Bell Atlantic Recognizes Educational Broadcasting Authority, City Holding, for 'Excellence in Networking'

Bell Atlantic Recognizes Educational
Broadcasting Authority, City Holding, for
'Excellence in Networking'

Two West Virginia Employers 'Enthusiastically Embracing'
New Technologies

September 29, 1999

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia's Educational Broadcasting
Authority (EBA) and City Holding Co. will receive Bell Atlantic's
prestigious Excellence in Networking award in ceremonies tomorrow at
the Lakeview Conference Center.

"EBA and City Holding boast two of the most sophisticated
telecommunications networks anywhere," said Dennis Bone,
president and CEO of Bell Atlantic - West Virginia. "They've
jumped on our information superhighway, and they're putting the pedal to
the metal with their innovative use of new technologies.

"We applaud them for their creativity and resourcefulness, and we're
working closely with them as they develop exciting applications for their
customers."

Educational Broadcasting Authority
The EBA will be among the first public television systems in the country
to connect its stations to a digital ATM (asynchronous transfer mode)
network. Bell Atlantic's WEST VIRGINIA 2001 network will allow the
EBA to transmit voice, data and video at extremely high speeds over the
same line.

The EBA operates three public broadcasting television stations in West
Virginia: WSWP in Beckley, WPBY in Huntington and WNPB in
Morgantown. In addition, the public television authority has a production
facility in Charleston.

The four facilities will be linked together over the new Bell Atlantic
network, allowing them to share data and video feeds. They will also be
able to conduct sophisticated video conferencing and, for the first time,
deliver full stereo audio. The stations also plan to transmit secondary
audio that could be used for sight-impaired viewers. This secondary audio
would provide oral descriptions of the video images on the screen.

"Because West Virginia Public Broadcasting is the most widely
used educational and cultural institution in the state, with more than
470,000 people using the service each week, it is essential that we have a
reliable and efficient communications system," said Rita Ray,
executive director of the Educational Broadcasting Authority. "Bell
Atlantic offers the best solution for our various communication needs,
providing a single transport system for voice, video and data
communications."

Ray said she looks forward to "a productive partnership with Bell
Atlantic as we harness new technologies to expand our educational and
cultural services."

City Holding Co.
City Holding Co., a financial service leader in West Virginia, is using Bell
Atlantic's asynchronous transfer mode network to extend Internet banking
to the 275,000 customers of City National Bank, one of its subsidiaries.
The network will provide high-speed Internet access services to CityNet,
and another City Holding subsidiary.

Bell Atlantic's Data Solutions Group is providing dial-up Internet access
and electronic
mailbox services to CityNet's customers. Bell Atlantic is also providing
network management and technical support. The move has allowed
CityNet to focus more on electronic commerce solutions for the
corporation, as well as City National customers.

"This is the answer we've been looking for," said City Holding
President and CEO Steve Day. "CityNet will continue to be a
dynamic Web site and our way of providing customers full scope banking
and financial services using the convenience of the Internet and leading
edge technology.

"When you want to be a leader, you focus on what you do
best," he added. "We're bankers; Bell Atlantic is made up of
communications experts. It's that simple."

This marks the first year for Bell Atlantic's Excellence in Networking
award. "We intend to make this an annual form of recognition for
West Virginia's leading-edge, information-intensive employers,"
Bone said. "Numerous businesses and governmental agencies in
this state could qualify for this honor."

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and
information industry. With more than 43 million telephone access lines
and nearly 10 million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic
companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data
services, market leaders in wireless services and the world's largest
publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also
among the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications
markets, with operations and investments in 23 countries.