Consolidated Communications Announces 2008 Dividend Tax Treatment

Consolidated Communications Announces 2008 Dividend Tax Treatment

MATTOON, Ill., Jan. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNSL) today announced its 2008 reported cash distribution of approximately $1.55 per share is classified as a 100% qualified dividend. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine if this has any implications to their personal tax situations.

About Consolidated Communications

Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. is an established rural local exchange company providing voice, data and video services to residential and business customers in Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania. Each of the operating companies has been operating in its local market for over 100 years. With approximately 270,352 ILEC access lines, 74,762 Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) access line equivalents, 89,129 DSL subscribers, and 15,454 IPTV subscribers, Consolidated Communications offers a wide range of telecommunications services, including local and long distance service, custom calling features, private line services, high-speed Internet access, digital TV, carrier access services, and directory publishing. Consolidated Communications is the 13th largest local telephone company in the United States.

Safe Harbor

This release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future performance of Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to, economic conditions, customer demand, increased competition in the relevant market and others. These and other risks and uncertainties are discussed in more detail in Consolidated Communication's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Many of these risks are beyond management's ability to control or predict. Because of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Furthermore, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake any obligation to update or review any such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events of otherwise.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc.

CONTACT: Matt Smith, Director - Investor Relations of Consolidated
Communications Holdings, Inc., +1-217-258-2959,
matthew.smith@consolidated.com

Web site: http://www.consolidated.com/

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