The Federal Trade Commission today announced the following actions:

Applications for prior approval of transactions: Comments on newly-received applications will be accepted for 30 days, until Feb. 29, after which the Commission will rule on them. Unless otherwise noted, the staff contact is Dan Ducore, 202-326-2526.

• The Stop & Shop Companies, Inc. of Quincy, Massachusetts, and SSC Associates, L.P. have applied for approval to divest one supermarket each in Marshfield, Saugus, Medford and Watertown, Massachusetts to Star Markets Company, Inc., of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The divestitures are among the 17 required under a 1995 proposed consent order designed to restore supermarket competition in five areas of Massachusetts that allegedly was injured when Stop & Shop acquired Purity Supreme, Inc. See Nov. 1, 1995 news release regarding the proposed consent order (File No. 951 0086).

Consent orders given final approval: Following a public comment period, the proposed consent agreement between the FTC and the following company has been given final approval, making the consent order provisions binding on the company.

• BBDO Worldwide, Inc., a New York City-based advertising agency, regarding its role in developing allegedly deceptive advertisements for Haagen-Dazs frozen yogurt products. See 10/19/95 news release (Docket No. C-3637; Staff Contact is Anne V. Maher, 202-326-2987; Commission vote: 4-0, Chairman Robert Pitofsky recused).

Comments from the public regarding the application for divestiture should be sent to the FTC, Office of the Secretary, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. Copies of the documents referenced above are available from the FTC's Public Reference Branch, Room 130, same address as above; 202-326-2222; TTY for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710. FTC news releases and other materials also are available on the Internet at the FTC's World Wide Web site at: http://www.ftc.gov