*Pages 1--2 from  Microsoft Word - 7417.doc*
 PUBLIC  NOTICE  FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION  445  12th  STREET,  S.  W.  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.  20554  DA  01-  566 
 News  media  information  202/  418-  0500  Fax-  On-  Demand  202/  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov 
 MADISON  TELEPHONE  COMPANY  AND  GALLATIN  RIVER  COMMUNICATIONS, 
 LLC  SEEK  A  WAIVER  OF  THE  DEFINITION  OF  "STUDY  AREA"  IN  PART  36  OF 
 THE  COMMISSION'S  RULES 


 PLEADING  CYCLE  ESTABLISHED 
 CC  Docket  No.  96-  45 
 Release  Date:  March  2,  2001 
 Comment  Date:  March  22,  2001 
 Reply  Comment  Date:  April  2,  2001 


 On  February  28,  2001,  Madison  Telephone  Company  (Madison)  and  Gallatin  River 
 Communications,  LLC  (Gallatin)  filed  a  joint  petition  for  waiver  of  the  definition  of  "study  area" 
 as  set  forth  in  Part  36  of  the  Commission's  rules.  That  definition  constitutes  a  rule  freezing  all  study 
 area  boundaries.  Madison  is  acquiring  from  Gallatin  two  telephone  exchanges  serving  approximately 
 4,300  access  lines  in  Illinois  (t  he  St  aunt  on  and  Livingst  on  exchanges).  By  this  waiver,  Gallat  in  seeks  to 
 alt  er  its  Illinois  st  udy  area  in  order  to  remove  the  two  telephone  exchanges  being  transferred  to 
 Madison.  Madison  seeks  a  waiver  of  the  study  area  freeze  to  combine  the  acquired  exchanges  with  its 
 exist  ing  Illinois  st  udy  area. 


 Pursuant  to  sections  1.415  and  1.419  of  the  Commission's  rules,  47  C.  F.  R.  §§  1.415, 
 1.419,  interested  parties  may  file  comments  on  or  before  March  22,  2001,  and  reply  comments 
 on  or  before  April  2,  2001.  Comments  may  be  filed  using  the  Commission's  Electronic  Comment 
 Filing  System  (ECFS)  or  by  filing  paper  copies.  See  Electronic  Filing  of  Documents  in 
 Rulemaking  Proceedings,  63  Fed.  Reg.  24,121  (1998).  Comments  filed  through  the  ECFS  can  be 
 sent  as  an  electronic  file  via  the  Internet  to  <http://  www.  fcc.  gov/  e-  file/  ecfs.  html>.  Generally,  only 
 one  copy  of  an  electronic  submission  must  be  filed.  If  multiple  docket  or  rulemaking  numbers 
 appear  in  the  caption  of  this  proceeding,  however,  commenters  must  transmit  one  electronic  copy 
 of  the  comments  to  each  docket  or  rulemaking  number  referenced  in  the  caption.  In  completing 
 the  transmittal  screen,  commenters  should  include  their  full  name,  Postal  Service  mailing  address, 
 and  the  applicable  docket  or  rulemaking  number.  Parties  may  also  submit  electronic  comments  by 
 Internet  e-  mail.  To  receive  filing  instructions  for  e-  mail  comments,  commenters  should  send  an  e-mail 
 to  ecfs@  fcc.  gov,  and  should  include  the  following  words  in  the  body  of  the  message,  "get 
 form  <your  e-  mail  address."  A  sample  form  and  directions  will  be  sent  in  reply.  Parties  who 
 choose  to  file  by  paper  must  file  an  original  and  four  copies  of  each  filing.  If  more  than  one 
1
 2 
 docket  or  rulemaking  number  appears  in  the  caption  of  this  proceeding,  commenters  must  submit 
 two  additional  copies  for  each  additional  docket  or  rulemaking  number.  All  filings  must  be  sent 
 to  the  Commission's  Secretary,  Magalie  Roman  Salas,  Office  of  the  Secretary,  Federal 
 Communications  Commission,  445  12th  Street,  S.  W.,  Washington,  D.  C.  20554. 


 Parties  also  must  send  three  paper  copies  of  their  filing  to  Sheryl  Todd,  Accounting  Policy 
 Division,  Common  Carrier  Bureau,  Federal  Communications  Commission,  445  Twelfth  Street 
 S.  W.,  Room  5-  A422,  Washington,  D.  C.  20554.  In  addition,  commenters  must  send  diskette 
 copies  to  the  Commission's  copy  contractor,  International  Transcription  Service,  Inc.,  1231  20th 
 Street,  N.  W.,  Washington,  D.  C.  20037. 


 Pursuant  to  section  1.1206  of  the  Commission's  rules,  47  C.  F.  R.  §  1.1206,  this  proceeding 
 will  be  conducted  as  a  permit-  but-  disclose  proceeding  in  which  ex  parte  communications  are 
 permitted  subject  to  disclosure. 


 For  further  information,  contact  Adrian  Wright,  Accounting  Policy  Division,  Common 
 Carrier  Bureau  at  (202)  418-  7400,  TTY  (202)  418-  0484. 
2