FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:           News Media contact:
January 12, 2000                 Rosemary Kimball at (202) 418-0511
                               
           FCC IMPLEMENTS PREDICTABLE, TRANSPARENT,
            AND STREAMLINED MERGER REVIEW PROCESS
                               
   Washington, DC -- In response to unprecedented consolidation in the telecommunications
industry,  FCC Chairman William Kennard directed FCC General Counsel Christopher Wright to assess
the Commission's merger review process.  Wright was tasked with the challenge of how to facilitate the
review of major transactions while ensuring that the public interest is met in an era of consolidation and
convergence.  In response to Kennard's challenge, Wright and staff have been working on a timetable to
ensure that even the most complex transactions are processed in 180 days and that internal procedures are
uniform and transparent across the Agency.  This team is developing internal procedures to streamline and
accelerate the Commission's merger review process while ensuring consistent public interest analysis. 
These procedures will ensure that applicants know what is expected of them, what will happen when, and
the current status of their application.

To spearhead this effort, Jim Bird joined the Commission on December 1 as Senior Counsel in
the Office of General Counsel.  Mr. Bird spent the last 20 years at Shea & Gardner, where he handled a
wide variety regulatory matters.  Before that, he served as a law clerk to Judge Skelley Wright on the
D.C. Circuit and Justice William Brennan of the United States Supreme Court.  Chairman Kennard
commented: "Jim Bird is a terrific addition to our team.  His breadth of experience and extraordinary
legal talent provide just what we need to coordinate and expedite our handling of the applications
accompanying the unprecedented wave of mergers in the communications field."

        Mr. Bird and Mr. Wright are meeting with the Federal Communications Bar to discuss the
timeline and other important issues relating to the Commission's handling of the applications with the
Federal Communications Bar.  In addition, an open meeting will be held so that all interested parties,
such as industry and consumer groups, can provide input on these streamlined procedures.  Date and
time will be announced shortly in a public notice.

Implementation is already underway.  Mr. Bird and Mr. Wright have begun working closely
with other Commission staff on pending applications to ensure timely and consistent review.  A team is
being established to work with the bureaus and to ensure consistent analysis of major transactions in a
timely fashion.  In addition to Mr. Bird, the team will consist of four other lawyers, an economist, and
two support staff.   Announcements for these positions have been posted, and potential applicants
should consult the Commission's website promptly.

                           - FCC -

Office of General Counsel contact: Christopher Wright at (202) 418-1700