8-K

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549



                                   FORM 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT

    Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 1, 2000



                           BELL ATLANTIC CORPORATION
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



Delaware                        1-8606                     23-2259884
(State or other jurisdiction    (Commission File Number)   (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation)                                          Identification No.)



1095 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York                                         10036
(Address of principal executive offices)                   (Zip Code)


      Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (212) 395-2121

                                Not applicable
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)


Item 5.  Other Events
         ------------

Attached as an exhibit is a press release issued by Bell Atlantic Corporation on
March 1, 2000 announcing a new share buyback program pursuant to which the
company may repurchase up to 80 million shares of its common stock.

Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits
         ---------------------------------

(c)  Exhibits.

99       Press Release, dated March 1, 2000, issued by Bell Atlantic
         Corporation.


SIGNATURE


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.



                            BELL ATLANTIC CORPORATION


                            By: /s/ Doreen A. Toben
                                --------------------------------------
                               Doreen A. Toben
                               Vice President - Controller



Date:  March 1, 2000


                                 EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit
Number    Description
- ------    -----------

99        Press Release, dated March 1, 2000, issued by Bell Atlantic
          Corporation.

EX-99

                                                                      EXHIBIT 99

                                                         [LOGO OF BELL ATLANTIC]

NEWS RELEASE




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   Contact:
March 1, 2000                           Susan Kraus
                                        212-395-2355
                                        susan.kraus@bellatlantic.com
                                        ----------------------------


                            Bell Atlantic Announces
                         Common Stock Buyback Program


     NEW YORK - Bell Atlantic Corp. (NYSE:BEL) announced today that its board of
directors has authorized a new share buyback program through which the company
may repurchase up to 80 million shares of its common stock.

     Approximately 1.55 billion shares of Bell Atlantic common stock were
outstanding as of Dec. 31, 1999.

     "Our strong cash flow and our financial flexibility enable us to take
advantage of a unique buying opportunity while we continue to invest
aggressively in strengthening our core business and capturing new opportunities
in wireless, data and long distance," said Bell Atlantic Chairman and CEO Ivan
Seidenberg.  "Our repurchase and investment programs both have the same purpose:
to create and deliver shareowner value."

     Under the program, Bell Atlantic will repurchase shares over time in the
open market, with the amount and timing of repurchases depending on market
conditions. The shares acquired will be held in the treasury for future
corporate use.

     This program will be initiated and conducted in a manner consistent with
Bell Atlantic's use of pooling-of-interests accounting and other terms of the
pending Bell Atlantic-GTE merger.

     The board also rescinded a previous authorization to repurchase from time
to time up to $1.4 billion in company shares over a two-year period that ends
Sept. 30, 2000.  Approximately $310 million of that authorization remained.


Bell Atlantic News Release, page 2

     Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information
industry.  With 44 million telephone access lines and 12 million wireless
customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced
wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the
world's largest publishers of directory information.  Bell Atlantic companies
are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global
communications markets, with operations and investments in 23 countries.

                                      ####

INTERNET USERS:  Bell Atlantic news releases, executive speeches, news media
contacts and other useful information are available at Bell Atlantic's News
Center on the World Wide Web (http://www.ba.com). To receive news releases by
email, visit the News Center and register for personalized automatic delivery of
Bell Atlantic news releases.