ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, April 18, 1996               TAG: 9604180051
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: B8   EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: NEW YORK 

MERGER TALK BOOSTS BELLS

Shares in Bell Atlantic Corp. and Nynex Corp. both rose in a falling market Wednesday on reports that the two Baby Bells have revived merger talks.

Such a combination would create a communications company second in size only to AT&T Corp., with more than $27 billion in annual revenue, more than $3 billion in earnings and more than 36 million residential and business customers from Maine to Virginia.

The companies hope to announce a merger as early as next week, The Wall Street Journal reported, quoting executives close to the talks. The Bells would not confirm or deny the report. On the New York Stock Exchange, Nynex was up $2.25 at $53.37 1/2 a share and Bell Atlantic was up $1.62 1/2 at $61.87 1/2. -Associated Press

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