Time for FCC to act on AT&T-Bellsouth; WASHINGTON - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton, R-Texas, and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, issued the following joint statement today: "AT&T and Bellsouth filed an application for transfer of control on March 31, 2006. More than six months have now transpired since that application was filed. The Federal Communications Commission has conducted a thorough review of the pro-competitive benefits presented by AT&T's acquisition of Bellsouth and has a complete record of comments from interested parties. In fact, at least 60 entities filed more than 10,000 initial and almost 600 reply comments. "We are concerned by the commission's failure to act on the application this week after such a thorough review and a complete record. We certainly hope that the delays requested by members of the commission are substantive in nature, although the commission has had ample time to debate the merits of AT&T's acquisition of Bellsouth. The commission has a responsibility to act expeditiously on the AT&T-Bellsouth application so that consumers will have an opportunity to reap the benefits that will emanate from a stronger video and broadband provider in Bellsouth's nine-state region." ####