FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
June 9, 1999                                 Linda Paris 202/418-0500

          Statement by FCC Chairman William E. Kennard


American consumers are paying less for long distance today than they ever have in history.  

I intend to look very carefully at whether consumers who make very few calls  -- even at these
historically low per-minute prices -- are disadvantaged by the flat charges that long distance
companies choose to put on their bills.