<Page>
Exhibit 12
CITIZENS COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY
Statement Showing Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
for the five years ended December 31, 2000
(DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)
<Table>
<Caption>
12/31/2000 12/31/1999 12/31/1998 12/31/1997 12/31/1996
----------------------------------------------------------
Pre-tax income before dividends on convertible preferred securities
and discontinued operations $ (49,993) $ 217,709 $ 69,314 $ 13,684 $ 241,997
Income or loss from equity investees (1,935) (2,019) (1,163) (1,108) (909)
Minority interest (12,222) (23,227) (14,032) (645) --
-----------------------------------------------------------
Pre-tax income from continuing operations before adjustment for
minority interest in consolidated subsidiaries or income or loss
from equity investees (64,150) 192,463 54,119 11,931 241,088
Fixed charges 206,650 142,847 125,798 114,184 93,852
Amortization of capitalized interest -- -- -- -- --
Distributed income of equity investees 800 600 1,100 600 600
Interest capitalized (4,766) (8,681) (10,444) (4,693) (3,109)
Preference security dividend requirements of consolidated subsidiaries (10,063) (10,063) (10,063) (10,063) (9,477)
Minority interest in pre-tax income of subsidiaries that have not
incurred fixed charges -- -- -- -- --
----------------------------------------------------------
Total earnings 128,471 317,166 160,510 111,959 322,953
----------------------------------------------------------
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges 0.62 2.22 1.28 0.98 3.44
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</Table>
<Page>
CITIZENS COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY
Statement Showing Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges
and Preferred Dividends
for the five years ended December 31, 2000
(DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)
<Table>
<Caption>
12/31/2000 12/31/1999 12/31/1998 12/31/1997 12/31/1996
--------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-tax income before dividends on convertible preferred securities
and discontinued operations $ (49,993) $ 217,709 $ 69,314 $ 13,684 $ 241,997
Income or loss from equity investees (1,935) (2,019) (1,163) (1,108) (909)
Minority interest (12,222) (23,227) (14,032) (645) --
--------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-tax income from continuing operations before adjustment for
minority interest in consolidated subsidiaries or income or loss
from equity investees (64,150) 192,463 54,119 11,931 241,088
Fixed charges 216,713 152,910 135,861 124,247 103,329
Amortization of capitalized interest -- -- -- -- --
Distributed income of equity investees 800 600 1,100 600 600
Interest capitalized (4,766) (8,681) (10,444) (4,693) (3,109)
Preference security dividend requirements of consolidated subsidiaries (10,063) (10,063) (10,063) (10,063) (9,477)
Minority interest in pre-tax income of subsidiaries that have not
incurred fixed charges -- -- -- -- --
--------------------------------------------------------------
Total earnings 138,534 327,229 170,573 122,022 332,431
--------------------------------------------------------------
Ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges 0.64 2.14 1.26 0.98 3.22
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</Table>
CITIZENS COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY
Statement Showing Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
and Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges
and Preferred Dividends for the six months ended June 30, 2001
(DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)
FIXED COMBINED
CHARGES FIXED CHARGES
----------------------------
Pre-tax income before dividends on convertible preferred securities and
discontinued operations $ 27,276 $ 27,276
Income or loss from equity investees (1,068) (1,068)
Minority interest -- --
---------------------------
Pre-tax income from continuing operations before adjustment for minority interest
in consolidated subsidiaries or income or loss from equity investees 26,208 26,208
Fixed charges 142,538 160,217
Amortization of capitalized interest -- --
Distributed income of equity investees 1,850 1,850
Interest capitalized (1,073) (1,073)
Preference security dividend requirements of consolidated subsidiaries (5,031) (5,031)
Carrying Cost of equity forward contracts (12,647) (12,647)
Minority interest in pre-tax income of subsidiaries that have not incurred fixed charges -- --
---------------------------
Total earnings 151,845 169,523
---------------------------
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges 1.07 1.06
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