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CONTACT: Kyle DeVine                      April 16, 1996   CPUC - 514
         213-897-4225

               CPUC TO HOLD CALLER ID TOWN HALL MEETING
    Caller ID may begin in California on June 1. The California Public
Utilities Commission wants consumers to know how they can protect the
privacy of their phone numbers and is holding a Town Hall Meeting to
discuss Caller ID service and blocking.  The meeting will be:

Monday, April 29 - 7 pm to 9 pm - Santa Monica Library, 1343 6th St.
    The meeting room is wheelchair accessible.  Accommodations, such
as interpreters, may be arranged by calling the Public Advisor at 213-
897-3544 at least five working days before the meeting.

    Commissioner Jessie Knight will chair a panel of representatives
from Pacific Bell, GTEC, and consumer advocate group TURN (Toward
Utility Rate Normalization). They will describe the service, answer
questions and listen to comments from the public.
    Individuals and businesses who subscribe to Caller ID and also
have identification equipment attached to their phones, will know the
telephone number of a caller before answering the phone unless the
caller blocks the number from being revealed.
    There are two free blocking options available:
      0  Complete Blocking - blocks your number on all calls unless
         you decide to reveal the number by pressing *82 (or dialing
         1182 on rotary phones) before dialing the number.
      0  Selective Blocking - reveals your number on all calls unless
         you want to block it by pressing *67 (or dialing 1167 on
         rotary phones) before dialing a number.
    Neither blocking option works when you dial 911, 900, 800 or 888
numbers.  As approved by the Federal Communications Commission, those
numbers already have a service available that reveals callers numbers.
    Consumers who want Complete Blocking must request that from their
local telephone companies either by sending in the response form that
was sent with the utility bill or by calling the utilities - Pacific
Bell at 800-298-5000; GTEC at 800-884-8739.
    Consumers will have Selective Blocking as a default if they do not
request any blocking option.           -###-