JOSHUA W. MARTIN TO BECOME PRESIDENT AND CEO OF BELL ATLANTIC-DELAWARE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 1996

JOSHUA W. MARTIN TO BECOME PRESIDENT AND CEO OF BELL
ATLANTIC-DELAWARE

New Phone Company Chief Is Former State Superior
Court Judge

Wilmington, DE -- Joshua W. Martin III today was
elected president
and CEO of Bell Atlantic-Delaware. Martin succeeds Carolyn S. Burger,
who is leaving the company.

Martin, 51, currently serves as vice president and general counsel of
Bell Atlantic-Delaware, a position he has held since 1990 when he
joined Bell Atlantic.

"Josh Martin has played a key role in positioning Bell
Atlantic-Delaware to better compete in the 1990's and beyond," said
Raymond W. Smith,
chairman and CEO of Bell Atlantic Corp. "I'm fully
confident that Bell Atlantic-Delaware will be a strong competitor
under Josh's leadership as we go forward in the new telecommunications
marketplace."

Bell Atlantic Vice Chairman Jim Cullen said Martin brings
exceptional
skills to his new position. "As general counsel, Josh has provided
solid legal counsel and strategic direction that were instrumental in
Bell Atlantic-Delaware's superior competitive performance. He is an
acknowledged leader in the business community and has helped create a
positive change in the regulatory landscape in Delaware."

Martin joined Bell Atlantic-Delaware after serving as a Delaware
Superior Court judge for eight years. He also served on the
Delaware Public Service Commission from 1978 to 1982, including a
three-year term as chairman.

Martin began his career in 1966 as a physicist at DuPont Company,
where he served until 1971. He served as a legal intern at the
B.P.U.M. Economic Development Corporation in Camden, New Jersey from
1972 to 1974. Martin then joined Hercules, Inc. and served as a
patent attorney for six years prior to his appointment to the Superior
Court bench.

Martin currently serves as a director of PNC Bank-Delaware and the
Diamond State Port Corporation. He also serves as vice president-at
large of the Delaware State Bar Association. Martin is a life trustee
of Goldey Beacom College and a trustee of the Delaware Public Policy
Institute and Wilmington Friends School. He also serves on the Board
of Visitors of Delaware State University. He is a graduate of the
Rutgers University School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science
degree in physics from Case Institute of Technology.

"I am excited about the opportunity to lead our company into the
increasingly competitive telecommunications environment in
Delaware,"
Martin said. "Our commitment to the state remains strong, and we
will
continue to provide excellent customer service, which has been the
hallmark of our company for more than a century."

Martin and his wife Cynthia reside in Hockessin. They have three
daughters.

Bell Atlantic Corporation (NYSE: BEL) is at the forefront of the new
communications, entertainment and information industry. In the
mid-Atlantic region, the company is the premier provider of local
telecommunications and advanced services. Globally, it is one of the
largest investors in the high-growth wireless communication
marketplace. Bell Atlantic also owns a substantial interest in
Telecom Corporation of New Zealand and is actively developing
high-growth national and international business opportunities in all
phases of the industry.

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Media contact:

Ells Edwards, 302-576-5340
ellsworth.edwards@bell-atl.com