WorldCom Eyes BellSouth Exec for Top Job

Forsee is described by some as an ideal candidate for the WorldCom job, considering his broad and varied experience. He has held top operating positions at long-distance shop Sprint, where he ran Global One -- a failed joint venture of Sprint, France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom -- as well as at the nation's No. 3 Bell, BellSouth.

Forsee made more than $1.5 million in salary and bonuses last year and holds about $2.8 million worth of exercisable BellSouth shares.

WorldCom could announce its new CEO by year end. First, the company is expected to submit fully audited financials to the Securities and Exchange Commission by Thanksgiving, and assuming it gets an all-clear sign an executive appointment could soon follow.

Analysts say WorldCom has been able to secure many new contracts and is seeing about half of potential renewals go to competitors. That's thought to be a respectable retention rate given the state of the company and the efforts of its rivals.

There has been a growing consensus that a restructured, nearly debt-free WorldCom will re-emerge as an even more formidable competitor in the business services market. The potential for some kind of WorldCom rebirth could bestow turnaround-hero status on a risk-taking telecom executive.