MONROE, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 25, 2004--CenturyTel, Inc.
(NYSE:CTL) today announced that the Board of Directors voted to
increase the quarterly cash dividend to $.0575 from $.0550 per share,
a 4.5 percent increase, payable on March 19, 2004, to shareholders of
record on March 8, 2004.
"CenturyTel is pleased to announce an increase in common dividends
for the 31st consecutive year," Glen F. Post III, CenturyTel's
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said.
CenturyTel, Inc.
provides communications services including local,
long distance, Internet access and data services to more than 3
million customers in 22 states. The company, headquartered in Monroe,
Louisiana, is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol CTL, and is included in the S&P 500 Index. CenturyTel is the
8th largest local exchange telephone company, based on access lines,
in the United States. Visit CenturyTel at www.centurytel.com.
CONTACT: CenturyTel Inc.
, Monroe
Investors: Tony Davis, 318-388-9525
tony.davis@centurytel.com
www.centurytel.com
SOURCE: CenturyTel, Inc.