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Volume 2, Issue 1 Winter 2003 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Connector 

From the Chief: Winter Watch ...........................................2

Hot Topics: Telemarketing Rules - Update............................4

Reference Information Center............................................5

Disability Rights Office......................................................6

CGB Reaching Out - 

 

 CGB Represented at National Congress of American Indians 

 of American Indians..................................................7

Getting Connected Isn’t Only About The Link-Up And Lifeline 

 Link-Up And Lifeline Programs....................................7

 

CGB Spearheads FCC’s Fifth Annual Observation 

 of National Consumer Protection Week........................8 

Consumer Advisory Committee...........................................9 

Consumer Tips - Your Telephone Company And You: 

What Do They Know and How Do They Know It...................10 

Reference Information Center Staff Photo...........................12

Contact Us.....................................................................12

Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau

The opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the 

Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau or the Federal Communications Commission, its Chairman or Commissioners, Bureaus, or other Commission staff members. This document has been prepared from various sources 

and it is believed that the information provided is reliable. However, the CGB staff makes no representation as to its 

accuracy or completeness. This document is for FCC informational and public release purposes only. 
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 Winter Watch 

Winter Watch 

 by K. Dane Snowden, Chief, CGB

 In this issue of the Connector, you will find articles on a wide range of topics, 

which reflect the broad range of CGB’s responsibilities. 

 The Winter Connector features an article on the Commission’s ongoing proceeding to address its 1992 telemarketing rules. Judging from the number of comments the Commission has received, this is a proceeding of tremendous interest 

to consumers, who have really taken advantage of the rulemaking process to 

make their voices heard. 

 Since 1992, the Commission has received many consumer complaints about 

unwanted and uninvited calls from advertisers and telemarketers. As a result of 

these complaints, the Commission initiated a proceeding requesting comment on 

the possibility of updating its rules. Our article in this issue is especially important 

because it explains your rights as consumers, as well as explaining how you can 

file a complaint for a telemarketing incident. 

 Public comment on the Telephone Consumer Protection Act was enhanced by 

the launch of a more consumer-friendly version of our Electronic Comment Filing 

System (ECFS), which we call ECFS Express. ECFS Express (http://

gullfoss2.fcc.gov/ecfs/Upload) allows members of the public to comment electronically on Commission items without previous knowledge of docket numbers. 

Both ECFS and ECFS Express are maintained by CGB’s Reference Information 

Center (RIC). 

 The behind-the-scenes work of the RIC is highlighted in this issue. One of the 

Commission’s most important functions is simply providing information to anyone 

seeking it, and that’s where the 33 staff members of RIC come in. 

 The RIC staff is responsible for keeping and retrieving all sorts of documents relating to the Commission’s work, including license files (broadcast, cable, wireline 

and wireless carriers, satellite and earth stations), rulemaking and docketed files, 

and non-docketed files. Their work has recently been increased by the many 

Slamming Reports filed by carriers and made available to the public. 

 In addition, we want to introduce our Disability Rights Office (DRO), which was 

created as a Task Force and has become a driving force to ensure that persons 

with disabilities can take advantage of the telecommunications revolution. 

 

 

 

 
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 CGB

 The article will tell you about DRO’s work in the area of Telecommunications Relay 

Services, closed captioning, and hearing aid compatibility. Some of you have family 

members who may have speech and hearing difficulties. This article will give you 

some idea of how the FCC operates to promote everyone’s access to basic telecom 

services. 

 Further, the Consumer/Disability Telecommunications Advisory Committee recently held its final meeting of its first two-year term. With its new Charter, which became effective on November 18, the Committee changed its name to the Consumer 

Advisory Committee (CAC) to more accurately reflect the scope of its responsibility. 

The article on the changes in CAC will explain the group’s new charter and its membership. 

 All in all, I think you’ll find that CGB has been very active in promoting consumer 

interests, and it promises to be still more active in the future. I hope you enjoy this 

issue of the Connector and hope that you’ll contact us with any questions or ideas 

you may have concerning our commitment to serve consumers. 

 

 For more information about the 

 Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, 

 visit our Web site at: 

 www.fcc.gov/cgb
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Telemarketing Rules - Update 

 We have all had our dinner interrupted by an unwanted telephone call from a telemarketer. For some time now, CGB has been hearing from hundreds of consumers that 

these calls can intrude on their privacy. They want some action and they are getting it 

from the Commission. 

 On September 12, 2002, the Commission asked for comments on how the FCC’s 10-

year-old rules on telemarketing and junk faxes might be changed to reflect the changes in 

marketing and technology. The response has been tremendous. We have received well 

over 6,000 comments from individual consumers, states, companies, telemarketers, and 

associations. We are particularly gratified with the enormous number of comments from 

private citizens. The comment period has closed and now the Commission will decide 

what changes are appropriate. 

 The current FCC rules implement the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 

1991. The TCPA was created in response to consumer concerns about the growing 

number of unsolicited telephone marketing calls to their homes and the increasing use of 

automated and prerecorded messages. 

 The FCC’s rules prohibit telephone solicitation calls to your home before 8:00 am or after 9:00 pm, local time, and require that a telemarketer provide his or her name, the name 

of the company for whom the call is being made and a contact for the person or company. 

 In addition, you can instruct the caller to put your name on the company’s do-not-call 

list. If you get another call from the company after this, you have some recourse. Consumers have a private right of action in state courts to (1) stop unlawful conduct and (2) 

either recover actual monetary loss stemming from the violation or receive up to $500 in 

damages for each violation, whichever is greater. This amount may be tripled if you are 

able to show that the caller willfully and knowingly violated do-not-call requirements. 

 

 While the FCC may not award monetary or other damages, it can give citations or fines 

to those violating the TCPA or other FCC rules regarding unsolicited telephone marketing 

calls. Complaints should be sent to the CGB Consumer Centers by e-mail 

(fccinfo@fcc.gov) by the Internet (www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html), by telephone 1-

888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice, 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY, or by 

mail: Federal Communications Commission, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, 

Complaints, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554. 

 

 

 Hot Topics 
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Reference Information 

 

One of 

the FCC’s 

“faces” in 

the Reference Information 

Center 

(RIC) is 

Dana Butler. 

 Dana has worked at the FCC 

since August 24, 1988. 

 She started at FCC as a Personnel Clerk in the Associate 

Managing Director for Human Resources Management in the Office 

of the Managing Director (OMD). 

In OMD she performed data entry 

and verification of the centralized 

payroll system for all Commission 

employees. 

 She began work in RIC in August 1996 as an Information Technician and in 2001 was promoted 

to an Information Specialist. In 

this capacity Dana uses experience gained from her work 

throughout the RIC to serve customers who visit requesting information services or files. Dana 

says, “I enjoy helping people and 

this job gives me a great opportunity to do that.” 

 Dana is a native Washingtonian 

and a graduate of Parkdale High 

School. She has two children, 11 

and 15. 

 

Dana V. Butler 

 The Reference Information Center (RIC), located 

on the Courtyard level of the building, was created 

when FCC relocated to the Portals in 1999. It is the 

official Commission custodian for designated records, as well as the “face” of the FCC for researchers, paralegals, academics, attorneys and 

other members of the public who come here to do 

research and obtain record information on applications, formal and informal proceedings, and FCC 

programs and activities. 

 The RIC also is responsible for managing and 

maintaining the Electronic Comment Filing System 

(ECFS). This system, which allows comments to be 

filed with the Commission from remote locations, as 

well as viewed from remote locations, facilitates 

public participation in Commission proceedings 

 Each of the 33 staff members in the Center works 

a two-hour shift at the counter assisting walk-in 

customers each day, or answering phone inquiries 

from the public. Staffers also respond to requests 

from the public to locate file data, or for information 

not available in the Center. The RIC staff researches the request and retrieves the material for 

the customer. 

 New services provided to the public by the Center 

include FCC Form 478 and Slamming Reports from 

carriers. These reports are filed directly to the Center via e-mail or fax, and made immediately available to public researchers within a day of the filing. 

The broadcast ownership data from 12 reports issued by the Media Bureau are installed on 5 computers in the Center. RIC counter staff ensures that 

the public has access to these databases. Each 

Friday, RIC staff assists the Media Bureau with file 

maintenance of the Engineering File Room on the 

2nd floor. 

 The RIC provides important services both to Commission staff and the general public. Next time you 

are on the Courtyard level heading for lunch, drop 

in and see what an enormous operation this is. 

 

Staff Profile
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 CGB’s Disability Rights Office (DRO) began as the Disability Issues Task Force in 

1995. In 1999, the Task Force blossomed into the Disability Rights Office, housed in 

the former Consumer Information Bureau. Led by Chief Pam Gregory, and with additional staff to fulfill its mission, DRO focused on ensuring that persons with disabilities 

– particularly hearing and speech disabilities – could readily access, and fully enjoy, 

telecommunications and media technologies. When the Commission reorganized in 

the spring of 2002, DRO became one of the policy offices in CGB. 

 In the fall of 2002, DRO again underwent some changes. Pam Gregory, Chief of 

DRO since its inception, became Special Advisor to the Chief, with the goal of spending more time with her husband, two year-old twins, and two Boston Terriers. Tom 

Chandler became the new Chief of DRO, and Cheryl King became Deputy Chief. 

Tom came to DRO from the Litigation Division, Office of General Counsel. Prior to 

joining the FCC, Tom was an appellate attorney in the Department of Justice’s Civil 

Rights Division, where he handled a number of high profile cases under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Cheryl came to DRO from the former Cable Services Bureau, where she worked on a variety of issues, including pole attachment rulemakings 

and enforcement. 

 The Disability Rights Office currently has eight attorneys and five staff members to 

handle its busy workload. Among other issues before it, DRO is currently reviewing 

states’ recertification applications for all state TRS programs. Current certifications 

expire on July 26, 2003. DRO is also actively involved in closed captioning issues, 

and is tracking the work of a newly established industry association made up of captioning providers. 

 Other important matters on DRO’s radar include hearing aid compatibility and implementation of “Section 255” which requires telecommunications services and equipment to be accessible to persons with disabilities, if readily achievable. DRO also 

continues to address new TRS matters, often resulting from advances in technology, 

under the statutorily mandated “functional equivalency” standard. DRO is also seeking to enhance its coordination of disability matters with other federal agencies. Further, DRO staff meet frequently with industry and consumer representatives, as well 

as attend meetings and conferences on telecommunication access issues, to both 

stay well-informed of current issues and concerns, and to share with others the work 

of DRO. 

 CGB Chief K. Dane Snowden has stated, “DRO, as the Commission’s policymaking 

body on disability issues, will continue to ensure that the voices of people with disabilities are represented and that all Americans can enjoy the benefits of the telecom revolution.” To that end, DRO continues to strive to be a strong legal and policy office addressing these issues. 

 

Disability Rights Office 
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 CGB Reaching Out 

CGB Represented at National Congress of American 

Indians Meeting in San Diego, CA 

 CGB representatives recently spoke at the National Congress of American Indians 

(NCAI) annual meeting in San Diego, CA. 

 NCAI is the oldest and largest inter-tribal organization in the United States, and serves 

as a forum for consensus-based policy development among its membership of over 250 

tribal governments. The meeting was attended by Deputy Bureau Chief for Outreach 

and Intergovernmental Affairs Kris Monteith and Attorney Advisor/Liaison to Tribal Governments Geoffrey Blackwell. 

 Blackwell spoke and moderated panels on “Creating Tribal Telco’s” and “Joint Venture 

Partnering” at a breakout session on the telecom and information technology issues. 

These breakout sessions were attended by approximately 100 persons. Monteith provided a federal report at the NCAI’s Telecommunications Subcommittee meetings. 

Monteith and Blackwell discussed telecommunications issues and recent Commission 

outreach and releases with the tribal representatives. Jeffrey Steinberg, of the Wireless 

Telecommunications Bureau, also spoke at the conference. 

Getting Connected Isn’t Only About the 

Link-Up and Lifeline Programs 

 Being able to provide thousands of low-income consumers with information about telecom programs that could help their quality of life was an opportunity we could not pass 

up. And so, on October 17, 2002, CGB was pleased to participate in the District of Columbia’s Joint Utility Discount Day (JUDD). 

 Each October, the DC Office of the People’s Counsel joins with local utility companies 

to cosponsor JUDD. Over 4,400 low-income consumers attended this year’s event, 

where company representatives accepted applications from eligible consumers for electric, natural gas, water and telephone service discount programs. 

 Key to the Commission’s participation was discussing its Universal Service Low Income Fund Programs, Link-Up America (Link-Up) and the Lifeline Assistance Programs 

(Lifeline). Link-Up and Lifeline offer discounts on initial telephone hook-up charges and 

monthly basic service fees, respectively. 

 While the Bureau inaugurated a campaign in July 2002 called “Get Connected: Afford-A-Phone” (www.fcc.gov/cgb/getconnected) to promote subscribership in these 

two programs, this was the first time we addressed such a large group of likely qualified 

consumers. The FCC’s booth was staffed by CGB’s Geoffrey Blackwell, Patricia Chew, 

Dan Rumelt, and Janice Wise. 
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 CGB took the lead in planni Hot Programs ng and implementing the FCC’s observation of the fifth annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) by posting a series of consumer tips 

on the Commission’s Web site. NCPW ran from February 2 through 8 and the FCC 

posted a different tip each weekday. 

 This year’s NCPW theme, "Information Security: Putting the Pieces Together," focused 

on practical steps consumers and businesses can take to manage their personal and 

sensitive information wisely and help minimize its misuse. The FCC’s tips addressed 

those issues and included: Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI), Caller ID, 

Telemarketing Scam, Subscriber Privacy, and How to Complain to the FCC. 

• Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) 

 http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/phoneaboutyou.html

• Caller ID 

 http://www.fcc.gov/consumerfacts/callerid.html

• Telemarketing Scam 

 http://www.fcc.gov/consumerfacts/telemarketscam.html

• How to Complain to the FCC 

 http://www.fcc.gov/consumerfacts/complaintfile.html

 For more information about 

National Consumer Protection Week 

 visit our Web site at:

 www.fcc.gov/cgb
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Consumer Advisory Committee

On November 8, 2002, the Consumer/Disability Telecommunications Advisory Committee of the Federal Communications Commission held its final meeting of its first two 

year term. Although much of the Committee’s term was 

spent orienting Committee members and establishing appropriate operating procedures for the Committee, the 

CDTAC held six productive meetings, and participated in 

FCC rulemakings regarding various topics within the charter’s purview. In addition, the Committee has supplied a 

strong voice on some very important issues affecting consumers (e.g., access to emergency information by people 

with disabilities and implementation of Section 255 of the 

Telecommunications Act, which requires telecommunications products and services to be accessible to individuals 

with disabilities). The Committee also considered the 

pending biennial review of the media ownership rules and 

the Telephone Consumer Protection Act rulemaking. 

 With its new Charter, which became effective on November 18, 2002, the Committee changed its name to the 

Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) to reflect more accurately the scope of its mandate and activities. Since 

individuals with disabilities are themselves consumers, 

the name change will eliminate confusion as to the Committee’s scope, which encompasses all consumers, including under-emphasized constituencies such as underserved populations (e.g., tribal nations). Lastly, the new 

name highlights the ultimate goal of the Committee – to 

advise the Commission on matters pertaining to all consumers. Removing the word “Telecommunications” from 

the name of the Committee recognizes that the Committee deals with issues other than those related to telecommunications. For example, the closed caption rules which 

the Commission implements, pertain to material that is 

broadcast or carried on a cable or satellite system. 

 The Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau has solicited names of new members and the new CAC will be in 

place for the April 25, 2003, meeting. Meetings of the 

CAC are also scheduled for July 11 and November 20, 

2003. Members of the Committee will be recognized experts in their fields and represent organizations from the 

consumer, disability, tribal and industry sectors, as well as 

those under-represented constituencies. 

 For further information about the CAC, please contact 

Scott Marshall, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, at 202-418-2809 or e-mail at smarshal@fcc.gov. 

 

 

 

Scott is an attorney with CGB 

and the Commission’s Designated Federal Officer to the 

Consumer Advisory Committee, as he was to the CDTAC 

since its inception. Prior to 

joining the FCC in May of 

2000, Scott served as the 

Vice President for Governmental affairs for the American Foundation for the Blind 

in Washington, DC. He has 

also worked for the American 

Association for Retired Persons where he managed a 

lobbying team dedicated to 

consumer issues. He has 

served on several advisory 

committees, most recently for 

AT&T, before coming to the 

Commission. 

 Scott is a 1976 graduate of 

the Harvard Law School and 

is licensed to practice law in 

New York and the District of 

Columbia. 

Scott Marshall 

Staff Profile
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Consumer Tips Hot Programs CGB Reaching Out 

Your Telephone Company and You: 

What Do they Know and How Do they Know It?

They know a lot about you. They know what numbers you call, the frequency of 

your calls, how you use your subscribed services, and other information about your 

telephone usage. Who are we talking about? Your local, long distance or cellular 

telephone company knows all of these things about you. The data collected by the 

companies is called Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) and, under 

the law, telephone companies must protect this information. 

How do telephone companies use this information? 

For products and services you already have, companies may use CPNI without 

your permission to market upgrades or changes. However, a telephone company 

must obtain your approval to use or to share with its affiliates or third parties your 

CPNI to market services and products that you do not already receive from that 

company or third parties. 

How do telephone companies obtain approval to use this information? 

There are two ways telephone companies can obtain your approval. One way is to 

send you a notice informing you that the company will use (and/or share with its affiliates or third parties) your CPNI to market telecommunications products and services that you do not currently subscribe to, unless you tell the company not to do 

so. This is known as the “opt-out” method because your approval is assumed 

unless you “opt-out” of the company’s use of the CPNI. 

The second method is known as the “opt-in” method. Under the “opt-in” method, 

the company will not use or share with its affiliates or third parties your CPNI to sell 

non-telecommunications related products and services that you do not currently 

use, unless you expressly give the company your permission to do so. 

 

 
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Hot Programs CGB Reaching Out CGB

 

You can control the way telephone companies use CPNI by: a) reading your telephone bill 

and other notices you receive from your telephone company; b) determining if your company is using the “opt-in” or “opt-out” method; c) deciding if you want your telephone company to use, or to share with its affiliates or third parties, your CPNI to market services; 

and d) making your choice clear to your telephone company. 

Keep in mind that these rules apply to ALL telephone companies: local, long distance and 

cellular. You must make your decision known to EACH company regarding the use of 

your CPNI. 

For more information about Customer Proprietary Network Information contact the FCC’s 

Consumer Center at 888-CALL-FCC, or (TTY) 888-TELL-FCC. Or, you may e-mail us at 

fccinfo@fcc.gov. 

 

 For more information about 

 Customer Proprietary Network Information, 

 visit our Web site at:

 www.fcc.gov
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 CONTACT US Reference Information Center Staff 

From Bottom Left to Right: 

Charles Alston, Shirley McClearn, Wanda Pulliman, 

Maria Ringold and Dianne Beverly-Patterson 

Pamela Proctor, Carolyn Bryant, Jermaine Hayes and 

Raquel Hutson 

Tammy Love, Susan Benjamin and Barbara Jewell 

Lisa Braxton and Eric Garmage 

Rudy Bandong, Chris Reider and MeLissa Askew, 

 Regina Bromery 

 Robin Jackson, Diedreann Tilly, 

 Marion Garrison and Thomas Butler 

Not Pictured: 

Bill Cline, Mary Jane Herbert and Tamara Baxter 

 All can be reached at 418-1400 

K. Dane Snowden 

 Bureau Chief 

June Taylor 

 Chief of Staff 

Margaret Egler 

 Deputy Bureau Chief Policy 

Thomas Wyatt 

Deputy Bureau Chief 

Inquiries & Complaints 

Kris Monteith 

Deputy Bureau Chief 

Consumer Outreach & 

Intergovernmental Affairs 

Stephen Gorey

Chief 

Systems Support Office 

Patricia Green

Associate Bureau Chief 

 Administration and Management 

 

 

 Telephone: 

 1-888-CALL-FCC 

 (1-888-225-5322) voice 

 1-888-TELL-FCC 

 (1-888-835-5322) TTY 

 E-mail:

 FCCInfo@fcc.gov 

 Federal 

 Communications 

 Commission 

 Consumer & 

 Governmental Affairs Bureau