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<p ALIGN="RIGHT" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
September 26, 2003. Registration No. 333-______</p>
<p ALIGN="RIGHT" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
</font>
<div style="border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 3">
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<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">UNITED STATES</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</p>
<font SIZE="2">
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Washington, D.C. 20549</p>
</font><b><font SIZE="5">
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">FORM S-8</p>
</font>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933</p>
<font SIZE="2">
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">__________</p>
</font><font SIZE="4">
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">CenturyTel, Inc.</p>
</font></b><font SIZE="2"><i>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)</p>
</i>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"></p>
</font>
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<table CELLSPACING="0" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="7" WIDTH="734">
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    <td WIDTH="50%"><font SIZE="2">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><b>Louisiana</b></font></td>
    <td WIDTH="50%"><font SIZE="2">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><b>72-0651161</b></font></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td WIDTH="50%"><font SIZE="2">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><b>(State or other jurisdiction</b></font></td>
    <td WIDTH="50%"><font SIZE="2">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><b>(I.R.S. Employer</b></font></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td WIDTH="50%"><font SIZE="2">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><b>of incorporation or organization)</b></font></td>
    <td WIDTH="50%"><font SIZE="2">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><b>Identification No.)</b></font></td>
  </tr>
</table>
</center>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"></p>
<font SIZE="2"><b>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">100 CenturyTel Drive</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Monroe, Louisiana 71203</p>
</b><i>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">(Address, including zip code, of</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Principal Executive Offices)</p>
</i><b>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">CenturyTel, Inc. Dollars &amp; Sense Plan<br>
</b><i>(Full title of the plan)</p>
</i></font>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">__________</p>
<font SIZE="2"><b>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Harvey P. Perry</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">CenturyTel, Inc.</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">100 CenturyTel Drive</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Monroe, Louisiana 71203</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">(318) 388-9000</p>
</b><i>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">including area code, of agent for service)</p>
</i>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Copy to:</p>
<b>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Margaret F. Murphy</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carr&#232;re &amp; Den&#232;gre, L.L.P.</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">201 St. Charles Avenue</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">New Orleans, Louisiana 70170-5100</p>
</b>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"></p>
<b>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE</p>
</b>
<p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"></p>
</font>
<table BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="0" WIDTH="693" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111">
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    <td WIDTH="32%" VALIGN="BOTTOM" style="border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1; border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 3; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1"><font SIZE="1"><b>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Title of securities</p>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">to be registered</b></font></td>
    <td WIDTH="16%" VALIGN="TOP" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1; border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 3; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1"><font SIZE="1"><b>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Amount</p>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">to be</p>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">registered<sup>(1)(2)</sup></b></font></td>
    <td WIDTH="19%" VALIGN="TOP" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1; border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 3; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1"><font SIZE="1"><b>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Proposed maximum</p>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">offering price</p>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">per share</b></font></td>
    <td WIDTH="19%" VALIGN="TOP" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1; border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 3; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1"><font SIZE="1"><b>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Proposed maximum</p>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">aggregate</p>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">offering price</b></font></td>
    <td WIDTH="13%" VALIGN="TOP" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1; border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 3; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1"><font SIZE="1"><b>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Amount of</p>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">registration</p>
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">fee</b></font></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td WIDTH="32%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><font SIZE="1">Common Stock, $1
    par value per share</font></td>
    <td WIDTH="16%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1"><font SIZE="1">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">2,500,000 shares</font></td>
    <td WIDTH="19%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1"><font SIZE="1">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">$33.96<sup>(3)</sup></font></td>
    <td WIDTH="19%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1"><font SIZE="1">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">$84,900,000<sup>(3)</sup></font></td>
    <td WIDTH="13%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1"><font SIZE="1">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">$6,868.41</font></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td WIDTH="32%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><font SIZE="1">Preference Share
    Purchase Rights</font></td>
    <td WIDTH="16%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1"><font SIZE="1">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">2,500,000 rights</font></td>
    <td WIDTH="19%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1"><font SIZE="1">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">--<sup>(4)</sup></font></td>
    <td WIDTH="19%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1"><font SIZE="1">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">--<sup>(4)</sup></font></td>
    <td WIDTH="13%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1"><font SIZE="1">
    <p ALIGN="CENTER" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">--<sup>(4)</sup></font></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td WIDTH="32%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 3">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><font SIZE="1">Participation
    Interests in Plan</font></td>
    <td WIDTH="16%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 3">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"></td>
    <td WIDTH="19%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 3">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"></td>
    <td WIDTH="19%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 3">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"></td>
    <td WIDTH="13%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT="26" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 3">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><font SIZE="1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 0</font></td>
  </tr>
</table>
<font SIZE="1">
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"></p>
</font>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-width: 0" bordercolor="#111111" width="677" id="AutoNumber1">
  <tr>
    <td width="27" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
<font SIZE="1">
    (1)</font></td>
    <td width="647" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
  <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">
<font SIZE="1">
  CenturyTel, Inc. has previously registered securities
  issuable through the CenturyTel, Inc. Dollars &amp; Sense Plan on Form S-8
  Registration Nos. 33-5836, 33-48554 and 333-67815.</font></p>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="27" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
<font SIZE="1">
    (2)</font></td>
    <td width="647" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
  <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">
<font SIZE="1">
  Upon a future stock split, stock dividend or similar
  transaction involving Common Stock of the Company and during the effectiveness
  of this Registration Statement, the number of securities registered shall be
  automatically increased to cover the additional securities in accordance with
  Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933.</font></p>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="27" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
<font SIZE="1">
    (3)</font></td>
    <td width="647" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
  <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">
<font SIZE="1">
  Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant
  to Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, based on the average of the
  high and low price per share of the Common Stock on the Composite Tape for New
  York Stock Exchange -- Listed Stocks on September 25, 2003</font></p>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="27" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
<font SIZE="1">
    (4)
</font></td>
    <td width="647" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
  <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">
<font SIZE="1">
  Preference Share Purchase Rights are attached to and trade with the Common
  Stock of the Company. The value attributable to such Rights, if any, is
  reflected in the market price of such Common Stock. Because no separate
  consideration is paid for such Rights, the registration fee for such
  securities is included in the fee for the Common Stock.</font></p>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
<b>
<p ALIGN="CENTER">PART II</p>
<p ALIGN="CENTER">INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT</p>
</b>
<b>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Item 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Incorporation of Documents by Reference.</p>
</b>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">The following documents, which have been filed by CenturyTel,
Inc. (the &quot;Company&quot;) or the CenturyTel, Inc. Dollars &amp; Sense Plan (hereinafter,
as amended and restated, the &quot;Plan&quot;) with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the &quot;Commission&quot;), are incorporated herein by reference:</p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Company's latest Annual Report on Form 10-K filed
pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the &quot;Exchange
Act&quot;); </p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All other reports filed by the Company with the
Commission pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end
of the fiscal year covered by the Annual Report referred to in (a) above; </p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">(c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The description of the Common Stock of the Company
included in Amendment No. 2 on Form 8-A/A to the Registration Statement on Form
8-A of the Company filed on November 19, 1999, under the Exchange Act relating
to the Common Stock of the Company;</p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">(d)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The description of the Preference Share Purchase Rights
of the Company included in Amendment No. 1 on Form 8-A/A to the Registration
Statement on 8-A of the Company filed November 19, 1999, under the Exchange Act
relating to the Preference Share Purchase Rights of the Company; and</p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">(e)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Plan's latest Annual Report on Form 11-K filed
pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.</p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">All documents filed by the Company with the Commission
pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent
to the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a
post-effective amendment hereto that indicates that all securities offered have
been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall, except
to the extent otherwise provided by Regulation S-K or any other rule promulgated
by the Commission, be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents. Any statements contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the
extent that a statement contained herein or in any other document subsequently
filed or incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement.
Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so
modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.</p>
<b>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Item 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Description of Securities.</p>
</b>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">Not applicable.</p>
<b>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Item 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.</p>
</b>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">Not applicable.</p>
        <b>
        <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Item 6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Indemnification of Directors and
        Officers.</p>
<dir>
  <dir>
    <dir>
      <dir>
        </b>
        <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"></p>
      </dir>
    </dir>
  </dir>
</dir>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">Section 83 of the Louisiana Business Corporation Law provides
in part that the Company may indemnify any of its directors, officers, employees
or agents against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and
amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection
with any action, suit or proceeding to which he is or was a party or is
threatened to be made a party (including any action by or in the right of the
Company) if such action arises out of his acts on the Company's behalf, and he
acted in good faith not opposed to the Company's best interests, and, with
respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe
his conduct was unlawful. The Company has the power to obtain and maintain
insurance, or to create a form of self-insurance, on behalf of any person who is
or was acting for the Company, regardless of whether the Company has the legal
authority to indemnify the insured person against such liability.</p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">Article II, Section 10 of the Company's by-laws (the
&quot;indemnification by-law&quot;) provides for mandatory indemnification for its current
or former directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Louisiana
law.</p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">The Company's Articles of Incorporation authorize the Company
to enter into contracts with its directors and officers providing for
indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law. The Company has entered
into indemnification contracts providing its directors and officers the
procedural and substantive rights to indemnification currently set forth in the
indemnification by-law (&quot;indemnification contracts&quot;). The right to
indemnification provided by an indemnification contract applies to all covered
claims, whether such claims arose before or after the effective date of the
contract.</p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">The Company maintains an insurance policy covering the
liability of its directors and officers for actions taken in their official
capacities. The indemnification contracts provide that, to the extent insurance
is reasonably available, the Company will maintain comparable insurance coverage
for each contracting party as long as he serves as an officer or director and
thereafter for so long as he is subject to possible personal liability for
actions taken in such capacity. The indemnification contracts also provide that
if the Company does not maintain comparable insurance, the Company will hold
harmless and indemnify a contracting party to the full extent of the coverage
that would otherwise have been provided for his benefit.</p>
<b>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Item 7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Exemption From Registration Claimed.</p>
</b>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">Not applicable.</p>
<b>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Item 8.</b> <b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Exhibits.</p>
</b>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-width: 0" bordercolor="#111111" width="677" id="AutoNumber2">
  <tr>
    <td valign="top" width="31" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">&nbsp;</td>
    <td valign="top" width="33" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    5.1 </td>
    <td valign="top" width="609" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
        <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Opinion of Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent,
        Carr&#232;re &amp; Den&#232;gre, L.L.P.<br>
&nbsp;</p>
        </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td valign="top" width="31" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">&nbsp;</td>
    <td valign="top" width="33" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    5.2</td>
    <td valign="top" width="609" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
        <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Internal Revenue Service determination letter
        issued prior to Plan amendments.<br>
&nbsp; </p>
        </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td valign="top" width="31" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">&nbsp;</td>
    <td valign="top" width="33" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    23.1</td>
    <td valign="top" width="609" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
        <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Consent of KPMG LLP.<br>
&nbsp;</p>
        </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td valign="top" width="31" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">&nbsp;</td>
    <td valign="top" width="33" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    23.2 </td>
    <td valign="top" width="609" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
        <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Consent of Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent,
        Carr&#232;re &amp; Den&#232;gre, L.L.P. (included in Exhibit 5.1).<br>
&nbsp; </p>
        </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td valign="top" width="31" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">&nbsp;</td>
    <td valign="top" width="33" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    24 </td>
    <td valign="top" width="609" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
        <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Power of Attorney (included in the signature pages
        of this Registration Statement).<br>
&nbsp; </p>
        </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td valign="top" width="31" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">&nbsp;</td>
    <td valign="top" width="33" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">&nbsp;</td>
    <td valign="top" width="609" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
        <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><i>In lieu of filing an opinion of counsel as to
        compliance of the Plan with ERISA or an Internal Revenue Service
        determination letter that the Plan is qualified under Section 401 of the
        Internal Revenue Code, the undertaking permitted by Item 8(b) of Form
        S-8 is included in Item 9(d) of this Registration Statement.</i></p>
        </td>
  </tr>
</table>
        <b>
        <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Item 9.</b> <b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Undertakings.</b></p>
        <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:</p>
    <p style="text-indent: 44; margin-left: 44">(1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made
    and to the extent required by the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and
    regulations promulgated thereunder, a post-effective amendment to this
    registration statement:</p>
        <p style="text-indent: 44; margin-left: 88">(i)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the
        Securities Act of 1933;</p>
        <p style="text-indent: 44; margin-left: 88">(ii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
        the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent
        post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
        aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth
        in this registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any
        increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total
        dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was
        registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated
        maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed
        with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes
        in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the
        maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the &quot;Calculation of
        Registration Fee&quot; table in the effective registration statement;</p>
        <p style="text-indent: 44; margin-left: 88">(iii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To include any material information with respect to the plan of
        distribution not previously disclosed in this registration statement or
        any material change to such information in this registration statement;
        </p>
<dir>
  <dir>
    <p><i>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Provided, however</i>, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
    apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective
    amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the
    registrant pursuant to Section13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
    Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration
    statement.</p>
  </dir>
</dir>
    <p style="text-indent: 44; margin-left: 44">(2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
    Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment filed for such
    purposes shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
    securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
    shall be deemed to be the initial <i>bona fide</i> offering thereof. </p>
    <p style="text-indent: 44; margin-left: 44">(3)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
    any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
    termination of the offering. </p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial <i>bona fide</i> offering
thereof.</p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">(c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceedings) is asserted by
such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities
being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.</p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">(d)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The registrant has submitted the Plan to the Internal Revenue Service
(&quot;IRS&quot;) for a determination of qualification under Section 401 of the Internal
Revenue Code in a timely manner and will make all changes required by the IRS in
order to qualify the Plan.</p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">&nbsp;</p>
<b>
<p ALIGN="CENTER">SIGNATURES</p>
</b>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44"><b>The Registrant</b>. Pursuant to the requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds
to believe that it meets all the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has
duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Monroe, State of
Louisiana, on September 25, 2003.</p>
<font SIZE="3">
</font>
  <table class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" border="0">
    <tr>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 225.9pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="301">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><b>&nbsp;</b></td>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 3.5in; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="336" colSpan="2">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><b>
      <font size="4">C</font>ENTURY<font size="4">T</font>EL, <font size="4">I</font>NC.</b></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 225.9pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="301">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">&nbsp;</td>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 0.5in; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="48">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">&nbsp;</td>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 3in; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="288">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr style="height: 14.85pt">
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 225.9pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 14.85pt" vAlign="top" width="301">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">&nbsp;</td>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 0.5in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 14.85pt" vAlign="top" width="48">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">&nbsp;</td>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 3in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 14.85pt" vAlign="top" width="288">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 225.9pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="301">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">&nbsp;</td>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 0.5in; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="48">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">By:</td>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 3in; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="288">
      <div style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt">
        <p style="text-align: center; border: medium none; padding: 0in" align="center">
        /s/ Glen F. Post, III</div>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 225.9pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="301">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">&nbsp;</td>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 0.5in; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="48">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">&nbsp;</td>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 3in; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="288">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center">Glen F. Post, III</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 225.9pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="301">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">&nbsp;</td>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 0.5in; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="48">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">&nbsp;</td>
      <td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 3in; PADDING-TOP: 0in" vAlign="top" width="288">
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center">Chairman of the Board
      <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0" align="center">
      and Chief Executive Officer</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44"><b>Directors and Officers.</b> Each person whose signature appears below
constitutes and appoints Glen F. Post, III, Harvey P. Perry, and R. Stewart
Ewing, Jr., or any one of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent,
with full power of substitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in
any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective
amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same with all
exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto such attorney-in-fact and
agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact and agent
or his substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.</p>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">Pursuant to the requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the
following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.</p>
<b>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-width: 0">
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Signature</p>
      <font SIZE="2">
      <hr width="98%">
      </td>
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Title</p>
      <font SIZE="2">
      <hr width="98%">
      </td>
    <td width="34%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Date</p>
      <font SIZE="2">
      <hr width="98%">
      </td>
    </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    </font>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ Glen F. Post,
    III</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Glen F. Post, III</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Chairman of the
    Board</p>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">of Directors and</p>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Chief Executive
    Officer</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <font SIZE="2">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </font>
  </font>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;<br>
      &nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ R. Stewart Ewing,
    Jr.</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
    </font>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">R. Stewart Ewing,
    Jr.</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Executive Vice
    President and</p>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Chief Financial
    Officer</p>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">(Principal
    Financial Officer)</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><br>
      &nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ Neil A. Sweasy</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    </font>
    <hr>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Neil A. Sweasy</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Vice President and
    Controller</p>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">(Principal
    Accounting Officer)</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    </font>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ Harvey P.
    Perry</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Harvey P. Perry</td>
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Director</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
  </font>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ Jim D. Reppond</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    </font>
    <hr>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Jim D. Reppond</td>
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Director</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    </font>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ William R. Boles,
    Jr.</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">William R. Boles,
    Jr.</td>
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Director</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    </font>
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ Joseph R.
    Zimmel</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Joseph R. Zimmel</td>
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Director</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    </font>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ Calvin Czeschin</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Calvin Czeschin</td>
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Director</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    </font>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ James B. Gardner</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">James B. Gardner</td>
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Director</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    </font>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ </p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">W. Bruce Hanks</td>
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Director</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September __, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    </font>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ R. L. Hargrove,
    Jr.</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">R. L. Hargrove,
    Jr.</td>
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Director</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    </font>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ Johnny Hebert</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Johnny Hebert</td>
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Director</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    </font>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ Fred R.
    Nichols</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Fred R. Nichols</td>
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Director</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    </font>
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ C. G. Melville,
    Jr.</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">C. G. Melville,
    Jr.</td>
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Director</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <td width="33%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
      <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
    </font>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">/s/ Virginia Boulet</p>
  <font SIZE="2">
    <hr>
  </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Virginia Boulet</td>
  <td width="33%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Director</td>
  <font SIZE="2">
  <td width="34%" align="center" valign="middle" style="border-style: none; border-width: medium">
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;
    </font>
    <p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">September 25, 2003</td>
  </tr>
  </table>

<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY" style="text-indent: 44">The Plan.</b> Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Retirement Committee, as Plan Administrator, has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Monroe, State of Louisiana, on September 25, 2003.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<font SIZE="4">
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;CENTURYTEL, INC.</p>
</font>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; DOLLARS &amp; SENSE PLAN</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; By:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <u>
/s/ R. Stewart Ewing, Jr.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</u>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; R. Stewart Ewing, Jr.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Retirement Committee Member </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">&nbsp;</p>
<font SIZE="2">
</font>
<p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"></p>

</body>

</html>
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "form-s8_092603.htm", "secsgml_size_bytes": 53796}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "CENTURYTEL INC", "cik": "0000018926", "assigned-sic": "4813", "irs-number": "720651161", "state-of-incorporation": "LA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-109181", "film-number": "03913095"}, "business-address": {"street1": "P O BOX 4065", "street2": "100 CENTURYTEL DR", "city": "MONROE", "state": "LA", "zip": "71203", "phone": "3183889000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "100 CENTURYTEL DR", "street2": "P O BOX 4065", "city": "MONROE", "state": "LA", "zip": "71203"}, "former-company": [{"former-conformed-name": "CENTURY TELEPHONE ENTERPRISES INC", "date-changed": "19920703"}, {"former-conformed-name": "CENTRAL TELEPHONE & ELECTRONICS CORP", "date-changed": "19720512"}]}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
September 26, 2003. Registration No. 333-______
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
__________
CenturyTel, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Louisiana
72-0651161
(State or other jurisdiction
(I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization)
Identification No.)
100 CenturyTel Drive
Monroe, Louisiana 71203
(Address, including zip code, of
Principal Executive Offices)
CenturyTel, Inc. Dollars & Sense Plan
(Full title of the plan)
__________
Harvey P. Perry
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
CenturyTel, Inc.
100 CenturyTel Drive
Monroe, Louisiana 71203
(318) 388-9000
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
Margaret F. Murphy
Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrère & Denègre, L.L.P.
201 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70170-5100
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of securities
to be registered
Amount
to be
registered
(1)(2)
Proposed maximum
offering price
per share
Proposed maximum
aggregate
offering price
Amount of
registration
fee
Common Stock, $1
    par value per share
2,500,000 shares
$33.96
(3)
$84,900,000
(3)
$6,868.41
Preference Share
    Purchase Rights
2,500,000 rights
--
(4)
--
(4)
--
(4)
Participation
    Interests in Plan
0
(1)
CenturyTel, Inc. has previously registered securities
  issuable through the CenturyTel, Inc. Dollars & Sense Plan on Form S-8
  Registration Nos. 33-5836, 33-48554 and 333-67815.
(2)
Upon a future stock split, stock dividend or similar
  transaction involving Common Stock of the Company and during the effectiveness
  of this Registration Statement, the number of securities registered shall be
  automatically increased to cover the additional securities in accordance with
  Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933.
(3)
Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant
  to Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, based on the average of the
  high and low price per share of the Common Stock on the Composite Tape for New
  York Stock Exchange -- Listed Stocks on September 25, 2003
(4)
Preference Share Purchase Rights are attached to and trade with the Common
  Stock of the Company. The value attributable to such Rights, if any, is
  reflected in the market price of such Common Stock. Because no separate
  consideration is paid for such Rights, the registration fee for such
  securities is included in the fee for the Common Stock.
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3.     Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
The following documents, which have been filed by CenturyTel,
Inc. (the "Company") or the CenturyTel, Inc. Dollars & Sense Plan (hereinafter,
as amended and restated, the "Plan") with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission"), are incorporated herein by reference:
(a)     The Company's latest Annual Report on Form 10-K filed
pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange
Act");
(b)     All other reports filed by the Company with the
Commission pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end
of the fiscal year covered by the Annual Report referred to in (a) above;
(c)     The description of the Common Stock of the Company
included in Amendment No. 2 on Form 8-A/A to the Registration Statement on Form
8-A of the Company filed on November 19, 1999, under the Exchange Act relating
to the Common Stock of the Company;
(d)     The description of the Preference Share Purchase Rights
of the Company included in Amendment No. 1 on Form 8-A/A to the Registration
Statement on 8-A of the Company filed November 19, 1999, under the Exchange Act
relating to the Preference Share Purchase Rights of the Company; and
(e)     The Plan's latest Annual Report on Form 11-K filed
pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
All documents filed by the Company with the Commission
pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent
to the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a
post-effective amendment hereto that indicates that all securities offered have
been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall, except
to the extent otherwise provided by Regulation S-K or any other rule promulgated
by the Commission, be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents. Any statements contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the
extent that a statement contained herein or in any other document subsequently
filed or incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement.
Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so
modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.
Item 4.     Description of Securities.
Not applicable.
Item 5.     Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
Not applicable.
Item 6.     Indemnification of Directors and
        Officers.
Section 83 of the Louisiana Business Corporation Law provides
in part that the Company may indemnify any of its directors, officers, employees
or agents against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and
amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection
with any action, suit or proceeding to which he is or was a party or is
threatened to be made a party (including any action by or in the right of the
Company) if such action arises out of his acts on the Company's behalf, and he
acted in good faith not opposed to the Company's best interests, and, with
respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe
his conduct was unlawful. The Company has the power to obtain and maintain
insurance, or to create a form of self-insurance, on behalf of any person who is
or was acting for the Company, regardless of whether the Company has the legal
authority to indemnify the insured person against such liability.
Article II, Section 10 of the Company's by-laws (the
"indemnification by-law") provides for mandatory indemnification for its current
or former directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Louisiana
law.
The Company's Articles of Incorporation authorize the Company
to enter into contracts with its directors and officers providing for
indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law. The Company has entered
into indemnification contracts providing its directors and officers the
procedural and substantive rights to indemnification currently set forth in the
indemnification by-law ("indemnification contracts"). The right to
indemnification provided by an indemnification contract applies to all covered
claims, whether such claims arose before or after the effective date of the
contract.
The Company maintains an insurance policy covering the
liability of its directors and officers for actions taken in their official
capacities. The indemnification contracts provide that, to the extent insurance
is reasonably available, the Company will maintain comparable insurance coverage
for each contracting party as long as he serves as an officer or director and
thereafter for so long as he is subject to possible personal liability for
actions taken in such capacity. The indemnification contracts also provide that
if the Company does not maintain comparable insurance, the Company will hold
harmless and indemnify a contracting party to the full extent of the coverage
that would otherwise have been provided for his benefit.
Item 7.     Exemption From Registration Claimed.
Not applicable.
Item 8.
Exhibits.
5.1
Opinion of Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent,
        Carrère & Denègre, L.L.P.
5.2
Internal Revenue Service determination letter
        issued prior to Plan amendments.
23.1
Consent of KPMG LLP.
23.2
Consent of Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent,
        Carrère & Denègre, L.L.P. (included in Exhibit 5.1).
24
Power of Attorney (included in the signature pages
        of this Registration Statement).
In lieu of filing an opinion of counsel as to
        compliance of the Plan with ERISA or an Internal Revenue Service
        determination letter that the Plan is qualified under Section 401 of the
        Internal Revenue Code, the undertaking permitted by Item 8(b) of Form
        S-8 is included in Item 9(d) of this Registration Statement.
Item 9.
Undertakings.
(a)     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1)     To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made
    and to the extent required by the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and
    regulations promulgated thereunder, a post-effective amendment to this
    registration statement:
(i)     To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the
        Securities Act of 1933;
(ii)     To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
        the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent
        post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
        aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth
        in this registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any
        increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total
        dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was
        registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated
        maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed
        with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes
        in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the
        maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of
        Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement;
(iii)     To include any material information with respect to the plan of
        distribution not previously disclosed in this registration statement or
        any material change to such information in this registration statement;
Provided, however
, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
    apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective
    amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the
    registrant pursuant to Section13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
    Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration
    statement.
(2)     That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
    Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment filed for such
    purposes shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
    securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
    shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide
offering thereof.
(3)     To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
    any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
    termination of the offering.
(b)     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide
offering
thereof.
(c)     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceedings) is asserted by
such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities
being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.
(d)     The registrant has submitted the Plan to the Internal Revenue Service
("IRS") for a determination of qualification under Section 401 of the Internal
Revenue Code in a timely manner and will make all changes required by the IRS in
order to qualify the Plan.
SIGNATURES
The Registrant
. Pursuant to the requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds
to believe that it meets all the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has
duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Monroe, State of
Louisiana, on September 25, 2003.
C
ENTURY
T
EL,
I
NC.
By:
/s/ Glen F. Post, III
Glen F. Post, III
Chairman of the Board
and Chief Executive Officer
Directors and Officers.
Each person whose signature appears below
constitutes and appoints Glen F. Post, III, Harvey P. Perry, and R. Stewart
Ewing, Jr., or any one of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent,
with full power of substitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in
any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective
amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same with all
exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto such attorney-in-fact and
agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact and agent
or his substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the
following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
Date
/s/ Glen F. Post,
    III
Glen F. Post, III
Chairman of the
    Board
of Directors and
Chief Executive
    Officer
September 25, 2003
/s/ R. Stewart Ewing,
    Jr.
R. Stewart Ewing,
    Jr.
Executive Vice
    President and
Chief Financial
    Officer
(Principal
    Financial Officer)
September 25, 2003
/s/ Neil A. Sweasy
Neil A. Sweasy
Vice President and
    Controller
(Principal
    Accounting Officer)
September 25, 2003
/s/ Harvey P.
    Perry
Harvey P. Perry
Director
September 25, 2003
/s/ Jim D. Reppond
Jim D. Reppond
Director
September 25, 2003
/s/ William R. Boles,
    Jr.
William R. Boles,
    Jr.
Director
September 25, 2003
/s/ Joseph R.
    Zimmel
Joseph R. Zimmel
Director
September 25, 2003
/s/ Calvin Czeschin
Calvin Czeschin
Director
September 25, 2003
/s/ James B. Gardner
James B. Gardner
Director
September 25, 2003
/s/
W. Bruce Hanks
Director
September __, 2003
/s/ R. L. Hargrove,
    Jr.
R. L. Hargrove,
    Jr.
Director
September 25, 2003
/s/ Johnny Hebert
Johnny Hebert
Director
September 25, 2003
/s/ Fred R.
    Nichols
Fred R. Nichols
Director
September 25, 2003
/s/ C. G. Melville,
    Jr.
C. G. Melville,
    Jr.
Director
September 25, 2003
/s/ Virginia Boulet
Virginia Boulet
Director
September 25, 2003
The Plan.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Retirement Committee, as Plan Administrator, has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Monroe, State of Louisiana, on September 25, 2003.
CENTURYTEL, INC.
DOLLARS & SENSE PLAN
By:
/s/ R. Stewart Ewing, Jr.
R. Stewart Ewing, Jr.
Retirement Committee Member