LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Dec. 19, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Windstream Corp. (Nasdaq:WIN) today entered into an agreement with the state of Oklahoma to dismiss bribery and conspiracy charges contained in an indictment returned by a state grand jury in August.

The charges stemmed from a customer event that Windstream hosted at the 2007 NCAA Final Four men's basketball championship for business customers, including the Broken Arrow School District.

The company denied any wrongdoing but entered into today's agreement in the interest of reaching a compromise acceptable to it and to the state. As part of the agreement, Windstream pledged to take certain steps affirming its commitment to full compliance with all federal, state and local laws.

"We are pleased to reach an agreement with the state of Oklahoma to dismiss these charges," said John Fletcher, executive vice president and general counsel for Windstream. "We have denied the charges from the beginning and cooperated fully with the investigation. As always, our focus remains on conducting our business with integrity."

About Windstream

Windstream Corp. (Nasdaq:WIN) is a leading provider of advanced network communications, including cloud computing and managed services, to businesses nationwide. The company also offers broadband, phone and digital TV services to consumers primarily in rural areas. Windstream has more than $6 billion in annual revenues and is listed on the S&P 500 index. For more information, visit www.windstream.com.

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CONTACT: David Avery, 501-748-5876
         david.avery@windstream.com