By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

In what can only be described as an odd turn of events, Entercom announced late this afternoon that it is entering into a partnership with Nassau Broadcasting which will effectively create the very sports talk network that John Dennis and Gerry Callahan were thinking they would be a part of as a challenger to WEEI.

Instead, ‘EEI’s parent company and Nassau have agreed to use a group of 11 Nassau stations to expand WEEI’s reach into all sections of New England. WCRB 99.5 will remain as a classical station under the agreement. The deal is in the “Letter of Intent” stage and will likely need to gain approval at various levels, but it basically makes WEEI an even stronger entity - with or without its morning duo of D&C.

The news can not bode well for the D&C venture capital deal which Shots reported on this morning, as that package appeared to be contingent on having the syndicate of stations from Cape Cod to the Canadian border.

The only option for D&C may be to take whatever package Entercom is offering and they may need to do so quickly.

• The big winner in all of this is Nassau, which gets to ride the wave of success that Entercom has developed and the big loser(s) will be 890 ESPN and 1510 WWZN, neither of which has been able to compete with WEEI as its currently constructed, never mind a new incarnation that stretches through the five states of Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

• The text of the press release from Regan Communications is as follows:

NEWS RELEASE

Entercom Communications Corp. and Nassau Broadcasting Announce Partnership

Entercom’s WEEI Sports Radio to be Syndicated on

11 Nassau Stations Across New England

Entercom and Nassau Form Joint Venture to Own and Operate

WCRB FM and Preserve 60-Year Heritage Classical Format

(August 16 2007 Bala Cynwyd, PA) Entercom Communications Corp. (NYSE: ETM) today announced the signing of a letter of intent for eleven Nassau Broadcasting stations to carry the programming content of Entercom Boston’s WEEI Sports Radio. Separately, Entercom and Nassau have also signed a letter of intent to form a joint venture to own and operate Nassau’s WCRB-FM in Boston.

WEEI Sports Radio is the nation’s leading sports talk radio station. Entercom has successfully extended the WEEI brand to three markets on its wholly owned stations: WEEI-FM in Providence, WVEI-FM in Springfield, MA, and WVEI-AM in Worcester, MA.

This agreement with Nassau Broadcasting will further extend WEEI’s programming to the following Nassau Broadcasting radio markets:

· Portland, ME

· Cape Cod, MA

· Lebanon-Rutland-White River Junction, NH-VT

· Concord (Lakes Regions), NH

· Montpelier-Barre-St. Johnsbury, VT

Separately, Entercom will make a cash investment and own approximately 50% of WCRB-FM. Entercom and Nassau intend to maintain the station’s 60-year heritage Classical Music format. Nassau will continue to manage and operate the station. The parties will also seek opportunities to capitalize on Entercom’s strong position in the market to benefit WCRB listeners and advertisers.

In the Boston market, Entercom owns WEEI-AM, WRKO-AM, WAAF-FM, WKAF-FM, and WMKK-FM, and is the radio home of the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and Patriots Monday.

Entercom’s President and CEO David Field stated: “We could not be more pleased with our new partnership with Nassau Broadcasting, but the big winners today are millions of listeners across New England. Nassau and Entercom have come together to preserve WCRB and its’ cherished Classical format that has provided a home for the arts for hundreds of thousands of listeners in the greater Boston area. In addition, we will be bringing America’s #1 sports radio station to millions of listeners throughout New England for the first time.”

Nassau Broadcasting’s Lou Mercatanti stated: “We are delighted to have Entercom as a partner in our heritage radio station WCRB in Boston. After our acquisition of the station less than a year ago, we have been overwhelmed by the positive response from our listeners with regards to both our preservation of the Classical format in Boston and the improvements we have made to enhance the station and its programming. Now, as partners with Entercom, the premier broadcaster in Boston, we believe that both our listeners and advertisers will benefit greatly from the partnership. Additionally, we are extremely pleased to be able to provide the programming of WEEI to an initial group of 11 of our radio stations that are part of our extensive radio group in New England. Millions of New England sports thirsty listeners will now have full access to the highly successful sports programming and personalities of WEEI.”

About Entercom Communications

Entercom is one of the nation’s largest radio broadcasters, with operations in San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Denver, Sacramento, Portland, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Austin, Norfolk, Buffalo, New Orleans, Providence, Memphis, Greensboro, Rochester, Greenville/Spartanburg, Madison, Wichita, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Springfield and Gainesville/Ocala.

About Nassau Broadcasting

Nassau Broadcasting Patners, L.P., 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. The Company’s web site is www.nassaubroadcasting.com.