Exhibit (a)(52)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DIME TERMS NORTH FORK'S REQUEST
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FOR SPECIAL MEETING "GRANDSTANDING"
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NEW YORK, August 10, 2000 - In response to inquiries regarding North
Fork Bancorporation's request for a special stockholders' meeting, Dime Bancorp,
Inc. (NYSE: DME) today issued the following statement:
"Consistent with its prior actions, North Fork's request is mere
grandstanding and, we believe, part of a continuing attempt to distract us from
serving our customers and delivering value to our stockholders. North Fork is
not entitled to call a special meeting of our stockholders. Our charter and
bylaws, like North Fork's, provide a clear mechanism for allowing stockholders
to elect directors in an informed and considered manner. We will not let North
Fork subvert them. We believe that this latest ploy by North Fork is yet another
attempt to mask the inadequacy of their offer."
Dime Bancorp is the parent company of The Dime Savings Bank of New
York, FSB (www.dime.com), a regional bank serving consumers and businesses
through 127 branches located throughout the greater New York City metropolitan
area. Directly and through its mortgage banking subsidiary, North American
Mortgage Company (www.namc.com), Dime also provides consumer loans, insurance
products and mortgage banking services throughout the United States.
Investors are urged to read (1) Dime's solicitation/recommendation
statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Schedule 14D-9,
(2) Dime's tender offer statement on Schedule TO and (3) any proxy statement
related to any future meeting where directors of Dime may be elected when filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any amendments or
supplements to these statements when they become available, because they contain
important information. Each of these documents has been or will be filed with
the SEC and investors may obtain them for free from the SEC at the SEC's website
(www.sec.gov) or from Dime by directing such request to: Dime Bancorp, Inc.,
Investor Relations Dept., 589 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York, 10017, telephone
212-326-6170, or to Innisfree M&A Incorporated at 1-888-750-5834. Dime, its
directors and executive officers and certain other persons may be deemed to be
"participants" in any solicitation of proxies from Dime stockholders.
Information regarding the participants in any such solicitation is contained in
Annex A to Dime's annual meeting proxy statement filed with the SEC and
distributed to stockholders on June 12, 2000.
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CONTACT:
Dime Bancorp, Inc., New York Abernathy MacGregor Group, New York
Franklin Wright Mike Pascale/Rhonda Barnat
212/326-6170 212/371-5999
