| Date: |
November 16, 2006 |
| Contact: |
Tristram E. Collins, Sr.
Executive Vice President |
| Phone: |
(609) 452-9696 |
GREATER
MEDIA, NASSAU BROADCASTING AND CHARLES RIVER
BROADCASTING CLOSE BOSTON AND PHILADELPHIA RADIO
STATION DEALS
Boston,
MA (November 16, 2006): Greater Media, Inc., Nassau Broadcasting
Partners,
L.P., and Charles
River Broadcasting Company jointly announced that they have
closed the previously announced transactions by which Greater
Media acquired Charles River’s 102.5 FM frequency,
licensed to Waltham, MA, and Nassau's 97.5 FM frequency,
licensed to Burlington, NJ, and Nassau acquired Greater Media's
99.5 FM frequency, licensed to Lowell, MA. Nassau also received
cash and classical music assets, including the format of
WCRB FM in Boston.
Beginning
at noon on December 1st, country station WKLB will begin
broadcasting on the 102.5 FM frequency
and classical
WCRB will begin broadcasting on the 99.5 FM frequency in
the Boston market. As of 6:00 p.m. on November 17, listeners
can tune in to Greater Media’s Smooth Jazz WJJZ-FM
at its new address on the 97.5 FM frequency in the Philadelphia
market, formerly home of Nassau’s WTHK “The Hawk.” Beginning
at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow, WTHK listeners will have an opportunity
to sample Greater Media’s Classic Rock 102.9 WMGK,
which will be simulcast on the 97.5 frequency until Smooth
Jazz debuts Friday evening.
“We are thrilled and proud to bring Smooth Jazz back
to its fans in Philadelphia,” said Peter Smyth, President & CEO
of Greater Media, Inc.
"Greater Media has a great track record of investing
in and supporting its radio properties and we look forward
to enjoying that same environment here at smooth jazz 97.5
WJJZ,” said Jim Brown, General Manager of WJJZ. “The
early feedback from the market has been fantastic.”
“With just two days until we launch Smooth Jazz WJJZ
at its new address at 97.5, there's an incredible level of
excitement in Philadelphia again,” said Michael Tozzi,
WJJZ Program Director. “We can’t wait to get
started.”
Regarding
Nassau’s acquisition of WCRB in Boston,
Nassau’s Chairman and President Lou Mercatanti stated “We
are extremely pleased to have WCRB in Boston as part of the
Nassau family of stations. We have been overwhelmed with
the positive response from Boston listeners about Nassau
preserving WCRB’s long standing classical heritage
and we welcome WCRB as the new flagship of Nassau’s
classical network of stations throughout New England.”
The Chairman
of the Board of Charles River Broadcasting Company, Mary
L. Marshall, stated that “CRB’s
entire Board of Directors is delighted that ‘WCRB’ will
continue to broadcast classical music to the Boston community.
We worked hard to achieve this result and wish Nassau and
Greater Media every success in the future.”
Greater Media www.greatermedia.com, a family-owned company
based in Braintree, Massachusetts, is the ultimate parent
company of 20 AM and FM radio stations in Boston, Detroit,
Philadelphia and New Jersey. The company, through its subsidiaries,
also owns a modern printing plant and a group of weekly newspapers
in central New Jersey, and several telecommunications towers
throughout the United States.
Nassau Broadcasting, a privately held firm in Princeton,
New Jersey, currently owns and/or operates 53 radio stations
in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Vermont, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts and Maine. It is the 15th largest broadcaster
in the United States in terms of the number of radio stations
it owns. The Company's web site is www.nassaubroadcasting.com.