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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 For  Immediate  Release:  News  Media  Contact:  April  1,  2003  Rosemary  Kimball  (202)  418-  0511 
 e-  mail:  rkimball@  fcc.  gov 
 DATES  SET  FOR  COMMENTS  ON  THE  PAY-  PER-  CALL  AND  OTHER  INFORMATION  SERVICES  PUBLIC  NOTICE 
 Comments  due  May  12,  2003;  replies  due  May  27,  2003 
 Washington,  DC-  Comments  to  refresh  the  record  on  issues  relating  to  pay-  per-call  and  other  information  services  are  due  May  12  and  replies  May  27.  On  March  17 
 the  FCC’s  Consumer  &  Governmental  Affairs  Bureau  released  a  Public  Notice  (DA  03-  807)  asking  that  these  comments  and  replies  be  filed  45  and  60  days,  respectively,  after 
 publication  of  the  Public  Notice  in  the  Federal  Register.  The  Public  Notice  was  published  on  March  27  (68  FR  14939). 


 The  Commission  initially  asked  for  comments  on  these  issues  in  an  Order  and  Notice  of  Proposed  Rulemaking  released  July  11,  1996.  That  action,  among  other 
 things,  amended  the  Commission’s  Rules  governing  interstate  pay-  per-  call  (900  numbers)  and  other  information  services  to  conform  with  the  requirements  of  the 
 Telecommunications  Act  of  1996  which  addressed  abusive  practices  that  threatened  public  confidence  in  toll-  free  numbers  and  left  telephone  subscribers  vulnerable  to 
 unexpected  charges  for  calls  and  information  services.  The  rule  amendments  proposed  by  the  Commission  were  designed  to  comply  with  this  statutory  mandate. 


 The  new  comment  and  reply  cycle  will  refresh  the  record  on  these  issues. 
 Information  on  filing  comments  with  the  FCC  is  at:  http://  wireless.  fcc.  gov/  csinfo/  comments.  html 


 -  FCC  - 
 FCC  Docket  No.  96-  146 
 Consumer  &  Governmental  Affairs  Bureau  contact:  Calvin  Osborne  at  (202)  418-  2512 
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