters 
wishing to cite to the NPRM, however, should cite to the Federal 
Register version of the document.
    Finally, for the convenience of interested parties, certain 
materials cited in the NPRM will be made available for public 
inspection at the FTC's Public Reference Section, Room 130, Federal 
Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20580. 
These materials include, but are not limited to, pleadings and other 
filings from Commission and state enforcement actions, as well as 
newspaper and magazine articles. In addition, the Commission may make 
available other materials that may be useful to commenters, such as 
consumer complaints. The Commission may continue to update these 
materials periodically, as appropriate.

List of Subjects in 16 CFR Part 308

    Advertising, 900 telephone numbers, Pay-per-call services, 
Telephone, Telephone-billed purchases, Toll-free numbers, Trade 
practices.

    Authority: Pub. L. 102-556, 106 Stat. 4181 (15 U.S.C. 5701, et 
seq.); Sec. 701, Pub. L. 104-104, 110 Stat. 56 (1996).

    By the direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-34408 Filed 12-31-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-M