Bell Atlantic Commemorates Mountaineer Balloon Festival On Morgantown Yellow and White Pages Cover

Bell Atlantic Commemorates Mountaineer Balloon Festival
On Morgantown Yellow and White Pages Cover

Directories Feature Updated Edition of the Internet Guide

October 8, 1998

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. - Bell Atlantic announced today that the cover
of the 1998-99 Yellow and White Pages for the Morgantown area will
honor the 15th annual Mountaineer Balloon Festival. The 68,000
directories, which feature an illustration of the festival, will be distributed
to area residences and businesses starting in early November.

Bell Atlantic selects local landmarks for directory covers throughout its
region in support of the company's community-oriented focus. The
Mountaineer Balloon Festival was selected as the cover illustration because
of its popularity among local Morgantown residents as well as balloon
enthusiasts nationwide. The festival, held this year at the Morgantown
Municipal Airport from October 9 - 11, features more than 40 hot-air
balloons that ascend the apex of the surrounding mountains.

Residents and businesses who receive the directories starting in early
November will notice a new feature - an updated edition of the Internet
Guide. The guide is a step-by step primer for novice Internet users. The
new edition includes a list of recommended local, regional and national
Web sites.

For the first time in the Morgantown region, Yellow Pages listings will
feature an optional extra line for e-mail and Web site addresses in response
to growing use of the Internet.

"Bell Atlantic is re-emphasizing our commitment to customers and
advertisers by providing local information and services that allow for global
access, such as the Internet," said Mary Jo Howe, vice president of
marketing and customer relations for Bell Atlantic Directory Services.

The advertiser-supported Internet Guide, bound inside the Yellow Pages, is
a 12-page tabbed insert that contains information on hardware and
software requirements, a step-by-step approach for connecting to the
World Wide Web, tips on choosing an Internet service provider, Frequently
Asked Questions.

The directory cover illustrator is artist Mary Lynn Blasutta of New Paltz,
N.Y. Her illustrations are featured on Bell Atlantic's 500 directories in 13
states and Washington, D.C.

In support of Morgantown recycling efforts, Bell Atlantic has included
general guidelines on what and how to recycle in the Yellow Pages.

Bell Atlantic is the world's largest publisher of Yellow Pages shopping
directories. Its affiliate, Bell Atlantic Electronic Commerce Services, is the
creator of BigYellow^SM, a leading national
online shopping service.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information
industry. With more than 41 million telephone access lines and seven million
wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of
advanced wireline voice and data services as well as market leaders in
wireless services. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's
largest investors in high-growth global communications markets, with
operations and investments in 23 countries.