EXHIBIT  99A


Date:          May  16,  1997

Contact:      Amy  Damianakes          Steve  Lang
AirTouch  Communications  Inc.          U  S  WEST  Media  Group
510-210-3645          303-793-6290




                       AIRTOUCH AND U S WEST MEDIA GROUP
                         SIGN DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT ON
                     MERGER OF DOMESTIC WIRELESS INTERESTS

     U  S WEST Media Group (NYSE: UMG) and AirTouch Communications (NYSE: ATI)
have  signed a definitive agreement to merge the domestic cellular business of
Media Group and its interest in PrimeCo Personal Communications into AirTouch.
     AirTouch and U S WEST announced April 17 that they had signed a letter of
intent  regarding  the merger. The principal terms of the definitive agreement
are  the  same  as  those  in  the  letter  of  intent.
     The  parties  value  the  merger  at  about  $5  billion. The transaction
includes  the  tax-free  distribution  of  AirTouch  stock  to  Media  Group
shareowners  and the assumption by AirTouch of $2.2 billion of debt associated
with  the  business  being  acquired.
     U S WEST also said that it would transfer its domestic directory business
from  its  Media  Group  to its Communications Group (NYSE: USW) in connection
with  the  AirTouch  merger.
     Closing  of  the  AirTouch/Media  Group  transaction requires a favorable
ruling  from  the  Internal  Revenue  Service,  Hart-Scott-Rodino  review  and
approval  by shareowners of Media Group and U S WEST Communications Group. The
companies  said  they  believe this transaction should close by the end of the
year  or  early  next  year,  but  they  noted that "Morris Trust" legislation
introduced  April  17  in  Congress  would  block  this  transaction  if  the
legislation  passes  in  its  current form. In this event, the companies would
continue  with  their  existing  joint  venture  agreement.

- - -more-

     U  S  WEST  Media  Group  (NYSE: UMG), one of America's largest broadband
communications  companies, is involved in domestic and international cable and
telephony,  wireless  communications,  and directory and information services.
For  1996,  Media Group reported proportionate revenues of $6.4 billion. Media
Group  is  one  of  two  major  groups that make up U S WEST, a company in the
connections  business,  helping customers share information, entertainment and
communications  services  in  local markets worldwide.  U S WEST's other major
group,  U  S  WEST  Communications, provides telecommunications services in 14
western  and  midwestern  states.
     AirTouch Communications is a global wireless communications company, with
interests  in  cellular,  paging,  and personal communications services in the
United  States,  Belgium,  Germany,  India,  Italy,  Japan,  Poland, Portugal,
Romania,  South  Korea,  Spain  and  Sweden,  as  well  as  an interest in the
Globalstar  satellite  system.  The  company,  based  in San Francisco, serves
nearly  8.5  million  proportionate  customers  worldwide.

     NOTE:  Another press release by U S WEST, announcing the plan to move U S
WEST  Media  Group's  directory operations to U S WEST Communications Group is
being  issued  simultaneously.