Liz Walker's annoying calls

["Gary F" <gff@mediaone.net>]

On Friday afternoon I answered my home phone only to be greeted by "Hi, This
is Liz Walker
from WBZ-TV and Radio with a special message........."  It was a recording
hyping their newscasts!  I tried to hang up on it....but it wouldn't release
the line.  Remembering that Channel 4 had done a consumer report piece on
the illegality of this I called Peter Casey at WBZ radio and let him have it
regarding this intrusion into my privacy.  Of course you know how things go
at CBS - he knew nothing about it.  I further researched the FCC website and
came up with the following:

http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/consumer_news/unsolici.html ):

   Prerecorded Voice Calls

   The FCC's rules prohibit artificial (computerized) voice or
   prerecorded voice calls to your home. The following types of calls are
   permitted:
     * emergency calls (calls made necessary in any situation affecting
       the health and safety of consumers);
     * when you have given prior express consent to such calls;
     * non-commercial calls (for example, calls from charitable entities,
       polling organizations, political or government agencies);
     * calls which do not include any unsolicited advertisements;
     * calls by or on behalf of tax-exempt nonprofit organizations; or
     * calls from entities with whom you have an established business
       relationship.

You can file a consumer complaint with the FCC online by filling
out the form at

   http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/enforce/ccformpage.html

Anyone else receive these annoying calls recently?  I understand that WZLX
is doing the same thing using Charles L's voice on their message (see recent
ne.general newsgroup post).

I'll call Liz tomorrow and bitch to her personally - she does care about
viewers and would probably not want to be part of something that would p*ss
viewers off (they have few enough left that they need to worry about each
one).

-gary f