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FEB 8, 1999 CUMULUS MEDIA LAUNCHES TOWER BUSINESS - New Subsidiary To Manage and Sell Collocation on 194 Towers MILWAUKEE, February 8, 1999 -- Cumulus Media Inc. (NASDAQ: CMLS) today announced the establishment of a new business unit, Cumulus Wireless Services Inc., which will lease space on its broadcast towers to providers of communications services, particularly the high-growth wireless industry. Cumulus owns 194 AM and FM broadcast towers in 40 cities and 21 states across the U.S. “We will pursue a collocation strategy inviting wireless services companies who are just now planning build-outs in our markets to join us on our radio towers rather than build their own,” said Richard Weening, Cumulus Executive Chairman. “Cumulus Wireless will offer a reliable, rapid and long-term solution for companies where reliability, time to market and capital cost are vital success factors.” Weening will also serve as Executive Chairman and President of the new unit. Jeffrey J. Roznowski, formerly Director of Operations for Ameritech Cellular and Paging Services in Wisconsin, has been appointed Vice President and General Manager. “Jeff was responsible for all the strategy, marketing and sales aspects of Ameritech’s wireless offerings and he is an experienced technology planner and engineer,” Weening said. “We feel he has the right mix of skills to lead the tower effort and serve our target client base who expect engineering excellence with a customer-oriented, ‘make-it-happen’ style." Cumulus Media Inc. was established in late 1996 following the passage of the Telecommunications Act, which allowed a single entity to own multiple radio stations in the same city. Cumulus now owns and/or operates over 200 radio stations in 40 cities, principally in the Midwest and the Southeast as well as Texas and the mountain states. Cumulus specializes in mid-size and smaller markets with populations ranging from 100,000 to 500,000, where many wireless services companies are just beginning to build out. “We have an excellent group of well-maintained 500 to 1,500 foot towers which are substantially underutilized because the previous owners did not emphasize tower rental and the market for space is only now developing,” Roznowski said. “Today, these tall towers are not only valuable assets for Cumulus but also important solutions for wireless services companies.” A sampling of industry leaders located on Cumulus towers includes Nextel, Mobilcom, Airtouch, Pagemart, Bell Atlantic, and Cellular One. The number of wireless users in the U.S. has grown from 1.6 million
just 10 years ago to over 66 million today, according to the Cellular Telecommunications
Industry Association. “With increasing concerns about the environmental
impact of new towers, their capital cost and the time to build them, the
Cumulus collocation alternative is very attractive,” Roznowski said.
“Many wireless companies are just now planning for service in the smaller
cities we serve which makes our timing just right. We look forward
to being a partner with the wireless industry and the communities they
serve.”
States and Cities Served by Cumulus Wireless
Cumulus Media Inc. is a radio broadcasting company focused on the acquisition, operation, and development of radio stations in mid-sized and smaller U.S. cities. Visit Cumulus Wireless Services at www.cumuluswireless.com
Contact: Suzanne Duecker, 414-615-2800
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