PUBLIC NOTICE
	Federal Communications Commission 1919 - M Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20554	News media information 202 / 418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202 / 418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov
	DA 98-2415 Released: December 2, 1998
	COMMISSION TO HOLD EN BANCS REGARDING TELECOM MERGERS
	The Federal Communications Commission will hold two additional En Bancs to discuss recent consolidation activities in the telecommunications industry. The purpose of the merger En Banc series is to assist the Commission in determining whether certain proposed mergers are consistent with the goals of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which include promoting competition in telecommunications markets and protecting the public interest. At an earlier merger En Banc, representatives of AT&T Corp. and Tele-Communications, Inc., SBC Communications, Inc. and Ameritech Corporation, and Bell Atlantic Corporation and GTE Corporation discussed the details of their merger plans. To conclude the series of merger En Bancs, two En Bancs will take place on Monday, December 14, 1998 in the Commission Meeting Room (Room 856) at 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. In the first En Banc, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, interested parties, including state, consumer, community and industry representatives, will discuss the impact on telecommunications markets of the proposed mergers between incumbent local exchange carriers SBC and Ameritech (CC Docket No. 98-141), and Bell Atlantic and GTE (CC Docket No. 98- 184). In the second En Banc, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., interested parties, including consumer, community and industry representatives will discuss the impact on telecommunications markets of the proposed merger between AT&T and Tele-Communications, Inc. (CS Docket No. 98- 178). The En Bancs are open to the public, and seating will be available on a first come, first served basis. The En Bancs will also be carried live on the Internet. Internet users may listen to the real-time audio feed of the En Bancs by accessing the FCC Internet Audio Broadcast Home Page. Step-by-step instructions on how to listen to the audio broadcast, as well as information regarding the equipment and software needed, are available on the FCC Internet Audio Broadcast Home Page. The URL address for this home page is http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio/. The meeting can also be heard via telephone, for a fee, from National Narrowcast Network, telephone (202) 966-2211 or fax (202) 966-1770. A transcript of the En Bancs will be available 10 days after the event on the FCC's Internet site. The URL address for the FCC's Internet Home Page is http://www.fcc.gov. Transcripts may also be obtained from the FCC's duplicating contractor, International Transcription Service, 1231 20th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036, by calling ITS at (202) 857-3800 or faxing ITS at (202) 857-3805. Audio and video tapes of the En Banc may be purchased from Infocus, 341 Victory Drive, Herndon, VA 20170, by calling Infocus at (703) 834-0100 or by faxing Infocus at (703) 834-0111. For additional information contact: Florence Grasso at 418-1579 News media contact: Rochelle Cohen at 418-0253