FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                	                      AT	
MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 1996                                     (202) 616-2771
							TDD (202) 514-1888

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CLEARS OUTDOOR SYSTEMS INC. ACQUISITION OF CERTAIN
GANNETT CO. ASSETS FOLLOWING DENVER BILLBOARD BUSINESS SALE
Justice Department Preserves Competition in Billboard Advertising

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The Department of Justice today said that 
it would allow Outdoor Systems Inc., a Phoenix-based billboards producer, 
to go forward with its acquisition of the Outdoor Division of Gannett Co. Inc., 
given that Outdoor Systems sold its Denver billboard operations.  Since both 
companies operated billboard businesses in Denver, the Department's Antitrust 
Division required the divestiture in order to ensure that the billboard 
advertising market in that city remained competitive.

Both Outdoor Systems and Gannett are leading competitors in the billboard 
advertising business in numerous areas across the country, but they do not 
market billboards in many localities in common.  In the original deal, Denver 
is the only city in which both companies operated billboard businesses.

Anne K. Bingaman, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department's 
Antitrust Division, said, "Billboards are an important tool for local advertisers, 
and competition among 
billboard providers ensures that prices stay low."
The Department investigated Outdoor System's proposed acquisition to determine 
if the deal as originally proposed would violate antitrust laws by reducing 
competition in the sale of billboard advertising in Denver.  In response to 
the Department's concerns that the original deal would be anticompetitive, 
Outdoor Systems agreed to find a suitable buyer for its existing Denver 
billboard business.  Colorado Outdoor Inc., a venture formed by experienced 
billboard operators in Denver, is the buyer.

Outdoor Systems provides outdoor advertising services in Arizona, 
Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.  

Gannett is based in Arlington, Virginia.  The outdoor advertising 
services that are being sold are provided in California, Colorado, 
Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania and Canada.   

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