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From: GREEN@wilma.wharton.upenn.edu (Scott D. Green)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: 900 Number Sweepstakes, Space Flight is Prize!
Message-ID: <15647@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 23 Dec 90 07:10:00 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 902, Message 2 of 10


Well, to confirm John Higdon's report from KGO, today's {Philadelphia
Inquirer} carries a story from the AP:

HOUSTON- Soviet officials yesterday verified that a contract has been
signed with organizers of a space sweepstakes to allow an American to
travel to the Mir space station.

	Tass, the official Soviet news agency, reported Tuesday that
the contest was a hoax, throwing the already chaotic sweepstakes into
greater turmoil.  Space Travel Services officials, organizers of the
contest, insisted it was genuine and displayed copies of contracts
between them and the Soviets.

	But in a fax sent yesterday, an official of the Soviet agency
that handles commericial deals for the Soviet space program said, "I
consider the statement in our press as a disappointing
misunderstanding."

	The agency, NPO Energia, negotiated the deal with Space
Commerce Corp.  of Houston, on behalf of Space Travel Services.

	Dimitry Poletayev, head of the proton rocket department at
Glavkosmos USSR, the Soviet equivalent of NASA, also faxed a letter to
contest operators, saying, "No problem from Soviet side."

	Also yesterday, Space Travel Services executives were summoned
before a Harris County grand jury investigating possible violations of
Texas lottery statutes.

	Subpoenas for David Mayer, president of Space Travel Services,
and James Davidson, the company's senior vice president, were
dismissed after the two agreed to cooperate, said Russel Turbeville of
the district attorney's consumer fraud division.

	Mayer and Davidson spent nearly three hours before the jury,
then told reporters the sweepstakes would continue.

	"It's our position we are not conducting a lottery and we are
conducting a legal sweepstakes because purchase is not required,"
Davidson said.

	Texas law bars charging people for a chance to win something.
[what then is the $2.95 cost of the call? -sg]

	The contest was announced Monday.  A person will be selected
in a random drawing in December, 1991 for a trip in 1992 or 1993 and a
week's stay at the space station, plus $500,000, Space Travel Services
said.

	The firm keeps more than half the income from calls to the 900
number, each of which costs $2.95.

				- 3 0 -
 
scott