According to preliminary results, 97.4% of the shareholders of Bell Atlantic Corp. approve the company`s merger with nynex Corp. (see Lightwave, June 1996, page 1). An equally high proportion of nynex shareholders have cast votes in favor of the deal. Bell Atlantic chairman and chief executive Ray Smith says the merger process is going smoothly, and remaining regulatory and state reviews are expected to be completed during the first quarter of 1997.