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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) June 25, 1997
ROCHESTER TELEPHONE CORP.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
New York 33-91250 16-1469713
(State or other (Commission (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of File Number) Identification No.)
incorporation)
180 South Clinton Avenue, Rochester, New York 14646
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (716) 777-1000
Item 5 Other Events
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Rochester Telephone Corp. announced a name transition to
Frontier Telephone of Rochester, Inc.
As permitted by General Instruction F to Form 8-K, the
Registrant incorporates by reference the information contained in
the press release which is filed as an Exhibit to this Report on
Form 8-K.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
on its behalf of the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Rochester Telephone Corp.
(Registrant)
Dated: June 25, 1997 By: /s/ Gregg C. Sayre
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Gregg C. Sayre
Secretary
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit Number Description
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99 Press Release dated Filed herewith
June 25, 1997
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ROCHESTER TELEPHONE
FOR RELEASE AFTER 1 P.M. Contact for additional information:
ON JUNE 25, 1997 Karen S. Pailler, Media Relations
Manager, (716) 777-4573
Rochester Telephone Corp. Announces a Name Transition
to Frontier Telephone of Rochester, Inc.
Rochester Telephone Corp. has announced that it will begin a
transition to become known as Frontier Telephone of Rochester,
Inc. According to Denise K. Gutstein, president of Rochester
Telephone Corp., "As we begin this transition of our name to
Frontier Telephone of Rochester, Inc., we will take advantage of
the existing brand equity and name recognition that our parent
company--Frontier--now enjoys in the Rochester area. We need to
capitalize on the fact that we are part of one corporation
providing integrated telecommunications services. It makes sense
to also look and sound as if we are part of one corporation,
which, of course, we are. As part of the transition process,
we will begin retiring the old Rochester Tel logo and begin using
the Frontier logo in all of our future advertising and public
interactions."
The company expects a more consistent use of Frontier's
distinctive corporate logo (seen at Frontier Field, on its
headquarters building, and throughout the community) and new tag
line (Talk To One CompanySM) to help communicate that it offers
reliable, cost-effective, integrated telecommunications services.
These services include long distance and hosting services,
wireless, paging, calling cards, and Internet services for both
residential and small-business customers as well as local dial
tone and special calling features.
On January 1, 1995, Rochester Telephone Corporation legally
became Frontier Corporation. Jerry Carr, president of the
Frontier Telephone Group, states, "By 1995, our growing company
was engaged in multiple lines of business in numerous locations
around the country. We needed a corporate name that was no
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longer tied to just one location and that new name was carefully
and thoughtfully chosen. Throughout American history, the word
`frontier' has been associated with a new horizon to be explored,
limitless possibilities, excitement and adventure for those who
dare seek it out. When we chose the name Frontier, it was to
capture the pioneering spirit of our company as one of the first
in the country to immediately embrace a new invention called the
telephone as well as every new telecommunications development and
challenge since that time."
Also in 1995, all of the telephone companies owned by
Frontier Corporation took a new "Frontier version" of their local
names, except in Rochester. (For example, Sylvan Lake Telephone
Company became Frontier Communications of Sylvan Lake, Inc.)
Carr explains, "Because Frontier Corporation was `born' in
Rochester on the same day the company voluntarily opened its
market to competition, we decided that to compete for local
customers for the first time using what was then a new and
unknown name could cause confusion. Therefore, Rochester
Telephone Corp. became the name of Frontier's subsidiary
providing local telephone services here in Rochester, New York."
"Today, two and a half years later, Frontier is also an
established, well-known company in Rochester and the time is
right to have Rochester Telephone Corp. take a name that begins
with `Frontier,' just as all of our other Frontier Telephone
Group companies have already done," states Carr.
With a public announcement of its intention to begin using
the Frontier name in its advertising and marketing efforts,
Rochester Telephone expects to make a smooth transition over a
period of time rather than all at once. Distribution of the
company's official 1998 telephone directories at the end of this
year is anticipated to be its first major appearance for
customers.
Frontier Corporation is the parent company whose long
distance, local telephone and cellular operations provide a range
of integrated communications services to customers. Frontier is
an S&P 500 company with annualized revenues of nearly $2.5
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billion. With sales locations nationwide and 8,000 employees,
Frontier is the fifth largest long distance company in the United
States.
