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1/14/2009
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The Daily Telegraph (UK)
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Companies that pester households with "silent calls'' should face tougher penalties, according to the incoming chairman of Ofcom.
Colette Bowe, who will take over the communications industry regulator from Lord Currie in March, said she did not believe the maximum fine of pounds 50,000 was sufficient. She said the calls were "frightening'' for older people.
"Silent calling is an abuse and the maximum fine of pounds 50,000 is not enough,'' she said. "It is the unacceptable face of the industry.''
Silent calls occur when call centre computers dial numbers and there are not enough human operators available to speak to the person who takes the call. Many people receiving silent calls mistakenly believe they are malicious.
Complaints to Ofcom about silent calls tripled last year to 1,050 a month. Rules stipulate that such calls must carry a short message identifying where they came from.
Ofcom has taken action against Abbey, Barclaycard and a number of credit agencies. Barclaycard was fined pounds 50,000 for "substantially more'' than 16,000 calls.
Miss Bowe, 61, made her first appearance in front of the Commons' business and enterprise and culture, media and sport select committees.
She was criticised for drawing a pounds 200,000 salary for a three-day week.
She was also pressed on the furore over the Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross prank call to Andrew Sachs, and language on TV and radio.
She said the key factor in the Broadcasting Code was the context in which language was used, including the time of day and likely audience.
"People are entitled not to be taken horribly by surprise,'' she said.
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