AT&T's CEO discusses move, event sponsorship

The Dallas Morning News has a Q&A with AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson that is not particularly illuminating about any hardcore telecom topics (Stephenson is hopeful about the Obama administration and the new FCC, but the jury's still out). However, he discusses AT&T's move of its headquarters from San Antonio to an existing office building in downtown Dallas, saying AT&T is not planning to spend money to build a shiny new headquarters, at least not on his watch.

Meanwhile, AT&T's relocation has left the company owning about 100 homes in the San Antonio area that it bought from executives and is now trying to sell.

Stephenson also talks about the value of event sponsorships and stadium naming deals (though he demurs from discussing the possibility that the new Dallas Cowboys stadium will carry AT&T's name). Stephenson says sponsorships such as the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am and the company's naming rights on the arena where the San Antonio Spurs dynasty has ruled basketball create brand loyalty with customers who are crazy fans of those sports, while also providing AT&T with unique venues for informing and entertaining its biggest and best customers.

For more:
- Here's the Dallas Morning News interview [1]
- The San Antonio Business Journal reports [2] on the housing glut

Related articles
Stephenson assumed control of AT&T in 2007 [3]
Stephenson skipped his bonus for 2008 [4]