RADIO APPROVALS SIMPLIFIED

Agencies, production houses and radio stations can now distribute and approve radio spots over the Internet, thanks to a new service from Broadcast News (BN), the broadcast division of The Canadian Press. SpotTaxi.com, which uses high-quality audio compression technology, promises to speed up the agency/client approval process by providing users with traffic instructions, simplified billing services and e-mail delivery of streaming audio files. The service, the first of its kind in Canada, was launched in partnership with Central Media of Seattle. BN’s satellite network, which is now used to distribute radio spots, will remain in place, according to the company.

SERVICE HELPS TELEMARKETERS AVOID FINES

In an effort to help telemarketers in the U.S. comply with ‘do not call’ consumer protection laws, Gryphon Networks and Intermedia Communications, of Tampa, Fla., have created a service that allows a company to prevent its telemarketing agents from calling a consumer who has asked not to be solicited. Telemarketers using the patented, network-based Do Not Call service can block all future calls to a consumer who has asked not to be bothered. The service also allows clients to conduct database management functions and monitor agent productivity.