| Date: |
January 21, 2004 |
| Contact: |
Tina Christensen |
| Phone: |
(609) 924-1515 |
NASSAU
BROADCASTING TO ENTER NEW HAMPSHIRE
PRINCETON,
NEW JERSEY – Nassau Broadcasting Holdings, Inc. (“Nassau”)
has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the
assets of three FM radio stations in New Hampshire from
Tele-Media Company of New Hampshire, L.L.C. (“Tele-Media”).
The transaction is subject to the consent of the Federal
Communications Commission (“FCC”). Specific
terms were not disclosed.
The radio stations to be acquired are WLKZ-FM serving Laconia
from its city of license Wolfboro; WNNH-FM serving Concord
from its city of license Henniker; and WHOB-FM serving and
licensed to Nashua, all New Hampshire. The populations in
the service contours of the three stations total 1,556,000
persons.
These are the first radio stations in New Hampshire that
Nassau will own and operate. The transaction is expected
to close routinely in spring 2004. Glenn Serafin of Serafin
Bros., Inc., a financial services and media brokerage firm,
represented Nassau in the transaction.
Just
last month Nassau announced it would acquire (subject to
FCC consent)
nine FM and two AM stations serving Portland
and other areas of southern coastal Maine. And, on New Year’s
Eve it closed its $16 million acquisition of WOJZ, a Class “B1” FM
station in Egg Harbor City that serves the southern New Jersey
Shore.
Nassau, a privately held firm based in Princeton, New Jersey
managed by chairman Louis F. Mercatanti, Jr., is a leading
radio broadcasting company that owns, operates and acquires
radio stations primarily in the mid-sized affluent suburban
markets of the northeastern United States. Post-closings,
Nassau will own and/or operate 29 radio stations in suburban
New York, Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania, Maine and New
Hampshire.
“We really like what we saw in southern Maine and
New Hampshire,” said Mr. Mercatanti. “We found
dynamic business centers, an educated, upscale workforce
and impressive retail sales activity. It’s a lot like
where we started (in New Jersey), so we’ll feel right
at home. We are looking forward to operating terrific local
radio stations.”
Excluding the 14 stations yet to be acquired, Nassau radio
stations have in excess of 1.2 million listeners weekly.
Tele-Media, whose Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
is veteran broadcaster Ira Rosenblatt, is a Pleasant Gap,
Pennsylvania-based company with cable television holdings,
but no other radio stations. Its principals are Robert E.
Tudek and the management team.
Serafin Bros., Inc., a Florida corporation, provides brokerage,
finance and valuation services to select clients in the radio
and television industries nationwide. Glenn M. Serafin, a
30-year veteran of the broadcast industry, formed Serafin
Bros. in 1993.