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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1



       CENTENNIAL CELLULAR CORP. ANNOUNCES OFFER TO PURCHASE AND CONSENT

Solicitation

          For $350 Million Aggregate Principal Amount of Senior Notes


          NEW CANAAN, Conn. and NEW YORK, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Centennial
Cellular Corp. ("Centennial") (Nasdaq: CYCL), a leading independent cellular
provider, announced today that in connection with the proposed merger of
Centennial with CCW Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation organized at the
direction of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe VIII, L.P., Centennial has
commenced offers to purchase for cash all $250 million principal amount of its
8-7/8% Senior Notes due 2001 and $100 million principal amount of its 10-1/8%
Senior Notes due 2005. The Company is also soliciting consents from Noteholders
to approve certain amendments to the Indentures pursuant to which the Notes were
issued.

          The tenders are for:

          --all $250 million of the 8-7/8% Senior Notes due 2001. The purchase
            price to be paid for each $1,000 principal amount tendered will be
            based on a fixed spread of 50 basis points over the yield of the
            6-3/8% U.S. Treasury Note due April 30, 1999 minus the consent
            payment described below. The yield will be calculated at 2:00 p.m.
            New York City time on the second business date prior to the
            expiration date.

          --all $100 million of the 10-1/8% Senior Notes due 2005. The purchase
            price to be paid for each $1,000 principal amount tendered will be
            based on a fixed spread of 75 basis points over the yield of the
            6-1/2% U.S. Treasury Note due May 15, 2005, minus the consent
            payment described below. The yield will be calculated at 2:00 p.m.
            New York City time on the second business date prior to the
            expiration date.

          The tender offers are expected to remain open until 5:00 p.m. New York
City time on October 14, 1998, unless they are extended. Concurrent with the
tender offers, the Company is soliciting consents to eliminate or modify
substantially all of the covenants in the indenture governing each series of
notes.

          The Company will pay consent payments of $25 per $1,000 principal
amount to the holders of the 8-7/8% Notes and the 10-1/8% Notes who tender their
notes and deliver their consents at or prior to 5:00 p.m. New York City time on
the Solicitation Expiration Date which is expected to be September 21, 1998
unless extended.

          The tender offer for each series of notes is contingent upon the
holders of a majority of each series of notes consenting to the indenture
amendments and receipt of valid tenders of a majority of the notes and
consummation of the merger.

          Information regarding the pricing, tender and delivery procedures and
conditions of the tender offers and consent solicitations are contained in the
Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation dated September 8, 1998 and related
documents. Documents can be obtained by contacting Beacon Hill Partners, Inc. at
800-755-5001 or 212-843-8500.

          The tender offers and consent solicitations are being managed by
Merrill Lynch & Co. Any questions may be directed to Merrill Lynch at
888-ML4-TNDR or





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212-449-4914.

          Centennial acquires, operates and invests in cellular telephone
systems throughout the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Centennial's current wireless telephone interests represent approximately 10.1
million Net Pops. Approximately 6.5 million of these Net Pops are represented by
Centennial's wireless telephone systems located in the continental United
States, including approximately 1.1 million Net Pops related to Centennial's
minority equity investments in partnerships owning wireless telephone systems.
The balance of approximately 3.6 million Net Pops represents Centennial's
interest in its wireless telephone systems in Puerto Rico.

          This news release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation
of an offer to sell securities. The offers and consent solicitations are made
only by the Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation dated September 8, 1998.

SOURCE Centennial Cellular Corp.

          CONTACT: Scott N. Schneider, Chief Financial Officer of Centennial
Cellular, 203-972-2002; or Merrill Lynch & Co., 888-654-8637, or 212-449-4914,
or Beacon Hill Partners, 212-843-8500, or 800-755-5001, both for Centennial
Cellular/(CYCL)





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