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 NEWS  News  media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  TTY  202/  418-  2555  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT  March  6,  2006  David  Fiske  202-  418-  0513 
 FCC  CHAIRMAN  KEVIN  MARTIN  STATEMENT  ON  AT&  T  AND  BELLSOUTH  MERGER  ANNOUNCEMENT 
 In  response  to  the  merger  announcement  by  AT&  T  and  BellSouth,  Chairman  Kevin  J.  Martin  said, 
 "I  look  forward  to  working  with  my  colleagues  on  the  Commission  to  review  the  applications  expeditiously  once  they  are  filed.  The  FCC’s  primary  responsibility  is  to  determine 
 whether  the  proposed  transaction  is  in  the  best  interest  of  consumers.  We  will  carefully  weigh  the  information  presented,  examining  any  allegations  of  specific  harm  in  individual  markets  and  the 
 potential  benefits  for  the  deployment  of  new  services." 
 -  FCC  - 
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