Disney bedtime phone hotline. The new service, similar to those offered by big banks and airline companies, will automatically alert Disney agents if parents with young kids have an unexpected call from a telemarketer. "It's probably our most ambitious program to date," Disney's consumer relations chief Jeff Wald said of the new service, which will be a "dedicated" number that cannot be reached through a conventional phone. Disney estimates the program, slated to begin Oct. 5, will affect 40% of U.S. households. The service, run by Disney's consumer affairs division and the advertising agency Omnicom Group, will begin with a trial run. It will launch initially with calls from Disney stores in about 100 cities with at least 1,000 households. The participating stores will handle calls in stores, and any calls from phone numbers outside the stores will be redirected to Disney's dedicated number. The service calls will not go through the regular telephone company switchboard, meaning no one except Disney's consumer affairs department can answer the phone. Instead, the consumer affairs department will answer calls and route them to the appropriate Disney department. Though Disney is the first company to begin such a service, several others have talked of introducing similar call-screening programs. None so far have gone so far as to launch them. "There are so many bells and whistles to this service that a consumerist is screaming, `It's going to be used for junk,' " said one advertising executive who has been in talks with an Internet firm about a similar program. According to Disney, its program also will cost less than a company's current screening program and more than the company would spend on a private screening service. The cost of the program has not been disclosed, but Wald said "hundreds of millions" of people will take advantage of the service at no charge. Disney hopes the program will boost sales of goods and services by making it easier for people to shop without having to spend time sifting through catalogs and phone directories. The Disney program will provide an additional phone number to potential customers if they do call from a store. They will not be able to ask any questions on the phone and instead must complete and mail a form that is then delivered to Disney personnel for immediate response. "We're not going to be able to answer any questions about a specific person," Wald said. "That just wouldn't work in this environment." Since Disney decided to start the program, it has been able to develop a program that does not interfere with other programs, according to Mickey Albu, president of Disney consumer relations. For example, the phone company will allow Disney to use the service without paying a monthly fee for a special line. "It gives them a little extra value to do it," Albu said. The company also plans to offer customers an option in which their names will be placed on a "Do Not Call" list and receive calls only if the caller has permission to call. While Disney's new service does not provide a complete solution to companies trying to cut down on telemarketing calls, it has the potential to create a big problem for unscrupulous telemarketers. "With this system, there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to stop a lot of those people from calling you," said one industry source. However, the effectiveness of Disney's system remains to be seen. Many companies offer screening services, but few succeed in stopping telemarketers. "I think there will be a great market for these services," said Bill Binnie, executive vice president of Binnie Communications Inc., a company that offers a screening service. "But it's more like a psychological barrier than a technical barrier." As part of the program, Disney has developed a plan that takes advantage of customers' natural fear of being on the receiving end of a telemarketing call. The company plans to send out a mailing to 1 million Disney card holders at the same time as the program launches, with its latest catalog and an offer for a free Disney card in each catalog. Disney plans to collect information on callers from the catalog form. When someone calls a store from a local Disney store, a sales associate can check the list to see whether that caller is already on the list. If a call comes in from outside the store, it is routed to Disney's screening service. "We hope people will get cards out and find out about their names being screened out," said Disney's Albu. When an order comes in from a customer in response to the catalog, Disney will print a name on the order form that is screened out and cannot call again. To use the service, callers must mail a form, which includes a number that can be called back if they still want to place an order. "That way you know it's not just a cold call from a telemarketer," Wald said. This will be Disney's second attempt to launch a phone service to control access to its customers. Its first effort, Internet Disney, was launched in 1995 but was closed to consumers in April 1998 because of insufficient orders. "The fact that they've already decided to go this far tells me the company feels very strongly about it," said Binnie, whose company offers an Internet screening service. This time, Disney will be able to tailor its message. Disney will soon announce a campaign to promote the phone service that could include print ads, direct-mail solicitations and a promotion at McDonald's and KFC outlets. "We'll try to make it an educational message," Wald said. "I think what we're looking for is how we can best educate people on the value of this program." Disney will make the program as widely available as possible to ensure enough traffic to justify the cost of the program. The company plans to work with its partners at Omnicom and Disney Telecommunications and its network of 700 stores. "The more it becomes a part of our culture and our product offering, the more success we will have," Wald said. "The less it will be a cost to the consumer." For its launch in October, Disney plans to launch the new program in 100 cities with at least 1,000 households. In response to the article in Consumer Reports, Disney and Omnicom said today that the Disney program will not discriminate against customer calls based on their content, including telemarketing calls. The company has stated that its screening program will allow any call from a phone number where the consumer has not given permission for the call. The company also stated that the first group of participating stores is in no way limited to major metropolitan areas. 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