NEWS                                                           October 21, 1996

          FCC CELEBRATES NATIONAL CONSUMERS WEEK WITH OFFICIAL 
            OPENING OF NATIONAL CALL CENTER (1-888 CALL FCC)

     Leslie L. Byrne, Director and Special Assistant to President Clinton, Office of
Consumer Affairs joined Chairman Reed Hundt, Commissioner Susan Ness and the FCC to
kick off National Consumers Week with the official opening of its national Call Center. 

     In honor of the official Call Center opening Vice President Al Gore sent a letter to
Hundt saying, "The FCC has been a leader in reinventing government through its efforts to
achieve better customer service, worker accountability and empowerment, less red tape, and
lower costs.  The Call Center is a prime example of the Commission's success."

     The event featured a video link between FCC headquarters and the Gettysburg, PA
Call Center so audience members could see the call center in action.  Byrne, Hundt and Ness
placed the first "official" call to the Call Center.  

     Throughout the celebration there were also live "call ins" from special guests. There
was a call from Jan Fox, Reporter for WUSA-TV, Channel 9, Washington, DC and Mark
Silverstein from WMAR-TV, Channel 2, Baltimore, Maryland. 
     
     The FCC's Call Center (1-888-CALL-FCC) provides simple, one stop shopping for
information about FCC rules and policies.  The Call Center experts are standing by to 
answer any communications questions from citizens across America.  The Call Center
experts answer questions on issues including, but not limited to, broadcasting, cable, new
technologies, telephone charges, and long distance carriers. 


-  FCC  -


     News Media contact:  Meribeth McCarrick at (202) 418-0500
     Compliance and Information Bureau contacts:  Marlene Jackson at (202) 418-1117  
     and Byron McCoy at (202) 418-1100.