From the PNA, Deborah Musselman

Costly fax consent requirements coming July 1

Have you been following the "fax consent form" issue, and wondering what the Federal Trade Commission and Congress are up to? The rule was going to take effect by the end of 2004 but the FTC delayed implementation until July 1, 2005. And yes, it applies to all advertising-related faxes, including ad proofs and rate cards, not just the blast fax or junk fax that everyone hates.

S. 714 would eliminate the signed consent form with an opt-out notice on faxes, and proponents are attempting to get it through Congress in order to avoid that July 1 deadline. Read the latest from the National Newspaper Association in Washington and help the industry in this effort!

[CLICK HERE FOR NNA FAX CONSENT ALERT]

A 'compromise' on S. 714 proposed by Sen. Barbara Boxer [D., California] would require the opt-out mechanism to be available 24/7 -- that could be by e-mail, via a toll-free telephone number, or -- ironically -- by return fax. If you foresee problems complying with that possible provision, send a note to Deborah Musselman at deborahm@pa-news.org and be sure to share your views with our partners at NNA. We urge PNA members to reach out to our senators to explain why this legislation is important to the newspaper business. You can contact Sen. Specter at (202) 224-4254 and Sen. Santorum at (202) 224-6324.