TWELVE NEWSPAPERS PLAN TO JOIN NEWSPAPER/YELLOW PAGES VENTURE

    ATLANTA, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Twelve more newspapers have announced their intention to work with the planned Cox Enterprises, Inc., and BellSouth Enterprises, Inc., joint venture in the founding of a proposed Newspaper/Yellow Pages consortium.
    They will join eight newspapers that have already announced participation in the development of the consortium, which plans to develop and market a family of new electronic information services based on newspaper classified and yellow pages advertising.
    BellSouth and Cox announced a month ago plans for the formation of a joint venture to develop and market electronic information services based on newspaper classified and yellow pages advertising.
    BellSouth and Cox announced a month ago plans for the formation of a joint venture to develop and market electronic advertising in the Atlanta area.  At that time, the companies said they would explore working with other newspapers to develop similar services throughout the southeastern U.S.
    The newcomers include:  the Media General, Inc., group including Tampa (FL) Tribune, Winston-Salem (NC) Journal, and Richmond (VA) Times- Dispatch; three from the Multimedia Newspaper Company group including The Greenville (SC) News and Greenville Piedmont, The Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times, and The Montgomery (AL) Advertiser; The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.; three East Coast Newspapers, Inc. papers including The Herald, Rock Hill, S.C., The Beaufort (SC) Gazette and The Island Packet, Hilton Head, S.C.; Anderson (SC) Independent-Mail, and the Owensboro (KY) Messenger-Inquirer.
    These newspapers join The Atlanta Journal and Constitution; The Palm Beach Post, West Palm Beach, Fla.; the Greensboro (NC) News & Record; The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, Fla.; The St. Augustine (FL) Record; The Augusta (GA) Chronicle and Augusta Herald, and Savannah (GA) Morning News, Savannah Evening Press and Savannah News-Press.
    As founding members of the consortium, the 20 papers are expected to build upon the experience of the BellSouth/Cox application in Atlanta, which is planning to begin service by the end of the year.  The Atlanta venture will offer consumers and businesses electronic access to information of the type found in yellow pages directories and local newspaper classified advertising.
    The information is planned to be made available to callers on a pay- per-call basis, with operators assisting callers in their search for goods and services.  It is expected that the Atlanta newspapers and BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp., publishers of the Atlanta Yellow Pages, will work together to make their information available through other electronic means, such as cable TV, telephone screen phones and personal computer networks.
    David Easterly, president of Cox Newspapers, said:  "Congratulations to the leadership of these new members joining our group.  They will recognize the full benefits of our development by virtue of their early adoption of this network concept.  We welcome them and hope to create a comprehensive large team of newspapers and Yellow Pages publishers that can serve consumers throughout the Southeast."
    BellSouth is an international telecommunications holding company based in Atlanta.
    Cox Enterprises is a major media company which includes 17 daily newspapers, 24 cable television systems, 20 radio and television stations, and is the world's largest operator of auto auctions.
    -0-                         8/19/93
    /CONTACT:  Communications Department of Cox Enterprises, 404-843-5123/
    (BLS)

CO: Cox Enterprises, Inc.; BellSouth Enterprises, Inc. ST: Georgia IN: SU: JVN 

BR-BN -- AT006 -- 4401 08/19/93 14:36 EDT