Bell Atlantic Selects Team of Zenith Meedia and Media Direct Partners For Media Buying Agency of Record

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Bell Atlantic Selects Team of Zenith Media and Media Direct
Partners For Media Buying Agency of Record

Joint Company to Begin Work Aug. 1

July 1, 1998

Media contact:

John Bonomo,
212-395-7756

NEW YORK -- Bell Atlantic has selected Zenith Media, Inc. and Media
Direct Partners, Inc. to handle its advertising media buying assignment.
The two agencies formed a team that integrated general market and direct
response buying capabilities. The joint Bell Atlantic media buying unit will
be located at 299 Houston St., Manhattan.

"This was a difficult choice because we received very creative, professional
and efficient proposals from all the finalists in the review," said Bill
McCarron, Bell Atlantic executive director of Media Services. "We are
truly happy to continue the relationship with Zenith Media, and welcome
MDPI to the Bell Atlantic account."

The terms of the contract were not announced.

Zenith/MDPI will begin the joint work on the media account Aug. 1 and
will handle fourth-quarter broadcast buying for Bell Atlantic corporate
advertising, its telephone company value added services, and Bell Atlantic
Information Services Group, which produces Yellow and White Pages
directories and Big Yellow, the on-line directory. Zenith/MDPI will also
assume broadcast buying for Bell Atlantic Mobile beginning in the first
quarter of 1999 as well as newspaper advertising buys for the corporation.

As the media buying agency, Zenith/MDPI will purchase advertising
broadcast time and print space based on the campaigns of Bell Atlantic's
primary creative agencies -- Arnold Communications, Bozell Jacobs
Kenyon & Eckhardt, Burrell Communications, Draft Worldwide, The Lord
Group, and Tierney and Partners.

"Bell Atlantic has been a valued Zenith client," said Rich Hamilton, CEO of
Zenith Media. "We are thrilled that they have decided to consolidate all of
their business with us, and we look forward to a continuing strong
relationship."

Bob Ingram, managing director of Media Direct Partners, said, "Media
Direct Partners' state-of-the-art response tracking systems, and our buying
capabilities will provide Bell Atlantic with a distinct competitive advantage.
The Zenith/MDPI partnership also will provide unprecedented marketing
opportunities and cost efficiencies to Bell Atlantic. We're delighted to be
part of the team."

Said McCarron from Bell Atlantic: "Our goal is to continue to build the
Bell Atlantic brand while we take advantage of the efficiencies that can be
attained with our buying power and clout. We believe we can best achieve
these goals through the management expertise, buying skill, and advanced
technology in place at Zenith Media and Media Direct Partners."

Bell Atlantic was assisted in the search by the Atlanta-based Bedford
Group.

Bell Atlantic -- formed through the merger of Bell Atlantic and NYNEX --
is at the forefront of the new communications and information industry.
With more than 41 million telephone access lines and 6.7 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.

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