Robocalls running afoul of CRTC’s rules
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/10/2010 (5799 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
JUST as mayoral hopeful Judy Wasylycia-Leis launched her own round of robocalls Tuesday, federal regulators confirmed they have received several complaints about automated campaign telemarketing.
It appears at least five different robocalls created by several campaigns don’t follow the rules.
At issue is an obscure section of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules, the batch of regulations that include the new national do-not-call list. Among the rules is a section governing automatic dailing-announcing devices (ADAD) that allow a candidate or any telemarketer to speed-dial many numbers with a recorded message.
According to the CRTC’s rules, candidates can’t ask for money or volunteers, but they can ask for votes. Auto-dialing must only be used during reasonable daytime and evening hours, and messages must start by identifying the caller as well as a mailing address and a phone number where the candidate can be reached.
None of the robocalls made during Winnipeg’s civic election campaign appear to have included the candidate’s campaign office address or phone number at the beginning of the message, though most candidates left a phone number at the end.
Officials with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission say they’re looking into a small handful of complaints over the last couple of weeks, at least one related to robocalls made by Mayor Sam Katz as part of his re-election bid.
Katz’s campaign staff say their telemarketing provider double-checked with the CRTC and was told the ADAD rules do not apply to political campaigns.
But two separate CRTC officials confirmed Tuesday that candidates must comply with the ADAD rules.
Wasylycia-Leis launched a round of robocalls Tuesday featuring Liberal Sen. Sharon Carstairs, who told listeners it’s time for change at city hall and asked voters to cast a ballot for Wasylycia-Leis.
Katz used a robocall earlier this month to condemn Wasylycia-Leis’s plan to raise property taxes. Last week, Winnipeg Police Association president Mike Sutherland and United Firefighters of Winnipeg president Alex Forrest used a robocall to publicize their support for Katz.
Daniel McIntyre Coun. Harvey Smith and River Heights Coun. John Orlikow, both in tough races for re-election, have also used robocalls.
maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca