Some local broadcasters will interrupt their analog signals Thursday in a "soft test" to remind analog viewers they need to prepare for the June 12 deadline for the nationwide digital television transition. The test, which will not affect cable or satellite TV subscribers, will simulate what analog viewers will experience when the transition occurs, the Federal Communications Commission said.

Cox Enterprises Inc. said it will sell its Tarboro, NC-based Saving Source Direct to MailSouth, headquartered in Helena, AL, in a deal expected to close May 26. The pending sale follows Cox Newspapers' 2008 announcement that it had placed all of its publishing assets in Texas, Colorado and North Carolina for sale.

High Gear Media, a publisher of automotive digital media, has been enlisted by NBC Digital Networks to develop content for NBCAutoshow.com. High Gear also announced that is has added Autotrader.com to its automotive content syndication network.

Acting Chief Postal Inspector William Gilligan has been officially named to fill the position by US Postmaster General John E. Potter.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau today released its Social Advertising Best Practices aimed at helping marketers, publishers and agencies build social advertising campaigns. "Social media is big and getting bigger, providing marketers with a combination of reach, relationships, and relevance," according to the IAB report.

In reviewing my own mail over the past several months, in addition to all the e-mails and texting, I've notice a couple of things that have now become standard. One, I'm using less checks, because I'm paying all of my bills, with the exception of rent, online. As a result, that book of stamps that used to last less than a month now carries me through for quite some time. 
And that's the problem.

A federal court judge today issued a temporary restraining order against telemarketing company Voice Touch Inc., of Florida, and its business partner, Illinois-based Network Foundations LLC, from making any further calls in violation of the National Do Not Call Registry and other provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) and the FTC Act.

The Federal Trade Commission today filed suit in federal court in Illinois against companies it said were responsible for millions of deceptive phone calls offering extended vehicle warranties. In two related complaints, the FTC said it took action against both the promoter of the warranties, as well as the telemarketing company it hired to carry out its deceptive campaign.

The Federal Trade Commission is close to taking legal action against companies responsible for the thousands of computerized car warranty calls reaching consumers nationwide, according to a letter from the agency chairman to Sen. Charles Schumer.

Looking for a way to boost sales from its online store, Encyclopaedia Britannica was one of five companies that tested a new feature from Silverpop, which enabled them to target e-mails to the day and time the intended recipient is likely to be perusing their inbox.