Statement from The Direct Marketing Association: FCC Preemption of State Do-Not-Call Laws

Washington, DC, July 21, 2005 – In its two years of existence, the federal Do-Not-Call list has enabled millions of Americans to express their preferences. Opinion polls have shown that an overwhelming majority of consumers who have signed up for the Do-Not-Call list believe that the list works and that they are receiving significantly fewer telemarketing calls.

The Direct Marketing Association and its members remain committed to respecting the wishes of consumers who have registered their household phone numbers on the list, or made a request to an individual company or organization that they not be contacted.

The DMA agrees with the Federal Trade Commission it its belief that national preemption of the Do-Not-Call list would not lead to a sharp increase in telemarketing calls.

The Direct Marketing Association believes the federal Do Not Call law appropriately sets a unified national standard. We believe that a patchwork of state laws is impractical and unworkable for legitimate marketers and nonprofit organizations that routinely work across state lines.

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About The DMA

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading trade association for businesses and organizations interested in direct marketing, which in 2004 generated more than $2.3 trillion in US sales, including $143.3 billion in catalog sales and $52.5 billion in Web-driven sales. In addition to catalogs and the Web, DMA members employ a wide variety of marketing media, including mail, e-mail, telephone, newspapers and magazines, interactive television, and radio, among others. Founded in 1917, The DMA today has more than 5,200 corporate, affiliate, and chapter members from the US and 44 other nations, including 55 companies listed on the Fortune 100. Reflecting the significant and growing role that direct marketing plays in today's advertising mix, The DMA's membership represents marketers from every business segment, including catalogers, Internet retailers, retail stores, nonprofit organizations, advertising agencies, financial services providers, book and magazine publishers, book and music clubs, industrial manufacturers, and a host of other vertical segments, as well as the service industries that support marketers.

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