ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, June 22, 1996                TAG: 9606240038
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: A-6  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON

FCC FINES 2 PHONE COMPANIES, SETTLES WITH MCI OVER SIGN-UPS

Federal regulators took action against two long-distance companies Friday for signing up customers without their permission. A third company negotiated a $30,000 settlement.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed a $200,000 fine for Heartline Communications Inc. and fined Excel Telecommunications Inc. $80,000.

In addition, the FCC and MCI Telecommunications Corp. entered into a consent decree in which MCI agreed to voluntarily pay $30,000 to the U.S. Treasury. The FCC had proposed an $80,000 fine against the company last January.

- Associated Press

LENGTH: Short :   25 lines