chaney@E.MS.UKY.EDU (Dan Chaney) (12/19/88)
In article <telecom-v08i0201m07@vector.UUCP> samho@larry.cs.washington.edu (Sam Ho) writes: >X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.uucp >X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 8, issue 201, message 7 > >Last week, KTZZ-TV, Channel 22 here in Seattle, broadcast a half-hour >paid advertisement for an information provider called PhoneQuest. Last >year, about this time, PhoneQuest was showing 30-second ads for dialing >Santa at some 976 number. This year, not only did they encourage kids ^^^ >PhoneQuest blithely explained that the broadcast tones were to prevent >accidentally dialing the wrong number and getting an adult message. ^^^^^ Are these 'adult message' recordings still out there? It was my understanding that they were ruled a big no-no from Uncle Meese (seemingly an authority on big no-no's.) Wasn't there a court-ruling on them that banned them? Details! Facts! Figures! Numbers even! 0:-) I know that all the numbers *I* knew don't exist anymore - at least, the area codes have been changed to protect the innocent and I can't find the right numbers..... [Moderator's note: Adult phone services are alive and well, thank you. There are not as many of them in some places as others; and in some areas they are on 1-900 type lines, while other communities, like San Fransisco, have them on 976. The "San Fransisco Hot Conference" is an open conversation line, on the number 1-415-976-4297. Typically, the final four digits, as in this case, will spell a word with sexual innuendo. This one, which seems to cater to a largely homosexual audience charges $2 per call (of 2.9 minutes) to intra-state callers from California. A disclaimer on the front end says, "Welcome to the San Fransisco Hot Conference! In just a few seconds, you will be connected for up to two and a half minutes of lively adult conversation. Its just two dollars!! Have fun!!" Most of the services like this on 976 get their callers from *out of state*. The reason is, instead of paying $2 (plus tolls) for the call, they only pay 51 cents, or whatever Reach Out America gets for three minutes in the middle of the night. The FCC has never permitted special surcharges of this nature on interstate calls, ergo, the information provider eats the cost. What advertising appears for these services generally admonishes the reader, "California callers only!" for the simple reason they would prefer to have their lines filled up with people paying two dollars to get their jollies instead of people from other states getting a free ride. Because of a chronic dispute between MCI and Pacific Tel, attempts to dial a 415-976 or 213-976 number on MCI returns an intercept recording saying "at the present time, MCI does not connect to 976 numbers. Please dial 10288, plus the desired eleven digit number to place your call. P. Townson] -- Dan Chaney {uunet and the like}!ukma!chaney chaney@ms.uky.edu chaney@ukma.BITNET "Life is but a state of mind" - Ben Rand