Cumulus Enters Three New Markets.MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 23, 1999-- Acquires Nine Stations in Mobile, AL; Pensacola, FL; McAllen-Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 23, 1999--Cumulus Media Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :CMLS CMLS Central Minnesota Legal Services CMLS Chemical Movement in Layered Soils CMLS Centralized Mail List Services (GSA) CMLS Contractor Maintenance & Logistics Support ) announced today that it has acquired nine radio stations from three sellers to establish station clusters in three new markets for an aggregate purchase price of $51 million cash. In Mobile, AL, Cumulus cumulus: see cloud. acquired five Urban music stations including WBLX-FM, WDLT-FM and WDLT-AM from Calendar Broadcasting for $19.0 million and WYOK-FM and WYOK-AM from Roberds Broadcasting for $6.0 million. In neighboring Pensacola, FL, Cumulus is exercising its previously announced option to acquire Classic Rock WWRO-FM and Talk format WCOA-AM from Coast Radio for $9.0 million. WWRO and WBLX serve both Mobile and Pensacola. Cumulus establishes its cluster in McAllen-Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, with the market's two leading non-hispanic stations - Contemporary Hit Radio “CHR” redirects here. For other uses, see CHR (disambiguation). Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, Contemporary Hits, or Top 40 KBFM-FM and the market's only Country station, KTEX-FM - also acquired from Calendar Broadcasting for $17.0 million. McAllen-Brownsville-Harlingen is ranked by Arbitron as the 62nd largest market in the U.S. by population, making it the new largest market for Cumulus which specializes in mid-size markets. Mobile is ranked 86th largest by Arbitron. "Cumulus is acquiring a strong Urban format position in Mobile with the purchase of Calendar's heritage 100,000 watt, WBLX-FM, an Urban Contemporary powerhouse for 25 years," said Lew Dickey, Vice Chairman of Cumulus. "Combined with WBLX is its sister station, Urban AC WDLT-FM the market's perennial 25-54 leader - and WDLT-AM which programs Urban Gospel. "Rounding out this Urban cluster in Mobile is the highly successful, youth-targeted, WYOK-FM, which recently moved to a 100,000 watt signal covering both Mobile and Pensacola, and its Urban Gospel sister station WGOK-AM established for 40 years." Mobile is located in Southwest Alabama at the head of Mobile Bay, thirty-one miles from the Gulf of Mexico Noun 1. Gulf of Mexico - an arm of the Atlantic to the south of the United States and to the east of Mexico Golfo de Mexico Atlantic, Atlantic Ocean - the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east . It is the second largest metropolitan area in Alabama and the State's major port. Mobile and the surrounding metropolitan area are home to more than 528,900 residents and boast over $5 billion in annual retail sales. The Mobile area houses several internationally known companies such as Kimberly Clark, Atlantic Marine, Inc., International Paper Co., and Ciba-Geigy Corporation. Neighboring Pensacola is ranked by Arbitron as market no. 122. "WCOA-AM is the community's news and information leader having won numerous awards for community service," Dickey said. Cumulus will also serve Pensacola with WWRO-FM. "Greg Gordon, WWRO morning man and a principal in seller Coast Radio, will continue as Market Manager of Cumulus' stations in Pensacola." Located in the panhandle of northwest Florida, Pensacola has an overall population that exceeds 300,000 people. Numerous nationally and internationally recognized companies such as the Solutia Company (Monsanto), Champion International and First Data Corporation offer Pensacola a robust and diversified economy. Known as "The Cradle of Naval Aviation," Pensacola houses Naval Air Station Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (IATA: NPA, ICAO: KNPA, FAA LID: NPA), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located in Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits. , home of the Navy's Blue Angels and the National Museum of Naval Aviation The National Museum of Naval Aviation is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. The museum opened in 1962. As its name suggests, the museum is devoted to the history of naval aviation. , as well as Saufley Field, Corry Stations and NAS (1) See network access server. (2) (Network Attached Storage) A specialized file server that connects to the network. A NAS device contains a slimmed-down operating system and a file system and processes only I/O requests by supporting the popular Whiting Fields. Several colleges and universities, including the University of West Florida
Referring to Cumulus' newest Texas market, Dickey said, "McAllen-Brownsville-Harlingen is a direct beneficiary of increased trade between the U.S. and Mexico. At market rank no.62, it represents our largest market to date and underscores our commitment to acquiring leading positions in high growth, mid-size markets." The southern Rio Grande Valley, spanned by the South Texas cities of McAllen, Brownsville, and Harlingen in Cameron and Hidalgo Counties, is one of the most rapidly growing markets in the nation, with 8.0% annual retail growth from 1992-97. Home to some 860,000 residents -- 64% under the age of 34 -- and adjacent to an additional 1.2 million residents in Mexico, the market's economic vibrancy is the direct result of NAFTA NAFTA in full North American Free Trade Agreement Trade pact signed by Canada, the U.S., and Mexico in 1992, which took effect in 1994. Inspired by the success of the European Community in reducing trade barriers among its members, NAFTA created the world's as manufacturers transport goods across the Free Trade Bridge. Industry Week Magazine ranked the market as the sixth fastest-growing manufacturing region in the country. Employers include Cargill, Levi Strauss, Lockheed-Martin, Fruit of the Loom Fruit of the Loom is an American company which manufactures clothing, particularly underwear. The company's world headquarters are based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. One manufacturing facility still remains in Jamestown, Kentucky, and several other facilities are located across the , G.E. Titan Wheel, and a host of medium-sized manufacturers, distributors, and service corporations. The market is home to two international airports, as well as the University of Texas at Brownsville, the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, and three community colleges. Cumulus Media Inc. is a radio broadcasting company focused on the acquisition, operation, and development of radio stations in mid-sized markets in the U.S. Including the stations in this announcement, as well as other acquisitions pending FCC (1) (Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC, www.fcc.gov) The U.S. government agency that regulates interstate and international communications including wire, cable, radio, TV and satellite. The FCC was created under the U.S. approval, Cumulus will own and operate 244 stations in 45 cities. |
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