The following editorial appeared Friday in the Miami Herald.

The Federal Trade Commission last week adopted a new rule that will prohibit telemarketers from calling households with prerecorded messages – except in cases where consumers have given the caller written consent to dial their number.

Beginning in September 2009, you can say farewell to annoying so-called “robo calls” that feature a prerecorded sales pitch or similar message. These “messages,” invariably “very important” according to the recorded voice, often amount to nothing more than a stab in the dark by a telemarketer hoping to entice an unsuspecting customer into buying an extended auto warranty or other product.

The new rule will amend the national Do Not Call Registry law, which has been popular since its inception in 2003. More than 146 million phone numbers have been registered on the Do Not Call list. The FTC has collected more than $8.4 million in fines and settled 22 claims against violators, according to a report in July by the agency.

Earlier this year, Congress amended the law so that it is not necessary for telephone customers to reregister their numbers on the Do Not Call list after five years. It is likely that as telemarketing technology improves, the law will need to be further amended. After all, better technology is what gave telemarketers the ability to make robo calls so easily and frequently.

The proliferation of these calls caused consumers’ ire. After receiving thousands of complaints about robo calls, the FTC posted the proposed ban for public comment last month. Not surprisingly, the idea got overwhelming support.

What the new robo call ban doesn’t cover is worth noting, too. Charities may still call. So, too, can a business with which a consumer already has established a relationship. And politicians are still free to make annoying robo calls.

Political calls aren’t banned because that would infringe on free speech rights, an FTC spokesperson said. Still, there is a movement afoot for Congress to create a Do Not Call list for political messages.

Despite politicians’ claims to the contrary, opting out of political calls doesn’t hinder free speech. Politicians could still get their messages out; but consumers don’t have to listen. This already happens when consumers use their television remotes to tune out political ads.

The ban won’t affect calls such as doctors’ reminders about appointments or scheduled service calls. It will put an end to unnerving, android-like messages that interrupt dinner and clutter voice-mail inboxes. That’s good for anybody who wants relief from endless sales pitches.