Bell Atlantic Video Receives National Recognition For Interactive Media Work

Bell Atlantic Video Receives National
Recognition
For Interactive Media Work

Flurry of Awards Presented to Bell Atlantic in 1999

August 25, 1999

RESTON, Va. -- Bell Atlantic Video's New Media group is earning a
reputation for outstanding work in new media. This year, the Bell Atlantic
unit has received a number of national and regional awards.

Most recently, Bell Atlantic Video was awarded a Copper Axiem Award
in the Interactive Media category for "Keswick Hall -- A Virtual
Tour" CD-ROM. The national award honors outstanding production
in all forms of electronic media.

"This recognition is a testament to Bell Atlantic's creativity and
technical capabilities," said Don Micallef, executive director of Bell
Atlantic Video's New Media group. "Coming on the heels of honors
we received from three other organizations, this award solidifies our
position as a premiere choice for companies looking for top quality design
and electronic media production."

New media products and services combine elements of computing
technology, telecommunications and content -- including text, sound,
graphics and audio-visual programming -- in a way that permits
interactive use by consumers and businesses.

"Keswick Hall -- A Virtual Tour" is a CD-ROM that takes
travelers on a virtual tour of a world-class resort located in Virginia.
Through the use of QuickTime* VR, users can scroll the scene left and
right as well as zoom in on particular points of interest. The Axiem
award, inaugurated this year, recognizes work in all areas of electronic
media, including television, radio, film, animation, the World Wide Web
and interactive media. Judging is based on innovation, creativity,
technical merit and overall quality of experience.

In June, the group won two awards from the Art Directors Club of
Metropolitan Washington. Graphics produced for the Smithsonian
National Postal Museum's "Classroom in a Can" program
series won in the packaging category and a 48-page catalog developed for
American Gourmet won in the catalog category.

In May, two, 30-second animated spots for Music Choice were finalists
for the Telly Awards sponsored by the Center for Creativity. For nearly
two decades, Telly Awards have honored outstanding non-network and
cable television commercials. In March, the New Media group won two
Crystal Awards of Excellence, the top honor of the Communicator
Awards, for the same spots. The Communicator Awards is a national
competition founded by communications professionals to recognize
individuals and companies in the communications field whose talent and
creativity achieves a high standard of excellence and serves as a standard
for the industry.

The New Media group of Bell Atlantic Video provides digital
communications solutions for businesses through an experienced staff of
new media designers and digital engineers. The team provides end-to-end
solutions in the rapidly growing area of broadband content development.
This includes developing business applications such as Web sites, kiosks,
digital learning systems and archival content management systems, and
providing services such as content acquisition, digital encoding and
graphic design.

Located in Reston, Va., Bell Atlantic Video is a subsidiary of Bell
Atlantic. The unit markets and delivers to consumers a satellite-based
entertainment alternative to cable television. It also develops and delivers
to businesses new media services that strengthen communications and
increase productivity.

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.

*QuickTime is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.