Exhibit A

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 15, 1996

For Information Contact:
David Morris, GCI, 907.229.5941
Bonnie Bernholz, 907.561.4488

               GCI TO ACQUIRE THREE LEADING ALASKA CABLE COMPANIES

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         ANCHORAGE,  AK - General  Communication,  Inc. (GCI) announced today it
has signed three letters of intent to acquire three Alaska cable  companies that
offer  cable  television  service to more than  101,000  subscribers  serving 74
percent of households throughout the state.

         Ron  Duncan,  president  of GCI said GCI will  acquire  Prime  Cable of
Alaska,  Alaska  Cablevision,  Inc. of Kirkland,  Washington  and Alaskan  Cable
Network.  Prime Cable  operates  the state's  largest  cable  television  system
including stations in Anchorage,  Bethel, Kenai and Soldotna. Alaska Cablevision
owns and operates  cable  stations in  Petersburg,  Wrangell,  Cordova,  Valdez,
Kodiak, Homer, Seward, Nome and Kotzebue. Jake Kent Cooke's wholly owned Alaskan
Cable Network operates stations in Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka.

         The total purchase price is $280.7  million.  According to terms of the
agreements,  GCI will issue 16.3  million  shares of Class A Common stock to the
owners of the three cable companies valued at $105.7 million. The balance of the
purchase  will be  provided by  approximately  $175  million of bank  financing.
Additional  capital  will be provided  from the sale of 2 million  shares of GCI
Class A Common Stock to MCI Telecommunications Corporation for $6.50 per share.

         In making  the  announcement,  Duncan  said three  separate  letters of
intent were executed  yesterday.  The transaction should be finalized in about a
month at which  time GCI will apply to the Alaska  Public  Utilities  Commission
(APUC) to transfer  the  licenses of the cable  companies.  Once all  regulatory
approvals are granted,  the cable companies will be  consolidated  into a single
organization owned by GCI.

         Duncan said the recently passed  Telecommunications  Act of 1996 allows
providers  to expand  their  current  level of services  by  entering  into new,
previously  protected business areas. Among other efficiencies,  the new federal
legislation  allows 

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open competition  among local telephone  providers,  long distance  carriers and
cable television companies.

         "The  world  of  telecommunications   is  rapidly  changing,   and  the
once-distinct  lines drawn between telephone and cable services are beginning to
merge," Duncan said. "This acquisition allows us to integrate cable services and
enables us to bring more information not only to more customers, but in a manner
that is quicker, more efficient and more cost effective than ever before."

         Duncan  said the  purchase  will  consolidate  operations  and  offer a
platform for  developing  new customer  products and services  over the next two
years.

         "We at Prime  Cable of Alaska  view the  merger  with GCI as a positive
step toward providing  additional  opportunities to our employees and ultimately
providing technological  enhancements and services to our customers," said Marty
Robinson,  vice  president  and general  manager of Prime  Cable of Alaska.  "We
believe  this  merger  is a clear  indication  of both  Prime  Cable  and  GCI's
continued commitment to our customers and to the state of Alaska."

         Mike Roberge,  Alaska  Cablevision  president said,  "This is much more
than an acquisition.  From our cable perspective, the new GCI venture will bring
much needed scale,  as well as new  operating  efficiencies  to our  operations.
Alaska  Cablevision  welcomes  the  opportunities  afforded in folding our cable
operations  in with that of Prime Cable and Alaskan Cable  Network.  We can only
view this as great news for our customers, our employees and our shareholders."

         Jerry Parker, regional manager of Alaskan Cable Network, said, "I think
the  consolidation  of GCI and the three largest cable  television  companies in
Alaska  will be of  tremendous  advantage  as  communication  needs  continue to
expand, and we look forward in joining this exciting new venture."

         GCI is an Alaska-based telecommunications company. Founded in 1979, GCI
began offering long distance  telephone  service in November 1982.  During GCI's
nearly 13 years of service,  it has grown from a small  interstate long distance
company to one that serves more than 90,000 customers.


                                      # # #

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                       FINANCIAL TERMS OF THE ACQUISITION

Terms
Cash                                    $ 72,000,000
Assumption of Debt                      $103,000,000
Convertible Note                        $ 10,000,000
     (convertible into 1.538
      million shares of GCI
      Class A Common Stock)
Issuance of 14,723,077 Shares of
GCI Class A Common Stock valued
at $6.50 per share                      $ 95,700,000
                                        ------------

Total Acquisition Price                 $280,700,000

Other

- MCI to  acquire  2,000,000  shares of GCI  Class A Common  Stock at a price of
  $6.50 per share

- Carrier  contracts  for the carriage of MCI traffic by GCI and the carriage of
  GCI traffic by MCI extended for three years through March 31, 2001

- Major GCI  shareholders  after  closing  of  transactions  and  conversion  of
  convertible note:

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                                            Percentage of Outstanding Shares

MCI ..................................................   23 percent
Prime Group ..........................................   28 percent
GCI Employees/Management .............................    9 percent
Jack Kent Cooke ......................................    7 percent
Rock Group ...........................................    4 percent
Wellington Management Co. ............................    3 percent
Others ...............................................   26 percent
                                                        -----------

Total ................................................  100 percent


LOCATIONS:

Prime Cable                Alaskan Cable Network             Alaska Cablevision
-----------                ---------------------             ------------------
Anchorage Area             Fairbanks                             Petersburg
Bethel                     Juneau                                Wrangell
Kenai                      Ketchikan                             Cordova
Soldotna                   Sitka                                 Valdez
                                                                 Kodiak
                                                                 Nome
                                                                 Kotzebue
                                                                 Homer
                                                                 Seward

         * Number of homes passed/subscribers:   160,000/101,000


1995 Revenues
-------------
GCI                                 $129,000,000
Cable Companies                     $ 54,000,000
                                    ------------
          Total                     $183,000,000


        Estimated operating cash flow of cable companies at closing: $29,400,000

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Number of Employees
-------------------
GCI                                 430
Cable Companies                     220

                                    ----
         Total                      650


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