01-24120. Granting of Request for Early Termination of the Waiting Period under the Premerger Notification Rules

Section 7A of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 18a, as added by Title II of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, requires persons contemplating certain mergers or acquisitions to give the Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General advance notice and to wait designated periods before consummation of such plans. Section 7A(b)(2) of the Act permits the agencies, in individual cases, to terminate this waiting period prior to its expiration and requires that notice of this action be published in the Federal Register.

The following transactions were granted early termination of the waiting period provided by law and the premerger notification rules. The grants were made by the Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. Neither agency intends to take any action with respect to these proposed acquisitions during the applicable waiting period.

Trans #	Acquiring	Acquired	Entities
Transactions Granted Early Termination—09/04/2001
20012324	Deutsche Post AG	ING Groep N.V.	BHF (USA) Holdings, Inc.
20012325	Hudson United Bancorp	Vereniging AEGON	Transamerica Retail Financial Services Corporation.
20012327	Mr. and Mrs. Moustafa & Samia Nasr	Brooks Automation, Inc.	Brooks Automation, Inc.
20012331	Clear Channel Communications, Inc.	Mr. Keith Rupert Murdoch	Fox Television Stations, Inc.
20012332	John Wiley & Sons, Inc.	Patrick J. McGovern	Hungry Minds, Inc.
20012335	Alleghany Corporation	Capitol Transamerica Corporation	Capitol Transamerica Corporation.
20012336	Alcoa Inc.	Newco	Newco.
20012339	BHP Billiton Plc	Newco	Newco.
20012341	Long Star Technologies, Inc.	Cargill, Incorporated	North Star Steel Company.
20012348	Charles W. Ergen	StarBand Communications, Inc.	StarBand Communications, Inc.
20012351	Pacific Mutual Holding Company	Scottish Annuity & Life Holdings, Ltd.	Scottish Annuity & Life Holdings, Ltd.
20012352	TranSwitch Corporation	Onex Communications Corporation	Onex Communications Corporation.
Transactions Granted Early Termination—09/06/2001
20012333	Mr. Keith Rupert Murdoch	Clear Channel Communications, Inc.	Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses, Inc.
Transactions Granted Early Termination—09/07/2001
20004606	Metso OYJ	Svedala Industri AB	Svedala Industri AB.
20010263	Chevron Corporation	Texaco Inc.	Texaco Inc.
Transactions Granted Early Termination—09/10/2001
20012353	Allegiance Telecom, Inc.	Macro Holding, Inc.	Macro Holding, Inc.
20012354	United Rentals, Inc.	Fluor Corporation	S&R Equipment Co., Inc.
20012356	Swiss Reinsurance Company	Lincoln National Corporation	The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company.
20012357	Royal Bank of Canada	Tucker Anthony Sutro	Tucker Anthony Sutro.
20012360	Keane, Inc.	Metro Information Services, Inc.	Metro Information Services, Inc.
20012362	Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc.	Procter & Gamble Company, (The)	Procter & Gamble Company, (The).
20012364	Reed International P.L.C.	Classroom Connect, Inc.	Classroom Connect, Inc.
20012368	Riverdeep Group plc	Alec E. Gores	TLC Education Properties, LLC.
20012377	McCain Foods Group Inc.	Robert & Joan Follett	Ancor Food Products, Inc.
20012380	H.J. Heinz Company	McCain Foods Group Inc.	Anchor Food Products, Inc.
20012389	The Pokemon Company	Nintendo Co Ltd	Nintendo of America Inc.
Transactions Granted Early Termination—09/13/2001
20012312	B/E Aerospace, Inc.	Paul and Adrianne Mittentag, a married couple	M&M Aerospace, Inc.
20012350	Longs Drug Stores Corporation	Albertson's, Inc.	Rx America L.L.C.
20012367	Grupo IMSA, S.A. de C.V.	LTV Corporation, Debtor-in-Bankruptcy	VP Buildings, Inc., United Panel, Inc.
Transactions Granted Early Termination—09/14/2001
20012349	ZF Friedrichshafen AG	Siemens Aktiengesellschaft	Mannesmann Sachs AG.
20012365	Elsevier NV	Classroom Connect, Inc.	Classroom Connect, Inc.
20012374	Dr. Christoph Blocher	Apax Europe V-A LP	Netstal-Maschinen AG.
20012384	Carlyle Partners III, L.P.	DMDA, Inc.	DMDA, Inc.
20012385	Wella AG	Robert R. Taylor	Graham Webb International Limited Partnership.
20012390	Veeco Instruments Inc.	Paul E. Colombo	Applied Epi, Inc.
20012391	Paul E. Colombo	Veeco Instruments Inc.	Veeco Instruments Inc.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sandra M. Peay or Parcellena P. Fielding, Contact Representatives, Federal Trade Commission, Premerger Notification Office, Bureau of Competition, Room 303, Washington, DC 20580, [phone].

By Direction of the Commission.

Donald S. Clark,

Secretary.