Us West Produces Strong First Quarter

US West Communications Group on Friday reported earnings of $328 million, or 68 cents per share, for the first three months of 1997. The earnings numbers were up 13.5 percent compared with the same period in 1996, when the company reported earnings of $289 million, or 61 cents per share.

The telecommunications company’s record earnings came on first-quarter revenues of $2.59 billion, up 5 percent from $2.46 billion in the first quarter of 1996.

“This quarter’s strong results reflect continued cost control initiatives, the step-up of marketing efforts and the continued vitality of our operating territory,” said Sol Trujillo, US West’s president and chief executive officer.

The company said interstate calling revenues rose 10.5 percent to $687 million and local calling revenues, its biggest business, rose 7.5 percent to $1.231 million.

Total access lines rose 3.7 percent and total minutes of telephone use were up 6.9 percent in the quarter.