AT&T CLAIMS RIVALS MADE SECRET DEALS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 11, 1993                   TAG: 9302110159
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: C6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
AT&T CLAIMS RIVALS MADE SECRET DEALS
WASHINGTON - American Telephone & Telegraph sought damages Wednesday from three competing long-distance companies that AT&T says violated the law by making secret deals with customers.
It's the latest volley in AT&T's battle with MCI, Sprint and other companies over public disclosure. AT&T says it is required to tell the Federal Communications Commission more about its contracts than are its rivals. MCI said AT&T is just bitter about losing customers to MCI.
The battle is over business customers who make individual contracts worth millions for long-distance service tailored to their particular needs.
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals here ruled in November that all long-distance companies providing interstate service must file information about those contracts with the FCC.
AT&T complaints were filed against MCI, Sprint and WilTel, charging the three companies have been able to undercut AT&T's publicly filed rates by offering secret deals to selected customers. - Associated Press
\ McDonald's invited to sacred-cow land
NEW DELHI, India - McDonald's has been invited to India - but told not to bring its Big Mac.
To sell beef in the land of the sacred cow requires a special license that is granted only to luxury-class hotels catering to foreign tourists.
Beef is taboo to Hindus, who are 82 percent of India's 875 million people. Muslims, who are 12 percent and the country's largest minority, don't eat pork.
So if McDonald's goes ahead with its planned $20 million investment deal, it probably will do what the British-based Wimpy's does.
"Chickenburgers are our hottest item," said the duty manager of the 1 1/2-year-old restaurant in New Delhi.
Wimpy's advertises its hamburgers as 100 percent lamb. The lentilburger is popular with the vegetarian crowd.
Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao introduced sweeping reforms 18 months ago to attract foreign investment and bring India's economy into line with international trading practices.
Skeptics complain the reforms are bringing the wrong kind of investments and too many imports of Western-style consumer goods.
A few fast-food chains exist, but most serve Indian kebabs and traditional tandoori foods baked in mud ovens. - Associated Press \

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB