Alltel CEO Scott Ford declined to take analysts’ questions during...

announced plans in May to take private the nation’s fifth-largest wireless carrier. “The necessary regulatory approvals are progressing well,” Ford said. “While we are waiting to hear from the FCC more definitively on the timing of their approval process, we expect a favorable FCC vote this year.” The Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period on the merger expired July 5, proxy statements were mailed to shareholders July 25 and a shareholder meeting called to approve the merger is scheduled for Aug. 29. Ford said he had received many questions from investors and analysts about the $27.5 billion deal in light of tightened credit markets. “Our merger agreement… provides that the obligations of TPG-Goldman Sachs to acquire Alltel are not conditioned on financing,” he said. “We have no reason to believe that these firms will not honor their obligations… So despite the noise in the financing markets, we are pleased with the progress we have made on this transaction to date and expect that it will close by year end.” Alltel said it had added 181,500 subscribers net to finish the quarter with 12.24 million. Churn was 1.7 percent, down from 1.9 percent a year earlier. Earnings fell 54 percent to $195.7 million, but revenue was up. Earnings were down only because Alltel had benefitted a year earlier from asset sales and income from discontinued operations. Without those special items, earnings would have been up 25 percent, Alltel said. Revenue was up 12 percent to $2.18 billion.