Goss International Corp. President Richard Sutis will retire July 31, the company said today. Sutis, who has worked for Goss and its predecessor companies for 44 years, will retain his positions as vice chairman of the board of directors of Shanghai Goss Graphic Systems and will also retain his seat on the board of Goss Graphics Systems Japan Corp.
“It has been an honor to work with so many talented Goss staff as well as many industry professionals over the past five decades,” Sutis said. “Much has changed since my father showed me his presses at age five. These changes in technology are what keeps the industry vibrant and generates higher print quality, lower costs and more efficient throughput. I am ready to retire, but the presses will not stop. Print will continue to play an important role in our lives.”
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
May 26, 2009 — New Zealand news agency picks DTI
The New Zealand Press Association purchased Digital Technology International’s ContentPublisher software, DTI said, marking the vendor’s first customer sale in New Zealand.
ContentPublisher will allow NZPA to automate news editing and delivery processes to its news and image Web sites and commercial customers, and will provide NZPA with a single multimedia app to exploit the Internet for developing news products and expanding its multimedia news operations.
"Our 24/7 integrated newsroom requires comprehensive, easy-to-use tools to deliver multimedia content and wire feeds — including breaking news, weather, sports, financial information and entertainment — to a demanding audience, fast," said Simon Randall, manager of commercial services for NZPA. “It will also enable us to create new products and services.”
NZPA publishes information every 24 hours from its new staff, overseas wire services and other sources including the New Zealand Stock Exchange.
ContentPublisher will allow NZPA to automate news editing and delivery processes to its news and image Web sites and commercial customers, and will provide NZPA with a single multimedia app to exploit the Internet for developing news products and expanding its multimedia news operations.
"Our 24/7 integrated newsroom requires comprehensive, easy-to-use tools to deliver multimedia content and wire feeds — including breaking news, weather, sports, financial information and entertainment — to a demanding audience, fast," said Simon Randall, manager of commercial services for NZPA. “It will also enable us to create new products and services.”
NZPA publishes information every 24 hours from its new staff, overseas wire services and other sources including the New Zealand Stock Exchange.
Little Rock daily print site moving to CTP
May 26, 2009 — The (Little Rock) Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is adopting a digital workflow as it installs computer-to-plate equipment from alfaQuest Technologies Inc. at the plant that prints its Northwest edition and various other products.
Production Director Bob Long told News & Tech that the paper is installing two NewsXpress violet CTP lines with Fuji plate processors and Nela optical benders as part of a production upgrade that also includes a press web-width reduction to 46 inches.
Pressline Services Inc. is overseeing the reduction.
Both the CTP installation and reduction will be completed later this summer.
The Democrat-Gazette installed two alfaQuest FasTrak violet machines at its main facility in late 2007 (see News & Tech, March 2008).
Look for more information about the upgrade in the July issue.
Production Director Bob Long told News & Tech that the paper is installing two NewsXpress violet CTP lines with Fuji plate processors and Nela optical benders as part of a production upgrade that also includes a press web-width reduction to 46 inches.
Pressline Services Inc. is overseeing the reduction.
Both the CTP installation and reduction will be completed later this summer.
The Democrat-Gazette installed two alfaQuest FasTrak violet machines at its main facility in late 2007 (see News & Tech, March 2008).
Look for more information about the upgrade in the July issue.
Ill. paper moves to online fees
The Daily Journal in Kankakee, Ill., is now charging readers to view its online content.
According to The AP, Daily Journal print subscribers can elect to receive a free electronic edition if they wish to view stories. Otherwise, only the first three paragraphs of the top 10 news articles are available free of charge.
Readers have the option to subscribe either to the print or electronic edition, AP said.
The Daily Journal is published by the Small Newspaper Group Inc.
According to The AP, Daily Journal print subscribers can elect to receive a free electronic edition if they wish to view stories. Otherwise, only the first three paragraphs of the top 10 news articles are available free of charge.
Readers have the option to subscribe either to the print or electronic edition, AP said.
The Daily Journal is published by the Small Newspaper Group Inc.
German paper first mobile NewsWay user
Die Zeit in Germany became the world’s first newspaper to install NewsWay Mobile from ProImage.
NewsWay Mobile, introduced at this year’s mediaXchange, takes the workflow app to mobile devices, giving users a real-time view of workflow and status reports.
“NewsWay Mobile makes it possible to control the workflow while on the move, from anywhere," said Marina Struse, Die Zeit’s prepress manager.
Die Zeit sends PostScript pages to NewsWay, which then generates TIFF G4 files for proofing. Once approved, PDF pages are created for FTP transmission from Die Zeit’s publishing offices in Hamburg to remote print sites in Ahrensburg, Frankfurt and Hamburg.
NewsWay Mobile, introduced at this year’s mediaXchange, takes the workflow app to mobile devices, giving users a real-time view of workflow and status reports.
“NewsWay Mobile makes it possible to control the workflow while on the move, from anywhere," said Marina Struse, Die Zeit’s prepress manager.
Die Zeit sends PostScript pages to NewsWay, which then generates TIFF G4 files for proofing. Once approved, PDF pages are created for FTP transmission from Die Zeit’s publishing offices in Hamburg to remote print sites in Ahrensburg, Frankfurt and Hamburg.
2 papers tap CommunitySportsDesk
The American Press in Lake Charles, La., and the Gettysburg (Pa.) Times said they would roll out CommunitySportsDesk to boost youth and recreational sports coverage within their newspapers.
The American Press’ site will be branded as SWLA Recreation Sports while the Times’ site, timescommunitysports.com, will include online advertising and Web-to-print options.
CSD was developed by Media Innovations LLC, a unit of United Communications Corp., which publishes the Kenosha (Wis.) News.
The American Press’ site will be branded as SWLA Recreation Sports while the Times’ site, timescommunitysports.com, will include online advertising and Web-to-print options.
CSD was developed by Media Innovations LLC, a unit of United Communications Corp., which publishes the Kenosha (Wis.) News.
Mich. paper to continue publishing
The Birmingham (Mich.) Eccentric will continue to publish its Sunday editions after residents in the Detroit suburb pledged their support. Gannett Co. Inc. earlier said it would shut down the Sunday edition of the twice-weekly paper as part of an overall decision to fold Observer & Eccentric papers serving nearby communities in West Bloomfield, Troy and Rochester. Those three papers will print their final editions May 31.
In order to keep the Birmingham paper afloat, a committee created to support the Eccentric needs to sell 5,000 new subscriptions, including 3,000 by July 1, according to the Detroit Free Press.
In order to keep the Birmingham paper afloat, a committee created to support the Eccentric needs to sell 5,000 new subscriptions, including 3,000 by July 1, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Obituary: Tom Norton
Tom Norton, who retired in 1997 as production director of The Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., died May 16. He was a 46-year veteran at the paper and helped oversee the design of The Times Leader’s production facility. Mr. Norton was 76.
In Brief
Tribune Co. named Steve Gable executive vice president/chief technology officer; David Eldersveld senior vice president/deputy counsel and corporate secretary; Dan Kazan senior vice president, development; and Naomi Sachs senior vice president, strategy. Tribune’s publishing unit named Vince Casanova senior vice president, circulation.
Barbara Rosenberger, production director at The Reporter in Fond du Lac, Wis., and Bill Taylor, operations director at the Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat, were awarded President’s Rings by Gannett Co. Inc. for outstanding performance in 2008.
Goss International Corp. said Ian Buckley, operations director for its Preston, England, facility, will now have overall responsibility for the vendor’s Lifetime Support program in the United Kingdom. Service managers Peter Banks and David Tootle will oversee commercial and newspaper customers, respectively, and Goss said it has combined the installation and service departments. Finally, David Russell was named to manage parts supply and procurement.
Atex said Latin American reseller Suita Sistemas will market and support its CMS and digital asset management software in the southern states of Brazil.
www.atex.com
MediaOne, which publishes The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Morning News, hired Strategic Marketing Enterprises to handle its circulation customer service. SME said service will be provided by Caribbean-based KM Solutions.
www.strategicme.com
The New York Times relaunched its real estate portal, offering users more comprehensive search.
The site is based on software from Gabriels Technology Solutions. Gabriels said it used Endeca’s Information Access Platform software to beef up the site’s search capabilities.
www.gabriels.net
The Washington Times last week launched a radio newscast in partnership with local CBS affiliate WHFS 1580 AM. The two-minute “top of the hour” segments showcase exclusive Times content and original, investigative reporting from the paper’s newsroom.
www.washingtontimes.com
The Pantagraph in Bloomington, Ill., rolled out social networking features anchored by Social Market 2.0 software from ThePort Network Inc. New features include support for blogging, posting comments and “friending” other users.
www.theportnetwork.com
Sun Chemical launched a new corporate Web site that offers improved navigation and provides additional information about the vendor’s products and services.
www.sunchemical.com
Goss International Corp. said it completed a web-width reduction project on four presses operated by El Nuevo Dia in Puerto Rico. END publishes two daily newspapers with a combined circulation in excess of 350,000 copies.
www.gossinternational.com
Representatives of World Association of Newspapers and PPF Group launched the International Multimedia News Lab in Prague. The training and educational center, combined, with the editorial house, is called FUTUROOM – newsroom of the future.
The project focuses on addressing the financial and competitive challenges facing the newspaper industry, the organizations said.
www.wan-press.org
Barbara Rosenberger, production director at The Reporter in Fond du Lac, Wis., and Bill Taylor, operations director at the Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat, were awarded President’s Rings by Gannett Co. Inc. for outstanding performance in 2008.
Goss International Corp. said Ian Buckley, operations director for its Preston, England, facility, will now have overall responsibility for the vendor’s Lifetime Support program in the United Kingdom. Service managers Peter Banks and David Tootle will oversee commercial and newspaper customers, respectively, and Goss said it has combined the installation and service departments. Finally, David Russell was named to manage parts supply and procurement.
Atex said Latin American reseller Suita Sistemas will market and support its CMS and digital asset management software in the southern states of Brazil.
www.atex.com
MediaOne, which publishes The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Morning News, hired Strategic Marketing Enterprises to handle its circulation customer service. SME said service will be provided by Caribbean-based KM Solutions.
www.strategicme.com
The New York Times relaunched its real estate portal, offering users more comprehensive search.
The site is based on software from Gabriels Technology Solutions. Gabriels said it used Endeca’s Information Access Platform software to beef up the site’s search capabilities.
www.gabriels.net
The Washington Times last week launched a radio newscast in partnership with local CBS affiliate WHFS 1580 AM. The two-minute “top of the hour” segments showcase exclusive Times content and original, investigative reporting from the paper’s newsroom.
www.washingtontimes.com
The Pantagraph in Bloomington, Ill., rolled out social networking features anchored by Social Market 2.0 software from ThePort Network Inc. New features include support for blogging, posting comments and “friending” other users.
www.theportnetwork.com
Sun Chemical launched a new corporate Web site that offers improved navigation and provides additional information about the vendor’s products and services.
www.sunchemical.com
Goss International Corp. said it completed a web-width reduction project on four presses operated by El Nuevo Dia in Puerto Rico. END publishes two daily newspapers with a combined circulation in excess of 350,000 copies.
www.gossinternational.com
Representatives of World Association of Newspapers and PPF Group launched the International Multimedia News Lab in Prague. The training and educational center, combined, with the editorial house, is called FUTUROOM – newsroom of the future.
The project focuses on addressing the financial and competitive challenges facing the newspaper industry, the organizations said.
www.wan-press.org
Monday, May 18, 2009
May 18, 2009 — Ann Arbor News to close July 23; Tucson shuttered
The Ann Arbor (Mich.) News will publish its last issue Thursday, July 23.
Advance Publications Inc. in March said it would fold the 174-year-old daily in favor of a new Web-centric news operation, dubbed AnnArborNews.com. The organization will continue to print a newspaper two days a week, with the first published edition scheduled for Sunday, July 26, according to Publisher Laurel Champion.
Advance will continue to operate the production plant, which will print the new organization’s paper. The facility, anchored by a Goss International Corp. Magnum press, also produces a regional edition of The New York Times, the Jackson (Mich.) Patriot-Citizen and other products.
Meantime, Gannett Co. Inc. closed the Tucson (Ariz.) Citizen May 16, four months after it announced it would shutter the paper if it couldn’t find a buyer. Gannett said it would continue to operate the Citizen’s Web site as an opinion and community discussion page.
The shutdown came as a federal judge this morning held a hearing to stop the paper’s closing. A California newspaper publisher who said he wanted to continue publishing the Citizen asked the Arizona’s attorney general to stop the closure.
At press time, no decision had been reached.
Advance Publications Inc. in March said it would fold the 174-year-old daily in favor of a new Web-centric news operation, dubbed AnnArborNews.com. The organization will continue to print a newspaper two days a week, with the first published edition scheduled for Sunday, July 26, according to Publisher Laurel Champion.
Advance will continue to operate the production plant, which will print the new organization’s paper. The facility, anchored by a Goss International Corp. Magnum press, also produces a regional edition of The New York Times, the Jackson (Mich.) Patriot-Citizen and other products.
Meantime, Gannett Co. Inc. closed the Tucson (Ariz.) Citizen May 16, four months after it announced it would shutter the paper if it couldn’t find a buyer. Gannett said it would continue to operate the Citizen’s Web site as an opinion and community discussion page.
The shutdown came as a federal judge this morning held a hearing to stop the paper’s closing. A California newspaper publisher who said he wanted to continue publishing the Citizen asked the Arizona’s attorney general to stop the closure.
At press time, no decision had been reached.
Britton gets Youngstown, FPS nods
The Vindicator in Youngstown, Ohio, tapped Britton Services Inc. to complete the installation of a reconditioned Goss International Corp. Metroliner press.
BSI will provide engineering services as well as alignment, mechanical, electrical and piping services.
The newspaper two years ago launched the project, which involved replacing its decades’-old letterpress with press units and folders formerly used by the Los Angeles Times, the Daily Breeze in Torrance, Calif., and an overseas publisher.
The Vindicator also converted the presses from shafted to unit-level shaftless drives and trimmed the web width of the units to 48 inches. Currently, The Vindicator is produced on a 55-inch web, with a 23.5-inch cutoff.
The retooled press is configured as one line and will give The Vindicator a 96-page capacity, with 40 pages of color.
The project will be completed later this year, BSI said.
Meantime, BSI will also provide mechanical contractor services associated with the installation of the first Goss International Corp. Flexible Printing System press in the United States.
The Free-Lance Star in Fredericksburg, Va., is equipping the triple-wide FPS press with a commercial gas-fed dryer, allowing the paper to produce both coldset and heatset products.
BSI said the installation will be completed this fall.
BSI will provide engineering services as well as alignment, mechanical, electrical and piping services.
The newspaper two years ago launched the project, which involved replacing its decades’-old letterpress with press units and folders formerly used by the Los Angeles Times, the Daily Breeze in Torrance, Calif., and an overseas publisher.
The Vindicator also converted the presses from shafted to unit-level shaftless drives and trimmed the web width of the units to 48 inches. Currently, The Vindicator is produced on a 55-inch web, with a 23.5-inch cutoff.
The retooled press is configured as one line and will give The Vindicator a 96-page capacity, with 40 pages of color.
The project will be completed later this year, BSI said.
Meantime, BSI will also provide mechanical contractor services associated with the installation of the first Goss International Corp. Flexible Printing System press in the United States.
The Free-Lance Star in Fredericksburg, Va., is equipping the triple-wide FPS press with a commercial gas-fed dryer, allowing the paper to produce both coldset and heatset products.
BSI said the installation will be completed this fall.
MediaNews Group floats plan to charge for content
MediaNews Group said it wants to begin charging readers for some of its online content.
In a memo issued last week, MNG Chief Executive Officer William Dean Singleton and President Jody Lodovic said, “We cannot continue to give all our content away for free.”
Instead, the memo said, MNG will begin to develop new offerings aimed at applying “real value to our print content.”
“If you want access to all online content, you are going to have to register and/or pay. If a non-subscriber they will be directed to some sort of registration or pay vehicle,” the memo said.
Print subscribers would continue to have full access to articles.
The memo didn’t say when MNG would launch the initiative, but The Denver Post, MNG’s flagship publication, said test marketing could begin before the end of the year.
MNG publishes 54 newspapers in 11 states.
In a memo issued last week, MNG Chief Executive Officer William Dean Singleton and President Jody Lodovic said, “We cannot continue to give all our content away for free.”
Instead, the memo said, MNG will begin to develop new offerings aimed at applying “real value to our print content.”
“If you want access to all online content, you are going to have to register and/or pay. If a non-subscriber they will be directed to some sort of registration or pay vehicle,” the memo said.
Print subscribers would continue to have full access to articles.
The memo didn’t say when MNG would launch the initiative, but The Denver Post, MNG’s flagship publication, said test marketing could begin before the end of the year.
MNG publishes 54 newspapers in 11 states.
Houston Chronicle scores after digital upgrade
The Houston Chronicle said it reduced ink waste by 61 percent after upgrading its Goss International Corp. Metro presslines with digital inking.
The ink savings are part of a broader process improvement project The Chronicle launched in 2005. The paper established formal baselines for newsprint and ink waste, productivity averages, press starts and stops and other variables and began tracking them more intensely, according to General Manager Matt Oliver.
Ink waste totals at the newspaper, which averaged more than 12,000 pounds per week, dropped to an average of 4,250 pounds (1,927 kilograms) per week following the conversion to digital inking. Waste reduction rates ranged from 68 percent for black ink to 46 percent for magenta. Press downtime at the paper also decreased by 16 percent as a result of the inking conversion, and the number of paper rolls per web break increased by 23 percent.
The ink savings are part of a broader process improvement project The Chronicle launched in 2005. The paper established formal baselines for newsprint and ink waste, productivity averages, press starts and stops and other variables and began tracking them more intensely, according to General Manager Matt Oliver.
Ink waste totals at the newspaper, which averaged more than 12,000 pounds per week, dropped to an average of 4,250 pounds (1,927 kilograms) per week following the conversion to digital inking. Waste reduction rates ranged from 68 percent for black ink to 46 percent for magenta. Press downtime at the paper also decreased by 16 percent as a result of the inking conversion, and the number of paper rolls per web break increased by 23 percent.
Denver Post parent picks up new print contract
The Denver Newspaper Agency will begin printing 13 Denver-area weekly newspapers, for a total of 120,000 copies, under terms of an outsourcing agreement it signed with Colorado Community Newspapers.
Files will be sent from CCN’s editorial offices to DNA’s North Denver plant. DNA will then truck the completed copies to a CCN facility in Castle Rock, Colo.
In addition to The Denver Post, DNA prints the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo., regional editions of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and USA Today, and the Fort Collins Coloradoan.
Files will be sent from CCN’s editorial offices to DNA’s North Denver plant. DNA will then truck the completed copies to a CCN facility in Castle Rock, Colo.
In addition to The Denver Post, DNA prints the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo., regional editions of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and USA Today, and the Fort Collins Coloradoan.
Former Rocky journos try again
A group of writers and editors at the now-shuttered (Denver) Rocky Mountain News said they will launch a new online news site, the Rocky Mountain Independent, later this summer.
The site is owned by a group of founding journalists, including Steve Foster, Cindy House, David Milstead and John B. Moore. Operations will be supported by memberships and advertising revenue.
Earlier, the same group of journalists was behind the launch of another Denver-based news site, InDenverTimes.com, which was to support a 30-plus-member news organization through a $5 per month subscription fee.
IDT backers had hoped to attract 50,000 subscribers by April 23, which would have been the 150th anniversary of the News. The site, however, never came close to reaching that goal and the entrepreneurs supporting InDenverTimes.com pulled out.
By contrast, RMI will have fewer full-time journalists — perhaps 10 to 12 — and rely more on bloggers and other Denver sites, including IwantMyRocky.com, which was launched after E.W. Scripps last December said it would sell the News.
The site is owned by a group of founding journalists, including Steve Foster, Cindy House, David Milstead and John B. Moore. Operations will be supported by memberships and advertising revenue.
Earlier, the same group of journalists was behind the launch of another Denver-based news site, InDenverTimes.com, which was to support a 30-plus-member news organization through a $5 per month subscription fee.
IDT backers had hoped to attract 50,000 subscribers by April 23, which would have been the 150th anniversary of the News. The site, however, never came close to reaching that goal and the entrepreneurs supporting InDenverTimes.com pulled out.
By contrast, RMI will have fewer full-time journalists — perhaps 10 to 12 — and rely more on bloggers and other Denver sites, including IwantMyRocky.com, which was launched after E.W. Scripps last December said it would sell the News.
Wis. weekly printer taps SLP
TriStar Printing, a printer of weekly newspapers serving central Wisconsin, is installing a Screen PlateRite News 2000 platesetter with a CA Systems processor through the Southern Lithoplate Strategic Alliance. The equipment will replace an existing computer-to-plate system. TriStar uses Southern Lithoplate’s Viper 830 thermal plates.
“We made the switch in equipment for reasons of cost and reliability,” said Tristar’s Vice President Kevin Flink. “Over the years we have tested at least a dozen plate offerings. We have determined that Southern Litho’s plates provide the most consistent quality at an affordable price.”
TriStar prints The Tribune-Phonograph, The Record Review and The Star News, as well as a number of shoppers.
“We made the switch in equipment for reasons of cost and reliability,” said Tristar’s Vice President Kevin Flink. “Over the years we have tested at least a dozen plate offerings. We have determined that Southern Litho’s plates provide the most consistent quality at an affordable price.”
TriStar prints The Tribune-Phonograph, The Record Review and The Star News, as well as a number of shoppers.
News & Tech contest winner named
Dan Kemper, president of Schur Packaging Systems Inc., is the winner of News & Tech’s May contest, “Know Your Characters.” Kemper successfully identified where these fictional newspaper characters worked.
Ed Hutcheson — editor of the New York Day
Perry White — editor in chief at the Daily Planet in Metropolis
Brenda Starr — reporter for The Flash
Henry Hackett — metro editor of the New York Sun
Lou Grant — city editor of the Los Angeles Tribune
Carrie Bradshaw — New York Star
Rick Redfern — The Washington Post
John Jones — New York Globe, in Hitchcock’s “Foreign Correspondent”
Harry Kim — editor of his school newspaper before joining Star Fleet
Josie Gellar — Chicago Sun-Times
Congratulations. To enter our next contest, see page 47 in the June edition of News & Tech.
Ed Hutcheson — editor of the New York Day
Perry White — editor in chief at the Daily Planet in Metropolis
Brenda Starr — reporter for The Flash
Henry Hackett — metro editor of the New York Sun
Lou Grant — city editor of the Los Angeles Tribune
Carrie Bradshaw — New York Star
Rick Redfern — The Washington Post
John Jones — New York Globe, in Hitchcock’s “Foreign Correspondent”
Harry Kim — editor of his school newspaper before joining Star Fleet
Josie Gellar — Chicago Sun-Times
Congratulations. To enter our next contest, see page 47 in the June edition of News & Tech.
Clarification
Last week’s Dateline article, “HP unveils digital press at IBD publisher,” should have stated that the HP Inkjet Web Press can print at resolutions of up to 1,200-by-600 dpi.
In Brief
In Brief
Platinum Equity Partners named Paul Bridwell chief restructuring officer at Union-Tribune LLC, the company formed to operate The San Diego Union-Tribune. Ed Moss, formerly chief executive officer and president of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, was named publisher of The Union-Tribune.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group named Fred Hamilton president and Liz Gaier interim publisher of the (Los Angeles) Daily News.
Fairfax Media New Zealand will roll out DPS AdTracker Enterprise System across its stable of 196 publications, which includes nine daily newspapers including The Dominion Post and The Press.
www.dpsadtracker.com
Rima-System introduced a new log stacker, the RS 610 Multi, engineered to support a wide range of formats. The stacker features internal diagnostics and error recovery as well as real-time monitoring and software updates, Rima said.
www.rima-system.net
Agfa Graphics will begin marketing, distribution and servicing ECRM’s computer-to-plate products in Mexico, Central America and South America under terms of a marketing agreement between the two firms. The partnership is effective immediately.
www.ecrm.com
www.agfa.com
CNI Corp. said the Evansville (Ind.) Courier-Press and La Opinion in Los Angeles have gone live with the vendor’s AdDesk TearSheets app.
www.cnicorp.com
The Wall Street Journal is now being printed at facilities in India, effective today. Wall Street Journal Asia is printed Mondays through Fridays by The Express Group at print sites in New Delhi and Mumbai.
CGS Publishing Technologies International redesigned its Web site, adding new features and capabilities.
www.cgs-oris.com
Platinum Equity Partners named Paul Bridwell chief restructuring officer at Union-Tribune LLC, the company formed to operate The San Diego Union-Tribune. Ed Moss, formerly chief executive officer and president of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, was named publisher of The Union-Tribune.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group named Fred Hamilton president and Liz Gaier interim publisher of the (Los Angeles) Daily News.
Fairfax Media New Zealand will roll out DPS AdTracker Enterprise System across its stable of 196 publications, which includes nine daily newspapers including The Dominion Post and The Press.
www.dpsadtracker.com
Rima-System introduced a new log stacker, the RS 610 Multi, engineered to support a wide range of formats. The stacker features internal diagnostics and error recovery as well as real-time monitoring and software updates, Rima said.
www.rima-system.net
Agfa Graphics will begin marketing, distribution and servicing ECRM’s computer-to-plate products in Mexico, Central America and South America under terms of a marketing agreement between the two firms. The partnership is effective immediately.
www.ecrm.com
www.agfa.com
CNI Corp. said the Evansville (Ind.) Courier-Press and La Opinion in Los Angeles have gone live with the vendor’s AdDesk TearSheets app.
www.cnicorp.com
The Wall Street Journal is now being printed at facilities in India, effective today. Wall Street Journal Asia is printed Mondays through Fridays by The Express Group at print sites in New Delhi and Mumbai.
CGS Publishing Technologies International redesigned its Web site, adding new features and capabilities.
www.cgs-oris.com
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
May 13, 2009: St. Cloud, Minn., paper closing print facility
The St. Cloud (Minn.) Times will shut its printing press and move production to a sister facility some 60 miles distant, effective June 27.
The Gannett Co. Inc.-owned Times will shift production to Gannett Offset Minneapolis, the Times reported.
Some 11 employees will lose their jobs as a result of the shutdown.
Times Publisher Bill Albrecht said in a news release that the Times will retain its existing editorial and sales operations in St. Cloud.
The Gannett Co. Inc.-owned Times will shift production to Gannett Offset Minneapolis, the Times reported.
Some 11 employees will lose their jobs as a result of the shutdown.
Times Publisher Bill Albrecht said in a news release that the Times will retain its existing editorial and sales operations in St. Cloud.
Monday, May 11, 2009
May 11, 2009 -- I-News to test in Denver, then roll out in L.A.
DENVER — MediaNews Group will begin testing its I-News individuated news concept in a Northwest Denver neighborhood May 25, the publisher told News & Tech last week.
The trial is a forerunner to the official rollout of the service, which is planned to take place in August to subscribers of MNG’s (Los Angeles) Daily News (see News & Tech, March 2009).
Peter Vandevanter, MNG’s vice president of targeted products, said Daily News readers will be able to select news based on their interests, which will be combined with news from an undisclosed wire service, Daily News content and targeted advertising.
Readers can either access I-News as an i-edition online or upgrade to receive a printed product via a smart, wireless desktop printer installed in their homes, Vandevanter said.
L.A. users opting for the latter option will begin taking possession of their printers, from an undisclosed vendor, in July, he said.
“For testing in Denver, we are taking news from the late edition of The Denver Post, scraping the headlines and paginating those articles in the same order of hierarchy as they appear in the printed newspaper,” Vandevanter explained. “The next step takes content based on reader preference from the [wire service] server.”
That process, Vandevanter said, is based on coding developed in-house by MNG IT staff in Denver.
“It’s basically RSS to PDF technology,” he said.
Meantime, Vandevanter said MNG has committed to finding an application within the group’s markets for Printcasting.com.
Look for more information about I-News in the June issue of News & Tech, as well as information and developments leading up to MNG’s third Individuated News Conference scheduled to take place June 24-26 in Washington, D.C. INC3 is co-sponsored by Newspapers & Technology, Accrisoft, Océ and The Washington Times.
The trial is a forerunner to the official rollout of the service, which is planned to take place in August to subscribers of MNG’s (Los Angeles) Daily News (see News & Tech, March 2009).
Peter Vandevanter, MNG’s vice president of targeted products, said Daily News readers will be able to select news based on their interests, which will be combined with news from an undisclosed wire service, Daily News content and targeted advertising.
Readers can either access I-News as an i-edition online or upgrade to receive a printed product via a smart, wireless desktop printer installed in their homes, Vandevanter said.
L.A. users opting for the latter option will begin taking possession of their printers, from an undisclosed vendor, in July, he said.
“For testing in Denver, we are taking news from the late edition of The Denver Post, scraping the headlines and paginating those articles in the same order of hierarchy as they appear in the printed newspaper,” Vandevanter explained. “The next step takes content based on reader preference from the [wire service] server.”
That process, Vandevanter said, is based on coding developed in-house by MNG IT staff in Denver.
“It’s basically RSS to PDF technology,” he said.
Meantime, Vandevanter said MNG has committed to finding an application within the group’s markets for Printcasting.com.
Look for more information about I-News in the June issue of News & Tech, as well as information and developments leading up to MNG’s third Individuated News Conference scheduled to take place June 24-26 in Washington, D.C. INC3 is co-sponsored by Newspapers & Technology, Accrisoft, Océ and The Washington Times.
HP unveils digital press at IBD publisher
LOS ANGELES — Hewlett Packard last week formally rolled out its Inkjet Web Press digital press aimed at newspapers.
The press, first introduced at last year’s drupa in Dusseldorf, Germany, has been undergoing testing and evaluation by O’Neil Data Systems, which publishes Investor’s Business Daily.
Although the machine is not being used to print IBD, a special May 5 edition of the paper was printed on the press, and delivered to registrants attending an open house sponsored by HP at O’Neil’s facilities here.
“IBD is still just a proof of concept,” Jim Lucanish, president of ODS, told News & Tech. “We have no intention to print that on this press at this point.”
Attendees saw the press in action, as well as the digital front-end driving the press and finishing equipment.
William O’Neil, chairman and founder of ODS, IBD and the company that bears his name, praised HP as a company that’s stayed on top of cycles governing the market and economy, and he credited the vendor for remaining on the leading edge of graphic arts technologies.
The Inkjet Web Press boasts speeds of 400 feet per minute at resolutions of 600-by-600 dots per inch for newspaper production, and resolutions of 1,200-by-1,200 dpi for other products.
Look for full coverage of the press unveiling in the June issue of News & Tech.
The press, first introduced at last year’s drupa in Dusseldorf, Germany, has been undergoing testing and evaluation by O’Neil Data Systems, which publishes Investor’s Business Daily.
Although the machine is not being used to print IBD, a special May 5 edition of the paper was printed on the press, and delivered to registrants attending an open house sponsored by HP at O’Neil’s facilities here.
“IBD is still just a proof of concept,” Jim Lucanish, president of ODS, told News & Tech. “We have no intention to print that on this press at this point.”
Attendees saw the press in action, as well as the digital front-end driving the press and finishing equipment.
William O’Neil, chairman and founder of ODS, IBD and the company that bears his name, praised HP as a company that’s stayed on top of cycles governing the market and economy, and he credited the vendor for remaining on the leading edge of graphic arts technologies.
The Inkjet Web Press boasts speeds of 400 feet per minute at resolutions of 600-by-600 dots per inch for newspaper production, and resolutions of 1,200-by-1,200 dpi for other products.
Look for full coverage of the press unveiling in the June issue of News & Tech.
Goss cuts U.S. staff
Goss International Corp. said it reduced its U.S. work force by approximately 170 as it responds to deteriorating market conditions.
The job losses took place at Goss’ facilities in Durham, N.H., suburban Chicago and Kennedale, Texas. Goss also said it’s reviewing other options to reduce costs at U.S. operations, including short-term furloughs.
The job losses took place at Goss’ facilities in Durham, N.H., suburban Chicago and Kennedale, Texas. Goss also said it’s reviewing other options to reduce costs at U.S. operations, including short-term furloughs.
Metro sells off U.S. papers
Metro International S.A. said it will sell its U.S. papers to a company run by former Metro executive Pelle Tornberg.
The sale includes Metro editions in New York and Philadelphia as well as Boston Metro, which is published through a partnership with The Boston Globe. The three papers have a combined circulation of almost 600,000 copies.
No financial details were disclosed.
The sale includes Metro editions in New York and Philadelphia as well as Boston Metro, which is published through a partnership with The Boston Globe. The three papers have a combined circulation of almost 600,000 copies.
No financial details were disclosed.
NYT intros Times Reader 2.0
The New York Times today introduced the latest version of its Times Reader software, providing a more interactive and Web-like environment.
Times Reader 2.0, based on Adobe Systems Inc.’s Air software, will enable users to download content without requiring a browser front-end.
New features include video support and an interactive edition of the crossword puzzle.
The Times is offering two versions of the software. The first, available free of charge, offers readers access to articles appearing in the front, business and most e-mailed sections. A paid subscription — providing access to all content — costs $3.45 per week but will be available free for a limited time to subscribers of the print edition.
Times Reader 2.0, based on Adobe Systems Inc.’s Air software, will enable users to download content without requiring a browser front-end.
New features include video support and an interactive edition of the crossword puzzle.
The Times is offering two versions of the software. The first, available free of charge, offers readers access to articles appearing in the front, business and most e-mailed sections. A paid subscription — providing access to all content — costs $3.45 per week but will be available free for a limited time to subscribers of the print edition.
WSJ mulling micropayments?
The Wall Street Journal could begin charging fees for individual articles and premium subscriptions to its online content, according to a story in The Financial Times.
The Times, quoting Journal Managing Editor Robert Thomson, said the service could launch this fall.
The Times, quoting Journal Managing Editor Robert Thomson, said the service could launch this fall.
Amazon sets ‘newspaper’ Kindle
Amazon last week said it would roll out a new Kindle engineered with a larger display and also struck deals with three newspapers to market the device.
The Kindle DX boasts a rotational display measuring 9.7 inches, more than two times the size of the Kindle 2, which was released earlier this year. The reader also sports a built-in PDF reader and can hold up to 3,500 books, Amazon said. It will be available this summer and priced at $489.
As part of the rollout, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe will offer the device at a reduced price in exchange for subscriber commitments.
Competitor Plastic Logic, which next year will begin offering its own e-reader with a larger display, earlier struck a deal with Detroit Media Partnership through which DMP will offer the device to its readers as part of a trial (see News & Tech Dateline, March 16, 2009).
The test units — which will also be evaluated by USA Today — will be available in late summer or early fall, Plastic Logic said.
The Kindle DX boasts a rotational display measuring 9.7 inches, more than two times the size of the Kindle 2, which was released earlier this year. The reader also sports a built-in PDF reader and can hold up to 3,500 books, Amazon said. It will be available this summer and priced at $489.
As part of the rollout, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe will offer the device at a reduced price in exchange for subscriber commitments.
Competitor Plastic Logic, which next year will begin offering its own e-reader with a larger display, earlier struck a deal with Detroit Media Partnership through which DMP will offer the device to its readers as part of a trial (see News & Tech Dateline, March 16, 2009).
The test units — which will also be evaluated by USA Today — will be available in late summer or early fall, Plastic Logic said.
Ecuadorian paper picks KBA
El Telegrafo in Guayaquil, Ecuador, picked Koenig & Bauer AG to supply it with a Colora doublewide press. It’s the first Colora to be installed in Ecuador, KBA said.
The Berliner machine, with an 18.5-inch cutoff, will be able to print up to 37,500 32-page newspapers, or 75,000 16-page papers, per hour, all in full color.
The press will, configured as two four-high towers and a KF 5 jaw folder, will also include press control software from EAE. It will go into production later this year.
The Berliner machine, with an 18.5-inch cutoff, will be able to print up to 37,500 32-page newspapers, or 75,000 16-page papers, per hour, all in full color.
The press will, configured as two four-high towers and a KF 5 jaw folder, will also include press control software from EAE. It will go into production later this year.
San Diego U-T purchase completed
The San Diego Union-Tribune said its acquisition by a Beverly Hills, Calif., private-equity firm has been completed.
Platinum Equity purchased the paper for an undisclosed sum from The Copley Press Inc., which owned The Union-Tribune for more than 80 years.
Platinum named Paul Bridwell, described as a turnaround specialist, as chief restructuring officer. Bridwell, who also held senior executive positions at Platinum, will serve as the newspaper’s senior executive.
Platinum hasn’t publicly disclosed its plans for the paper.
Platinum Equity purchased the paper for an undisclosed sum from The Copley Press Inc., which owned The Union-Tribune for more than 80 years.
Platinum named Paul Bridwell, described as a turnaround specialist, as chief restructuring officer. Bridwell, who also held senior executive positions at Platinum, will serve as the newspaper’s senior executive.
Platinum hasn’t publicly disclosed its plans for the paper.
Ore. paper taps Harland Simon for print software
The Register Guard in Eugene, Ore., is adding auto-impositioning and color quality software from Harland Simon to improve its print quality.
The newspaper is installing the vendor’s Prima Esprit and Prima ColorWare apps in a project to be completed this month, said Janet Owen, production director.
Both products are based on algorithms that calculate the best way to produce a particular product based on press capabilities and preferred printing methods.
ColorWare determines color availability and job specs and transfers that information to Esprit, which automatically calculates the best imposition to the press.
The newspaper is installing the vendor’s Prima Esprit and Prima ColorWare apps in a project to be completed this month, said Janet Owen, production director.
Both products are based on algorithms that calculate the best way to produce a particular product based on press capabilities and preferred printing methods.
ColorWare determines color availability and job specs and transfers that information to Esprit, which automatically calculates the best imposition to the press.
APT: Contests snaring dollars
Advanced Publishing Technology said newspapers have generated more than $500,000 through its EZ$Contests and EZ$Fantasy Racing contest applications. Additionally, papers are generating additional revenues by selling banner ads on contest sites, APT said.
One newspaper, the (Hopkinsville) Kentucky New Era, said it generated four times as much revenue from its online contests than it did from its print-only versions.
One newspaper, the (Hopkinsville) Kentucky New Era, said it generated four times as much revenue from its online contests than it did from its print-only versions.
CNI picks Fusion to streamline workflow
Community Newspapers Inc. installed Workflow ESP automated prepress software from Fusion Systems International as part of its migration to computer-to-plate. The publisher will use the app to provide digital integrity between proofing, plating and the printed product, FSI said.
CNI produces more than 100 different publications each month and FSI’s app will allow the publisher to process multiple publications simultaneously, CNI said.
CNI produces more than 100 different publications each month and FSI’s app will allow the publisher to process multiple publications simultaneously, CNI said.
ATS, Creative Circle partner for Web-first app
Advanced Technical Solutions and Creative Circle announced a “Web-first” editorial production application, which the companies said manages all forms of media content — user contributions, press releases, blogs, forums, photo, video and audio — from a single place.
The app is based on ATS’ MediaDesk and Creative Circle’s mediasiteQ and communityQ products.
The app is based on ATS’ MediaDesk and Creative Circle’s mediasiteQ and communityQ products.
PCF picks up N.J. distribution
Publishers Circulation Fulfillment said it’s taken over delivery responsibilities for the Asbury Park Press in Neptune, N.J., distributing some 100,000 copies of the paper.
PCF also began delivering 23,000 copies of The Enterprise in Brockton, Mass., and will also begin distributing 8,000 copies of The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, Mass., later this month. Both papers are owned by GateHouse Media.
In March, PCF re-assumed home delivery responsibilities for The New York Times in metropolitan Detroit.
PCF also began delivering 23,000 copies of The Enterprise in Brockton, Mass., and will also begin distributing 8,000 copies of The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, Mass., later this month. Both papers are owned by GateHouse Media.
In March, PCF re-assumed home delivery responsibilities for The New York Times in metropolitan Detroit.
Va. paper goes all-color
The Daily Press in Newport News, Va., May 3 became an all-color newspaper, capping off a two-year project that included press controls, a migration to computer-to-plate, new lockups and re-engineering its 27-year-old, 16-unit Goss International Metroliner press.
Look for more information about the paper’s conversion in the June issue of News & Tech.
Look for more information about the paper’s conversion in the June issue of News & Tech.
German pub taps ppi for output
Mittelbayerisches Druckzentrum, publisher of Mittelbayerisches Zeitung in Regensburg, Germany, installed ppi Media’s printnet OM output management app as part of its deployment of new Colorman XXL presses and automated plate-loading equipment from manroland.
The app will help the publisher automate RIPs, imaging, production monitoring and proofing, and will deliver plates to the printer’s computer-to-plate equipment.
The app will help the publisher automate RIPs, imaging, production monitoring and proofing, and will deliver plates to the printer’s computer-to-plate equipment.
Obituary: Gene Cooper
Gene Cooper, who had been employed by Pressroom Cleaners Inc. for 30 years and a contractor at the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald for 25 years, passed away May 4. He was 58.
In Brief
Pressline Services Inc. named Slavek Panek folder specialist.
Cannon Equipment named Jason Pitts vice president of finance.
NewsNotes named Jerry Simpkins chief operation officer of NaStar Inc., the marketing arm of NewsNotes Advertising.
Tesa Tape Inc. rolled out a new splicing tape, 64437, which can be used on both coated and uncoated stock. The tape is repulpable, allowing it to be recycled during the pulp and re-pulp process, the firm said.
www.tesatape.com
Southern Lithoplate added EskoArtwork to the list of vendors participating in its Certified Strategic Business Partner Program.
www.slp.com
The Newseum in Washington, D.C., opened its FOTOBAMA exhibit, showcasing the top 100 professional and amateur photographs selected from a field of more than 1,500 photos depicting the presidency of Barack Obama. Entries were solicited from around the world, the Newseum said. The exhibit is co-sponsored by Fotoweek DC.
www.newseum.org
Derksen Printers Ltd., a commercial printer and newspaper publisher in Canada, installed a Trendsetter News 70 thermal computer-to-plate machine from Kodak. Derksen is also using Kodak thermal plates and its Prinergy Evo workflow app.
www.graphics.kodak.com
Cannon Equipment named Jason Pitts vice president of finance.
NewsNotes named Jerry Simpkins chief operation officer of NaStar Inc., the marketing arm of NewsNotes Advertising.
Tesa Tape Inc. rolled out a new splicing tape, 64437, which can be used on both coated and uncoated stock. The tape is repulpable, allowing it to be recycled during the pulp and re-pulp process, the firm said.
www.tesatape.com
Southern Lithoplate added EskoArtwork to the list of vendors participating in its Certified Strategic Business Partner Program.
www.slp.com
The Newseum in Washington, D.C., opened its FOTOBAMA exhibit, showcasing the top 100 professional and amateur photographs selected from a field of more than 1,500 photos depicting the presidency of Barack Obama. Entries were solicited from around the world, the Newseum said. The exhibit is co-sponsored by Fotoweek DC.
www.newseum.org
Derksen Printers Ltd., a commercial printer and newspaper publisher in Canada, installed a Trendsetter News 70 thermal computer-to-plate machine from Kodak. Derksen is also using Kodak thermal plates and its Prinergy Evo workflow app.
www.graphics.kodak.com
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
May 6, 2009: Update: Cox converting AutoTrader to Web
LAS VEGAS -- Cox Enterprises, publisher of the AutoTrader family of publications, will convert AutoTrader to Web only, effective this week. The decision won't affect AutoTrader Latino or AutoTrader Classics, which will continue to be printed, according to an AutoTrader spokesman.
Cox also ended its ownership of Interco Print, which prints the Trader publications, leaving Dominion Enterprises the sole owner of the printing company. Dominion said it will continue to print its roster of trader publications.
Cox also ended its ownership of Interco Print, which prints the Trader publications, leaving Dominion Enterprises the sole owner of the printing company. Dominion said it will continue to print its roster of trader publications.
Monday, May 4, 2009
May 4, 2009: Boston Globe avoids shutdown, for now
The Boston Globe said it reached agreements with six of seven unions representing its workers and will not file a 60-day shutdown notice.
The New York Times Co. had threatened to close the paper unless unions agreed to $20 million in cuts.
In a statement released earlier today, The Globe said it had successfully renegotiated contracts with the drivers, mailers, press operators, electricians, machinists and technical services group.
But the paper said it still hadn’t been able to reach an agreement with the Newspaper Guild, which represents some 700 editorial, advertising and business employees.
“We are very pleased to have reached agreements with six of the seven unions that were involved in recent negotiations,” The Globe said in a statement. “As a result of these agreements, which are subject to ratification by union members, we expect to achieve both the workplace flexibility and the financial savings that we sought from these unions.”
The Globe said it will now pursue other options with the Guild “to achieve as quickly as possible the workplace flexibility and remaining cost-savings we need to put The Globe on sound financial footing.”
The New York Times Co. had threatened to close the paper unless unions agreed to $20 million in cuts.
In a statement released earlier today, The Globe said it had successfully renegotiated contracts with the drivers, mailers, press operators, electricians, machinists and technical services group.
But the paper said it still hadn’t been able to reach an agreement with the Newspaper Guild, which represents some 700 editorial, advertising and business employees.
“We are very pleased to have reached agreements with six of the seven unions that were involved in recent negotiations,” The Globe said in a statement. “As a result of these agreements, which are subject to ratification by union members, we expect to achieve both the workplace flexibility and the financial savings that we sought from these unions.”
The Globe said it will now pursue other options with the Guild “to achieve as quickly as possible the workplace flexibility and remaining cost-savings we need to put The Globe on sound financial footing.”
NAA cuts staff, folds Presstime
The Newspaper Association of America last week cut staff and said it would no longer print copies of its magazine, Presstime.
NAA President and Chief Executive Officer John Sturm said in a memo that the group will now focus on three major areas of business: public policy, advocating newspaper advertising growth and outreach. Sturm said the NAA’s staff is now about a third of what it was a year ago; according to an article posted by Poynter, NAA now employs about 43 people.
Meantime, NAA said planning for mediaXchange 2010 remains under way and that the group expects to announce where the event will be held by month’s end. The show is slated to be held in Orlando, Fla.
NAA President and Chief Executive Officer John Sturm said in a memo that the group will now focus on three major areas of business: public policy, advocating newspaper advertising growth and outreach. Sturm said the NAA’s staff is now about a third of what it was a year ago; according to an article posted by Poynter, NAA now employs about 43 people.
Meantime, NAA said planning for mediaXchange 2010 remains under way and that the group expects to announce where the event will be held by month’s end. The show is slated to be held in Orlando, Fla.
Print 09 backers offering vendors ‘stimulus’
Graphic Arts Show Co., the firm behind Print 09, said it will offer vendors credits to offset the costs associated with installing machinery and other equipment at its upcoming show.
GASC said exhibitors can choose between two subsidy plans: one, geared to those companies with heavy machinery that occupies a large percentage of their booth space, allows for unlimited machinery material handling at the show site. The second option features limited material handling, but covers both machinery and non-machinery.
Altogether, GASC expects to offer up to $3 million in credit through the plan, with average exhibitor savings ranging from $550 to $165,000, depending on the size of exhibitors’ booth space.
“In these troubled times, we can’t settle for business as usual,” said Ralph Nappi, GASC president. “That is why GASC has stepped forward with the subsidy plan to support the companies that provide equipment, products and services to the graphic communications industry.”
The show, scheduled for Sept. 11-16, will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago.
News & Tech is offering a free exhibits-only pass to attend Print ’09. For more information, see the banner below.
GASC said exhibitors can choose between two subsidy plans: one, geared to those companies with heavy machinery that occupies a large percentage of their booth space, allows for unlimited machinery material handling at the show site. The second option features limited material handling, but covers both machinery and non-machinery.
Altogether, GASC expects to offer up to $3 million in credit through the plan, with average exhibitor savings ranging from $550 to $165,000, depending on the size of exhibitors’ booth space.
“In these troubled times, we can’t settle for business as usual,” said Ralph Nappi, GASC president. “That is why GASC has stepped forward with the subsidy plan to support the companies that provide equipment, products and services to the graphic communications industry.”
The show, scheduled for Sept. 11-16, will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago.
News & Tech is offering a free exhibits-only pass to attend Print ’09. For more information, see the banner below.
RJI picks vendors for Digital Newsbooks
The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute is making its Digital Newsbooks available through two new partner sites, the organization plans to announce at its Digital Publishing Alliance meeting.
RJI said the Newsbooks will be accessible through eReader Outfitters in Pleasanton, Calif., and MBS Direct in Columbia, Mo. The DPA begins its annual meeting tomorrow.
RJI launched its Newsbooks initiative last year. RJI produces the content free of charge for DPA members. The books are customized for downloading and easy reading on e-readers and other mobile display devices.
The New York Times has been selling Digital Newsbooks produced by RJI on its own Web site since fall 2008.
RJI said DPA members, hosting services and RJI will share revenues stemming from the sale of the Newsbooks.
For more information about the project visit www.rjionline.org.
RJI said the Newsbooks will be accessible through eReader Outfitters in Pleasanton, Calif., and MBS Direct in Columbia, Mo. The DPA begins its annual meeting tomorrow.
RJI launched its Newsbooks initiative last year. RJI produces the content free of charge for DPA members. The books are customized for downloading and easy reading on e-readers and other mobile display devices.
The New York Times has been selling Digital Newsbooks produced by RJI on its own Web site since fall 2008.
RJI said DPA members, hosting services and RJI will share revenues stemming from the sale of the Newsbooks.
For more information about the project visit www.rjionline.org.
2 more publishers file for bankruptcy protection
American Community Newspapers Inc.’s bankruptcy could cost Gannett Co. Inc. hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Gannett’s printing group, owed $273,000 was listed as ACN’s largest unsecured creditor, according to the filing.
ACN filed for bankruptcy protection April 28, citing a weak advertising market, according to Gene Carr, ACN’s chairman and chief executive officer.
The Dallas-based publisher prints more than 80 newspapers — primarily weeklies — in four markets: Dallas, northern Virginia, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Columbus, Ohio.
The firm said it had obtained $5 million in debtor-in-possession financing. The publisher listed assets in the range of $50 million to $100 million and debts of about $107 million.
Meantime, the family-owned Columbian Publishing Co. in Vancouver, Wash., filed for bankruptcy protection in order to address credit issues with the Bank of America. The company borrowed money from the bank to finance a new building in downtown Vancouver.
According to filings, CPC owes $17 million to BofA as well as other unsecured creditors.
CAN and CPC are sixth and seventh newspaper publishers to file for bankruptcy protection, following Tribune Co., Philadelphia Newspapers LLC, the (Minneapolis) Star-Tribune, Journal Register Co. and the Sun-Times Media Group.
Gannett’s printing group, owed $273,000 was listed as ACN’s largest unsecured creditor, according to the filing.
ACN filed for bankruptcy protection April 28, citing a weak advertising market, according to Gene Carr, ACN’s chairman and chief executive officer.
The Dallas-based publisher prints more than 80 newspapers — primarily weeklies — in four markets: Dallas, northern Virginia, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Columbus, Ohio.
The firm said it had obtained $5 million in debtor-in-possession financing. The publisher listed assets in the range of $50 million to $100 million and debts of about $107 million.
Meantime, the family-owned Columbian Publishing Co. in Vancouver, Wash., filed for bankruptcy protection in order to address credit issues with the Bank of America. The company borrowed money from the bank to finance a new building in downtown Vancouver.
According to filings, CPC owes $17 million to BofA as well as other unsecured creditors.
CAN and CPC are sixth and seventh newspaper publishers to file for bankruptcy protection, following Tribune Co., Philadelphia Newspapers LLC, the (Minneapolis) Star-Tribune, Journal Register Co. and the Sun-Times Media Group.
Schur rolling out new inserter
Schur Packaging Systems Inc. is rolling out a new inserter that’s based on inserting and gripping technology it obtained as a result of its purchase of IdabWamac.
The new system, the 1455, has a rated capacity of 45,000 packages per hour, said Dan Kemper, president.
The inserter capitalizes on IdabWamac’s integral gripper design, in which product is transported — from buffer to stacker — by a single gripper. Other inserting systems rely on multiple gripper systems to convey the same product.
“The biggest advantage is that the paper can maintain and manage the integrity of the product,” Kemper said.
The 1455, available now, uses Schur’s 1055 hoppers to create a system with a lower profile and smaller footprint, Kemper said. As a result, hoppers are positioned on the floor rather than on top of the machine, as IdabWamac had designed them.
The new system, the 1455, has a rated capacity of 45,000 packages per hour, said Dan Kemper, president.
The inserter capitalizes on IdabWamac’s integral gripper design, in which product is transported — from buffer to stacker — by a single gripper. Other inserting systems rely on multiple gripper systems to convey the same product.
“The biggest advantage is that the paper can maintain and manage the integrity of the product,” Kemper said.
The 1455, available now, uses Schur’s 1055 hoppers to create a system with a lower profile and smaller footprint, Kemper said. As a result, hoppers are positioned on the floor rather than on top of the machine, as IdabWamac had designed them.
Triblocal expands print editions to North Shore
The Chicago Tribune expanded its TribLocal community journalism initiative with three weekly print editions and associated Web sites focused on high-income North Shore suburbs.
The first editions, published last week, cover the communities of Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Northfield, Glencoe, Highland Park, Deerfield, Highwood, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Northbrook, Glenview and Golf.
Triblocal was introduced in 2007 and now reaches 65 Chicago suburbs in print and online (see News & Tech, May 2007.
The first editions, published last week, cover the communities of Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Northfield, Glencoe, Highland Park, Deerfield, Highwood, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Northbrook, Glenview and Golf.
Triblocal was introduced in 2007 and now reaches 65 Chicago suburbs in print and online (see News & Tech, May 2007.
PressTerra expands digital distribution
PressTerra said it partnered with Ontime Transport & Logistics to distribute newspaper titles to expatriates and tourists in Spain. Many of the titles, which will begin to be distributed around the Iberian Peninsula today, were not previously available in Spain, or were only available the day after publication.
The papers will be printed at Madrid-based Imcodavila, which went on-edition with its Océ JetStream 2200 digital press May 1.
The company now prints 6,000, 80-page broadsheet papers — a mixture of dailies, weeklies and monthlies — in full color each day (see News & Tech, April 2009).
Titles to be distributed by Ontime include El Mercurio from Chile, El Colombiano from Colombia, Diario Hoy from Ecuador, La Jornada from Mexico and El Comercio and El Correo from Peru. Miami-based El Nuevo Herald will also be printed at Imcodavila, as well as a number of additional titles that PressTerra also publishes at its VASP print partner site in Lisbon, Portugal, which operates an Agfa DGNews digital press.
Meantime, PressTerra announced other partnerships in Portugal and Spain, including those to print the New York Post, Tages Anzeiger of Switzerland; Romania Libera of Romania, and Dagens Nyheter and Goteborgs Posten of Sweden.
The papers will be printed at Madrid-based Imcodavila, which went on-edition with its Océ JetStream 2200 digital press May 1.
The company now prints 6,000, 80-page broadsheet papers — a mixture of dailies, weeklies and monthlies — in full color each day (see News & Tech, April 2009).
Titles to be distributed by Ontime include El Mercurio from Chile, El Colombiano from Colombia, Diario Hoy from Ecuador, La Jornada from Mexico and El Comercio and El Correo from Peru. Miami-based El Nuevo Herald will also be printed at Imcodavila, as well as a number of additional titles that PressTerra also publishes at its VASP print partner site in Lisbon, Portugal, which operates an Agfa DGNews digital press.
Meantime, PressTerra announced other partnerships in Portugal and Spain, including those to print the New York Post, Tages Anzeiger of Switzerland; Romania Libera of Romania, and Dagens Nyheter and Goteborgs Posten of Sweden.
Hearst live with Jazbox in Conn.
MediaSpan said Hearst’s Connecticut Media Group is fully live on Jazbox. Hearst deployed the app to consolidate resources and offer its Connecticut papers the ability to produce print and online content simultaneously, MediaSpan said.
More than 175 seats of Jazbox are now deployed in a consolidated server located at The Connecticut Post in Bridgeport. Ten Hearst titles, including The Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Advocate in Stamford, Greenwich Times and six Brooks weekly publications are using the system.
More than 175 seats of Jazbox are now deployed in a consolidated server located at The Connecticut Post in Bridgeport. Ten Hearst titles, including The Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Advocate in Stamford, Greenwich Times and six Brooks weekly publications are using the system.
KBA expresses cautious outlook
Koenig & Bauer AG, even as it posted a 2008 loss of $134 million and projected an additional 20 percent drop in sales this year, said it expects its 2009 financial performance to stabilize, provided demand doesn’t deteriorate further.
The vendor said much of the loss was fueled by restructuring charges in addition to a sharp drop in sheetfed press sales. Sales of web and specialty presses partially offset the downturn, the company said.. All told, KBA said revenues fell 10 percent to $1.9 billion in 2008, with sheetfed sales dropping more than 22 percent.
The vendor said it continued to ship presses worldwide, although the percentage of machines sent to the United States dropped to 9.4 percent. KBA attributed the decrease to U.S. printers’ “continued reluctance to invest” in new machinery.
For 2009, KBA projects an additional 20 percent drop in sales, but expects that it will be able to get its expenses in line and avoid any further losses.
The vendor said much of the loss was fueled by restructuring charges in addition to a sharp drop in sheetfed press sales. Sales of web and specialty presses partially offset the downturn, the company said.. All told, KBA said revenues fell 10 percent to $1.9 billion in 2008, with sheetfed sales dropping more than 22 percent.
The vendor said it continued to ship presses worldwide, although the percentage of machines sent to the United States dropped to 9.4 percent. KBA attributed the decrease to U.S. printers’ “continued reluctance to invest” in new machinery.
For 2009, KBA projects an additional 20 percent drop in sales, but expects that it will be able to get its expenses in line and avoid any further losses.
Goss making heat recovery system available worldwide
Goss International Corp. said its Ecobox thermal energy recovery system is now available worldwide.
The system is compatible with heatset dryers equipped with integrated afterburners. Water circulating through Ecobox is heated by exhaust air from the dryer. The heated water can either be used or converted to replace or supplement the energy required for HVAC or other systems within the production facility, Goss said.
Goss has installed Ecobox throughout Europe. The company is now making it available to other countries, including those in North America.
The system is compatible with heatset dryers equipped with integrated afterburners. Water circulating through Ecobox is heated by exhaust air from the dryer. The heated water can either be used or converted to replace or supplement the energy required for HVAC or other systems within the production facility, Goss said.
Goss has installed Ecobox throughout Europe. The company is now making it available to other countries, including those in North America.
Colo. publisher to kick off new press May 19
Lehman Communications Corp., which prints several northern Colorado newspapers including the Daily Times-Call in Longmont, will go on-edition with its new press May 19.
The company purchased a Uniset press from manroland in 2007 to anchor a $20 million, 60,000-square-foot plant. Lehman also prints the Loveland Reporter-Herald as well as a number of other weekly newspapers and commercial accounts.
The company purchased a Uniset press from manroland in 2007 to anchor a $20 million, 60,000-square-foot plant. Lehman also prints the Loveland Reporter-Herald as well as a number of other weekly newspapers and commercial accounts.
AJC debuts 44-inch size
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week introduced a redesigned and more colorful paper, produced on a 44-inch-wide web.
The paper in 2007 tapped TKS (USA) to add six ColorTop 7000 H-style color towers to its existing pressline to boost color and print quality.
The towers were equipped with press control upgrades from ABB and also include color registration controls from Q.I. Press Controls.
Journal-Constitution mechanics and engineers oversaw the web-width reduction project while Britton Services Inc. oversaw the tower installation.
The paper in 2007 tapped TKS (USA) to add six ColorTop 7000 H-style color towers to its existing pressline to boost color and print quality.
The towers were equipped with press control upgrades from ABB and also include color registration controls from Q.I. Press Controls.
Journal-Constitution mechanics and engineers oversaw the web-width reduction project while Britton Services Inc. oversaw the tower installation.
Study: online newspaper reading time increases
Internet users are spending more time reading online newspapers but are also more likely to drop their print subscriptions as they migrate from newsprint to electronic distribution.
Research conducted by the Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communications said that Internet users read online newspapers 53 minutes a week, the highest level thus far in the 8-year-old study.
In 2007, users spent about 41 minutes reading online newspapers.
The survey also found that 22 percent of users said they stopped their print subscriptions to a newspaper or magazine because they could access the same content online.
“The most significant trend about how Americans are changing their news reading habits may be found in comparing the use of online media by light users vs. heavy users,” said Center Director Jeffrey I. Cole. “Heavy Internet users spend 65 more minutes per week reading online newspapers than do light users.”
The World Internet Project, created by the Center for the Digital Future, also conducts studies of the impact of online technology in 23 partner countries. And every partner found the same trend in its country: When Internet use reaches 30 percent of the population, print newspaper consumption begins to decline.
Research conducted by the Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communications said that Internet users read online newspapers 53 minutes a week, the highest level thus far in the 8-year-old study.
In 2007, users spent about 41 minutes reading online newspapers.
The survey also found that 22 percent of users said they stopped their print subscriptions to a newspaper or magazine because they could access the same content online.
“The most significant trend about how Americans are changing their news reading habits may be found in comparing the use of online media by light users vs. heavy users,” said Center Director Jeffrey I. Cole. “Heavy Internet users spend 65 more minutes per week reading online newspapers than do light users.”
The World Internet Project, created by the Center for the Digital Future, also conducts studies of the impact of online technology in 23 partner countries. And every partner found the same trend in its country: When Internet use reaches 30 percent of the population, print newspaper consumption begins to decline.
Study: Local online advertising continues to grow
Newspapers continued to make strides in attracting local advertisers to their Web sites, according to a study released last week by Borrell Associates.
In 2008 newspapers saw a 6 percent increase in local ad revenues to $3.4 billion, the study said. Borrell said it expects total revenues for local advertising to increase another 6 percent this year.
The report analyzed Web revenues for over 4,300 local media properties representing 6,000 Web sites in the U.S. and Canada.
In 2008 newspapers saw a 6 percent increase in local ad revenues to $3.4 billion, the study said. Borrell said it expects total revenues for local advertising to increase another 6 percent this year.
The report analyzed Web revenues for over 4,300 local media properties representing 6,000 Web sites in the U.S. and Canada.
Gatehouse to kick-off seasonal Cape Cod pub
GateHouse Media New England said it will launch a free seasonal daily covering Cape Cod beginning next month.
The new publication, Cape Cod Day, will publish Tuesday through Saturday, beginning June 23 and ending after the Labor Day weekend.
GateHouse said the paper will have a print run of approximately 25,000. It will be produced in Orleans, Mass., where GateHouse’s Cape Codder and Harwich Oracle newspapers are published.
The publisher said it has already booked front-page ads from local businesses for the entire 11-week print run.
The new publication, Cape Cod Day, will publish Tuesday through Saturday, beginning June 23 and ending after the Labor Day weekend.
GateHouse said the paper will have a print run of approximately 25,000. It will be produced in Orleans, Mass., where GateHouse’s Cape Codder and Harwich Oracle newspapers are published.
The publisher said it has already booked front-page ads from local businesses for the entire 11-week print run.
Obituary: Don Kay
Don Kay, former vice president of operations at MediaNews’ Inland Empire newspapers in Southern California, passed away suddenly April 30. He was 62. Services are pending.
In Brief: May 4, 2009
Gannett Co. Inc. appointed Susie Ellwood chief executive officer of the Detroit Media Partnership, succeeding David Hunke, who was named publisher of USA Today.
DMP also named Paul Anger editor and publisher of the Detroit Free Press and Joyce Jenereaux executive vice president.
USA Today named John Hilkirk editor. He formerly served as executive editor.
Gannett Co. Inc. shareholders re-elected Craig A. Dubow chairman, president and chief executive officer. They also re-elected Howard D. Elias, Marjorie Magner, Scott K. McCune, Duncan M. McFarland, Donna E. Shalala, Neal Shapiro and Karen Hastie Williams to the board of directors.
Meantime, Gannett named Todd A. Mayman senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. He succeeds Kurt Wimmer, who will become a partner at the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP.
The San Francisco Chronicle named Jeff Bergin vice president of advertising.
The Record in Stockton, Calif., said press operator Bert Sampson retired after a 40-year career at the paper. He joined the newspaper in 1969 after working at the Lodi (Calif.) News-Sentinel and served as lead operator and press mechanic on the Record’s letterpress, which was decommissioned in 2004.
PressTerra appointed Ralph Vooys president and chief executive officer and Marta Bohoyo as vice president of marketing. Karina Tettero and Anitra Vooys will remain as director of customer services and Presstige business unit director, respectively.
WRH Marketing AG appointed Marko Roini as managing director at Ferag Suomi.
Eastman Kodak Co named Dave Wigfield worldwide sales and operations director, workflow, business solutions and services group
French daily Paris-Normandie completed the successful rollout of the first installation of Atex AdBaseE in France.
The group selected the Atex AdBaseE as a foundation to allow self-service advertising.
Tensor Group Inc. added a 10-minute informational video on its Web site. The video showcases Tensor’s manufacturing facility and features a demonstration of its presses in action in Turkey.
Harland Simon upgraded drive controls at U.K. publisher Polestar Chantry, swapping out obsolete electronics with a Siemens DC drive unit. Harland Simon performed the conversion on PC’s Baker Perkins G14 press.
Atex and Chyron announced the integration of the Atex Polopoly Content Manager and Polopoly Relationship Manager with Chyron's Axis Web-based content creation services.
Aspermont Ltd. deployed WoodWing’s Enterprise content publishing platform at its publications in Europe and Australia.
Digital Technology International launched a new Web site based on its DTI Lightning content management app.
Reuters.com rolled out software from Apture to allow its reporters to add multimedia element to their blogs.
Controls Group Inc. will convert 18 couples of a manroland Uniman press from open fountain to digital injection at Swiss newspaper printer Centre d’Impression des Ronquoz. The digital inkers will integrate with the press’ existing ABB control software, and operational in September.
U.K. newspaper publisher GMG Regional Media will install Miles 33’s Workflow CMS across all of its newspaper properties. The deployment is scheduled for completion by this fall, Miles 33 said.
New Jersey online-only hyperlocal daily newspaper TheAlternativePress.com said it is expanding to Westfield, its eighth community.
Clarity Media selected Clickability Inc. to underpin its Examiner.com Web sites. The app will allow writers and editors to more easily post content.
The Silverton (Colo.) Standard & the Miner will now be operated as a non-profit newspaper after the weekly’s owner donated it to the local historical society. Thirteenth Street Media Inc. made the move after determining it could no longer profitably operate the 1,000-subscriber Standard. Silverton, a former mining town, is located in the southwest corner of the state.
The Reading (Pa.) Eagle, which earlier this year opened its $33 million production facility, last week laid off about 12 percent of its staff because of declining revenues.
The Wilson (N.C.) Daily Times is moving to morning distribution, effective May 5. The family-owned paper began publishing in 1896.
The (New York) Daily News launched a social network for small businesses. The service, Daily News SmallBiz, is based on software from SaleSpider.com.
Amazon said it will hold a press conference May 6 to unveil a Kindle that’s outfitted with a larger-diameter screen tailored for newspaper distribution.
The Denver Post will eliminate daily distribution and home delivery of the paper to Colorado towns and counties located more than 100 miles from the Mile High City, effective July 12.
The Post will continue to deliver its Sunday edition but customers now receiving seven-day-a-week home delivery of the paper will have to convert to electronic distribution, The Denver Newspaper Agency said.
Ifra said papers can begin registering for the International Newspaper Color Quality Club 2010-2012 competition.
For the first time, Ifra is opening the competition to all newspapers, and membership will not be limited to 50 newspapers, as in prior INCQC competitions.
Papers registering by Oct. 16, 2009, can request a free test evaluation, Ifra said.
Interested newspapers can obtain information, including registration forms, at www.colorqualityclub.org.
DMP also named Paul Anger editor and publisher of the Detroit Free Press and Joyce Jenereaux executive vice president.
USA Today named John Hilkirk editor. He formerly served as executive editor.
Gannett Co. Inc. shareholders re-elected Craig A. Dubow chairman, president and chief executive officer. They also re-elected Howard D. Elias, Marjorie Magner, Scott K. McCune, Duncan M. McFarland, Donna E. Shalala, Neal Shapiro and Karen Hastie Williams to the board of directors.
Meantime, Gannett named Todd A. Mayman senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. He succeeds Kurt Wimmer, who will become a partner at the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP.
The San Francisco Chronicle named Jeff Bergin vice president of advertising.
The Record in Stockton, Calif., said press operator Bert Sampson retired after a 40-year career at the paper. He joined the newspaper in 1969 after working at the Lodi (Calif.) News-Sentinel and served as lead operator and press mechanic on the Record’s letterpress, which was decommissioned in 2004.
PressTerra appointed Ralph Vooys president and chief executive officer and Marta Bohoyo as vice president of marketing. Karina Tettero and Anitra Vooys will remain as director of customer services and Presstige business unit director, respectively.
WRH Marketing AG appointed Marko Roini as managing director at Ferag Suomi.
Eastman Kodak Co named Dave Wigfield worldwide sales and operations director, workflow, business solutions and services group
French daily Paris-Normandie completed the successful rollout of the first installation of Atex AdBaseE in France.
The group selected the Atex AdBaseE as a foundation to allow self-service advertising.
Tensor Group Inc. added a 10-minute informational video on its Web site. The video showcases Tensor’s manufacturing facility and features a demonstration of its presses in action in Turkey.
Harland Simon upgraded drive controls at U.K. publisher Polestar Chantry, swapping out obsolete electronics with a Siemens DC drive unit. Harland Simon performed the conversion on PC’s Baker Perkins G14 press.
Atex and Chyron announced the integration of the Atex Polopoly Content Manager and Polopoly Relationship Manager with Chyron's Axis Web-based content creation services.
Aspermont Ltd. deployed WoodWing’s Enterprise content publishing platform at its publications in Europe and Australia.
Digital Technology International launched a new Web site based on its DTI Lightning content management app.
Reuters.com rolled out software from Apture to allow its reporters to add multimedia element to their blogs.
Controls Group Inc. will convert 18 couples of a manroland Uniman press from open fountain to digital injection at Swiss newspaper printer Centre d’Impression des Ronquoz. The digital inkers will integrate with the press’ existing ABB control software, and operational in September.
U.K. newspaper publisher GMG Regional Media will install Miles 33’s Workflow CMS across all of its newspaper properties. The deployment is scheduled for completion by this fall, Miles 33 said.
New Jersey online-only hyperlocal daily newspaper TheAlternativePress.com said it is expanding to Westfield, its eighth community.
Clarity Media selected Clickability Inc. to underpin its Examiner.com Web sites. The app will allow writers and editors to more easily post content.
The Silverton (Colo.) Standard & the Miner will now be operated as a non-profit newspaper after the weekly’s owner donated it to the local historical society. Thirteenth Street Media Inc. made the move after determining it could no longer profitably operate the 1,000-subscriber Standard. Silverton, a former mining town, is located in the southwest corner of the state.
The Reading (Pa.) Eagle, which earlier this year opened its $33 million production facility, last week laid off about 12 percent of its staff because of declining revenues.
The Wilson (N.C.) Daily Times is moving to morning distribution, effective May 5. The family-owned paper began publishing in 1896.
The (New York) Daily News launched a social network for small businesses. The service, Daily News SmallBiz, is based on software from SaleSpider.com.
Amazon said it will hold a press conference May 6 to unveil a Kindle that’s outfitted with a larger-diameter screen tailored for newspaper distribution.
The Denver Post will eliminate daily distribution and home delivery of the paper to Colorado towns and counties located more than 100 miles from the Mile High City, effective July 12.
The Post will continue to deliver its Sunday edition but customers now receiving seven-day-a-week home delivery of the paper will have to convert to electronic distribution, The Denver Newspaper Agency said.
Ifra said papers can begin registering for the International Newspaper Color Quality Club 2010-2012 competition.
For the first time, Ifra is opening the competition to all newspapers, and membership will not be limited to 50 newspapers, as in prior INCQC competitions.
Papers registering by Oct. 16, 2009, can request a free test evaluation, Ifra said.
Interested newspapers can obtain information, including registration forms, at www.colorqualityclub.org.
N&T Dateline: May 4, 2009
Boston Globe avoids shutdown, for now
The Boston Globe said it reached agreements with six of seven unions representing its workers and will not file a 60-day shutdown notice.
The New York Times Co. had threatened to close the paper unless unions agreed to $20 million in cuts.
In a statement released earlier today, The Globe said it had successfully renegotiated contracts with the drivers, mailers, press operators, electricians, machinists and technical services group.
But the paper said it still hadn’t been able to reach an agreement with the Newspaper Guild, which represents some 700 editorial, advertising and business employees.
“We are very pleased to have reached agreements with six of the seven unions that were involved in recent negotiations,” The Globe said in a statement. “As a result of these agreements, which are subject to ratification by union members, we expect to achieve both the workplace flexibility and the financial savings that we sought from these unions.”
The Globe said it will now pursue other options with the Guild “to achieve as quickly as possible the workplace flexibility and remaining cost-savings we need to put The Globe on sound financial footing.”
NAA cuts staff, folds Presstime
The Newspaper Association of America last week cut staff and said it would no longer print copies of its magazine, Presstime.
NAA President and Chief Executive Officer John Sturm said in a memo that the group will now focus on three major areas of business: public policy, advocating newspaper advertising growth and outreach. Sturm said the NAA’s staff is now about a third of what it was a year ago; according to an article posted by Poynter, NAA now employs about 43 people.
Meantime, NAA said planning for mediaXchange 2010 remains under way and that the group expects to announce where the event will be held by month’s end. The show is slated to be held in Orlando, Fla.
Print 09 backers offering vendors ‘stimulus’
Graphic Arts Show Co., the firm behind Print 09, said it will offer vendors credits to offset the costs associated with installing machinery and other equipment at its upcoming show.
GASC said exhibitors can choose between two subsidy plans: one, geared to those companies with heavy machinery that occupies a large percentage of their booth space, allows for unlimited machinery material handling at the show site. The second option features limited material handling, but covers both machinery and non-machinery.
Altogether, GASC expects to offer up to $3 million in credit through the plan, with average exhibitor savings ranging from $550 to $165,000, depending on the size of exhibitors’ booth space.
“In these troubled times, we can’t settle for business as usual,” said Ralph Nappi, GASC president. “That is why GASC has stepped forward with the subsidy plan to support the companies that provide equipment, products and services to the graphic communications industry.”
The show, scheduled for Sept. 11-16, will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago.
News & Tech is offering a free exhibits-only pass to attend Print ’09. For more information, see the banner below.
RJI picks vendors for Digital Newsbooks
The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute is making its Digital Newsbooks available through two new partner sites, the organization plans to announce at its Digital Publishing Alliance meeting.
RJI said the Newsbooks will be accessible through eReader Outfitters (www.ereaderoutfitters.com) in Pleasanton, Calif., and MBS Direct (www.mbsdirect.net/newsbooks) in Columbia, Mo. The DPA begins its annual meeting tomorrow.
RJI launched its Newsbooks initiative last year. RJI produces the content free of charge for DPA members. The books are customized for downloading and easy reading on e-readers and other mobile display devices.
The New York Times has been selling Digital Newsbooks produced by RJI on its own Web site since fall 2008.
RJI said DPA members, hosting services and RJI will share revenues stemming from the sale of the Newsbooks.
For more information about the project visit www.rjionline.org
2 more publishers file for bankruptcy protection
American Community Newspapers Inc.’s bankruptcy could cost Gannett Co. Inc. hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Gannett’s printing group, owed $273,000 was listed as ACN’s largest unsecured creditor, according to the filing.
ACN filed for bankruptcy protection April 28, citing a weak advertising market, according to Gene Carr, ACN’s chairman and chief executive officer.
The Dallas-based publisher prints more than 80 newspapers — primarily weeklies — in four markets: Dallas, northern Virginia, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Columbus, Ohio.
The firm said it had obtained $5 million in debtor-in-possession financing. The publisher listed assets in the range of $50 million to $100 million and debts of about $107 million.
Meantime, the family-owned Columbian Publishing Co. in Vancouver, Wash., filed for bankruptcy protection in order to address credit issues with the Bank of America. The company borrowed money from the bank to finance a new building in downtown Vancouver.
According to filings, CPC owes $17 million to BofA as well as other unsecured creditors.
CAN and CPC are sixth and seventh newspaper publishers to file for bankruptcy protection, following Tribune Co., Philadelphia Newspapers LLC, the (Minneapolis) Star-Tribune, Journal Register Co. and the Sun-Times Media Group.
Schur rolling out new inserter
Schur Packaging Systems Inc. is rolling out a new inserter that’s based on inserting and gripping technology it obtained as a result of its purchase of IdabWamac.
The new system, the 1455, has a rated capacity of 45,000 packages per hour, said Dan Kemper, president.
The inserter capitalizes on IdabWamac’s integral gripper design, in which product is transported — from buffer to stacker — by a single gripper. Other inserting systems rely on multiple gripper systems to convey the same product.
“The biggest advantage is that the paper can maintain and manage the integrity of the product,” Kemper said.
The 1455, available now, uses Schur’s 1055 hoppers to create a system with a lower profile and smaller footprint, Kemper said. As a result, hoppers are positioned on the floor rather than on top of the machine, as IdabWamac had designed them.
Triblocal expands print editions to North Shore
The Chicago Tribune expanded its TribLocal community journalism initiative with three weekly print editions and associated Web sites focused on high-income North Shore suburbs.
The first editions, published last week, cover the communities of Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Northfield, Glencoe, Highland Park, Deerfield, Highwood, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Northbrook, Glenview and Golf.
Triblocal was introduced in 2007 and now reaches 65 Chicago suburbs in print and online (see News & Tech, May 2007.
PressTerra expands digital distribution
PressTerra said it partnered with Ontime Transport & Logistics to distribute newspaper titles to expatriates and tourists in Spain. Many of the titles, which will begin to be distributed around the Iberian Peninsula today, were not previously available in Spain, or were only available the day after publication.
The papers will be printed at Madrid-based Imcodavila, which went on-edition with its Océ JetStream 2200 digital press May 1.
The company now prints 6,000, 80-page broadsheet papers — a mixture of dailies, weeklies and monthlies — in full color each day (see News & Tech, April 2009).
Titles to be distributed by Ontime include El Mercurio from Chile, El Colombiano from Colombia, Diario Hoy from Ecuador, La Jornada from Mexico and El Comercio and El Correo from Peru. Miami-based El Nuevo Herald will also be printed at Imcodavila, as well as a number of additional titles that PressTerra also publishes at its VASP print partner site in Lisbon, Portugal, which operates an Agfa DGNews digital press.
Meantime, PressTerra announced other partnerships in Portugal and Spain, including those to print the New York Post, Tages Anzeiger of Switzerland; Romania Libera of Romania, and Dagens Nyheter and Goteborgs Posten of Sweden.
Hearst live with Jazbox in Conn.
MediaSpan said Hearst’s Connecticut Media Group is fully live on Jazbox. Hearst deployed the app to consolidate resources and offer its Connecticut papers the ability to produce print and online content simultaneously, MediaSpan said.
More than 175 seats of Jazbox are now deployed in a consolidated server located at The Connecticut Post in Bridgeport. Ten Hearst titles, including The Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Advocate in Stamford, Greenwich Times and six Brooks weekly publications are using the system.
KBA expresses cautious outlook
Koenig & Bauer AG, even as it posted a 2008 loss of $134 million and projected an additional 20 percent drop in sales this year, said it expects its 2009 financial performance to stabilize, provided demand doesn’t deteriorate further.
The vendor said much of the loss was fueled by restructuring charges in addition to a sharp drop in sheetfed press sales. Sales of web and specialty presses partially offset the downturn, the company said.. All told, KBA said revenues fell 10 percent to $1.9 billion in 2008, with sheetfed sales dropping more than 22 percent.
The vendor said it continued to ship presses worldwide, although the percentage of machines sent to the United States dropped to 9.4 percent. KBA attributed the decrease to U.S. printers’ “continued reluctance to invest” in new machinery.
For 2009, KBA projects an additional 20 percent drop in sales, but expects that it will be able to get its expenses in line and avoid any further losses.
Goss making heat recovery system available worldwide
Goss International Corp. said its Ecobox thermal energy recovery system is now available worldwide.
The system is compatible with heatset dryers equipped with integrated afterburners. Water circulating through Ecobox is heated by exhaust air from the dryer. The heated water can either be used or converted to replace or supplement the energy required for HVAC or other systems within the production facility, Goss said.
Goss has installed Ecobox throughout Europe. The company is now making it available to other countries, including those in North America.
Colo. publisher to kick off new press May 19
Lehman Communications Corp., which prints several northern Colorado newspapers including the Daily Times-Call in Longmont, will go on-edition with its new press May 19.
The company purchased a Uniset press from manroland in 2007 to anchor a $20 million, 60,000-square-foot plant. Lehman also prints the Loveland Reporter-Herald as well as a number of other weekly newspapers and commercial accounts.
AJC debuts 44-inch size
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week introduced a redesigned and more colorful paper, produced on a 44-inch-wide web.
The paper in 2007 tapped TKS (USA) to add six ColorTop 7000 H-style color towers to its existing pressline to boost color and print quality.
The towers were equipped with press control upgrades from ABB and also include color registration controls from Q.I. Press Controls.
Journal-Constitution mechanics and engineers oversaw the web-width reduction project while Britton Services Inc. oversaw the tower installation.
Study: online newspaper reading time increases
Internet users are spending more time reading online newspapers but are also more likely to drop their print subscriptions as they migrate from newsprint to electronic distribution.
Research conducted by the Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communications said that Internet users read online newspapers 53 minutes a week, the highest level thus far in the 8-year-old study.
In 2007, users spent about 41 minutes reading online newspapers.
The survey also found that 22 percent of users said they stopped their print subscriptions to a newspaper or magazine because they could access the same content online.
“The most significant trend about how Americans are changing their news reading habits may be found in comparing the use of online media by light users vs. heavy users,” said Center Director Jeffrey I. Cole. “Heavy Internet users spend 65 more minutes per week reading online newspapers than do light users.”
The World Internet Project, created by the Center for the Digital Future, also conducts studies of the impact of online technology in 23 partner countries. And every partner found the same trend in its country: When Internet use reaches 30 percent of the population, print newspaper consumption begins to decline.
Study: Local online advertising continues to grow
Newspapers continued to make strides in attracting local advertisers to their Web sites, according to a study released last week by Borrell Associates.
In 2008 newspapers saw a 6 percent increase in local ad revenues to $3.4 billion, the study said. Borrell said it expects total revenues for local advertising to increase another 6 percent this year.
The report analyzed Web revenues for over 4,300 local media properties representing 6,000 Web sites in the U.S. and Canada.
Gatehouse to kick-off seasonal Cape Cod pub
GateHouse Media New England said it will launch a free seasonal daily covering Cape Cod beginning next month.
The new publication, Cape Cod Day, will publish Tuesday through Saturday, beginning June 23 and ending after the Labor Day weekend.
GateHouse said the paper will have a print run of approximately 25,000. It will be produced in Orleans, Mass., where GateHouse’s Cape Codder and Harwich Oracle newspapers are published.
The publisher said it has already booked front-page ads from local businesses for the entire 11-week print run.
Obituary: Don Kay
Don Kay, who retired as vice president of operations at The Sun in San Bernardino, Calif., passed away suddenly April 30. He was 62. Services are pending.
In Brief
Gannett Co. Inc. appointed Susie Ellwood chief executive officer of the Detroit Media Partnership, succeeding David Hunke, who was named publisher of USA Today.
DMP also named Paul Anger editor and publisher of the Detroit Free Press and Joyce Jenereaux executive vice president.
USA Today named John Hilkirk editor. He formerly served as executive editor.
Gannett Co. Inc. shareholders re-elected Craig A. Dubow chairman, president and chief executive officer. They also re-elected Howard D. Elias, Marjorie Magner, Scott K. McCune, Duncan M. McFarland, Donna E. Shalala, Neal Shapiro and Karen Hastie Williams to the board of directors.
Meantime, Gannett named Todd A. Mayman senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. He succeeds Kurt Wimmer, who will become a partner at the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP.
The San Francisco Chronicle named Jeff Bergin vice president of advertising.
The Record in Stockton, Calif., said press operator Bert Sampson retired after a 40-year career at the paper. He joined the newspaper in 1969 after working at the Lodi (Calif.) News-Sentinel and served as lead operator and press mechanic on the Record’s letterpress, which was decommissioned in 2004.
PressTerra appointed Ralph Vooys president and chief executive officer and Marta Bohoyo as vice president of marketing. Karina Tettero and Anitra Vooys will remain as director of customer services and Presstige business unit director, respectively.
WRH Marketing AG appointed Marko Roini as managing director at Ferag Suomi.
Eastman Kodak Co named Dave Wigfield worldwide sales and operations director, workflow, business solutions and services group
French daily Paris-Normandie completed the successful rollout of the first installation of Atex AdBaseE in France.
The group selected the Atex AdBaseE as a foundation to allow self-service advertising.
www.atex.com
Tensor Group Inc. added a 10-minute informational video on its Web site. The video showcases Tensor’s manufacturing facility and features a demonstration of its presses in action in Turkey.
www.tensorgroup.com
Harland Simon upgraded drive controls at U.K. publisher Polestar Chantry, swapping out obsolete electronics with a Siemens DC drive unit. Harland Simon performed the conversion on PC’s Baker Perkins G14 press.
www.harlandsimon.com
Atex and Chyron announced the integration of the Atex Polopoly Content Manager and Polopoly Relationship Manager with Chyron's Axis Web-based content creation services.
www.atex.com
Aspermont Ltd. deployed WoodWing’s Enterprise content publishing platform at its publications in Europe and Australia.
www.woodwing.com
Digital Technology International launched a new Web site based on its DTI Lightning content management app.
www.dtint.com
Reuters.com rolled out software from Apture to allow its reporters to add multimedia element to their blogs.
www.apture.com
Controls Group Inc. will convert 18 couples of a manroland Uniman press from open fountain to digital injection at Swiss newspaper printer Centre d’Impression des Ronquoz. The digital inkers will integrate with the press’ existing ABB control software, and operational in September.
www.controlsgroupinc.com
U.K. newspaper publisher GMG Regional Media will install Miles 33’s Workflow CMS across all of its newspaper properties. The deployment is scheduled for completion by this fall, Miles 33 said.
www.miles33.com
New Jersey online-only hyperlocal daily newspaper TheAlternativePress.com said it is expanding to Westfield, its eighth community.
www.thealternativepress.com
Clarity Media selected Clickability Inc. to underpin its Examiner.com Web sites. The app will allow writers and editors to more easily post content.
www.clickability.com
The Silverton (Colo.) Standard & the Miner will now be operated as a non-profit newspaper after the weekly’s owner donated it to the local historical society. Thirteenth Street Media Inc. made the move after determining it could no longer profitably operate the 1,000-subscriber Standard. Silverton, a former mining town, is located in the southwest corner of the state.
The Reading (Pa.) Eagle, which earlier this year opened its $33 million production facility, last week laid off about 12 percent of its staff because of declining revenues.
The Wilson (N.C.) Daily Times is moving to morning distribution, effective May 5. The family-owned paper began publishing in 1896.
The (New York) Daily News launched a social network for small businesses. The service, Daily News SmallBiz, is based on software from SaleSpider.com.
Amazon said it will hold a press conference May 6 to unveil a Kindle that’s outfitted with a larger-diameter screen tailored for newspaper distribution.
www.amazon.com
The Denver Post will eliminate daily distribution and home delivery of the paper to Colorado towns and counties located more than 100 miles from the Mile High City, effective July 12.
The Post will continue to deliver its Sunday edition but customers now receiving seven-day-a-week home delivery of the paper will have to convert to electronic distribution, The Denver Newspaper Agency said.
www.denverpost.com
Ifra said papers can begin registering for the International Newspaper Color Quality Club 2010-2012 competition.
For the first time, Ifra is opening the competition to all newspapers, and membership will not be limited to 50 newspapers, as in prior INCQC competitions.
Papers registering by Oct. 16, 2009, can request a free test evaluation, Ifra said.
Interested newspapers can obtain information, including registration forms, at www.colorqualityclub.org.
The Boston Globe said it reached agreements with six of seven unions representing its workers and will not file a 60-day shutdown notice.
The New York Times Co. had threatened to close the paper unless unions agreed to $20 million in cuts.
In a statement released earlier today, The Globe said it had successfully renegotiated contracts with the drivers, mailers, press operators, electricians, machinists and technical services group.
But the paper said it still hadn’t been able to reach an agreement with the Newspaper Guild, which represents some 700 editorial, advertising and business employees.
“We are very pleased to have reached agreements with six of the seven unions that were involved in recent negotiations,” The Globe said in a statement. “As a result of these agreements, which are subject to ratification by union members, we expect to achieve both the workplace flexibility and the financial savings that we sought from these unions.”
The Globe said it will now pursue other options with the Guild “to achieve as quickly as possible the workplace flexibility and remaining cost-savings we need to put The Globe on sound financial footing.”
NAA cuts staff, folds Presstime
The Newspaper Association of America last week cut staff and said it would no longer print copies of its magazine, Presstime.
NAA President and Chief Executive Officer John Sturm said in a memo that the group will now focus on three major areas of business: public policy, advocating newspaper advertising growth and outreach. Sturm said the NAA’s staff is now about a third of what it was a year ago; according to an article posted by Poynter, NAA now employs about 43 people.
Meantime, NAA said planning for mediaXchange 2010 remains under way and that the group expects to announce where the event will be held by month’s end. The show is slated to be held in Orlando, Fla.
Print 09 backers offering vendors ‘stimulus’
Graphic Arts Show Co., the firm behind Print 09, said it will offer vendors credits to offset the costs associated with installing machinery and other equipment at its upcoming show.
GASC said exhibitors can choose between two subsidy plans: one, geared to those companies with heavy machinery that occupies a large percentage of their booth space, allows for unlimited machinery material handling at the show site. The second option features limited material handling, but covers both machinery and non-machinery.
Altogether, GASC expects to offer up to $3 million in credit through the plan, with average exhibitor savings ranging from $550 to $165,000, depending on the size of exhibitors’ booth space.
“In these troubled times, we can’t settle for business as usual,” said Ralph Nappi, GASC president. “That is why GASC has stepped forward with the subsidy plan to support the companies that provide equipment, products and services to the graphic communications industry.”
The show, scheduled for Sept. 11-16, will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago.
News & Tech is offering a free exhibits-only pass to attend Print ’09. For more information, see the banner below.
RJI picks vendors for Digital Newsbooks
The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute is making its Digital Newsbooks available through two new partner sites, the organization plans to announce at its Digital Publishing Alliance meeting.
RJI said the Newsbooks will be accessible through eReader Outfitters (www.ereaderoutfitters.com) in Pleasanton, Calif., and MBS Direct (www.mbsdirect.net/newsbooks) in Columbia, Mo. The DPA begins its annual meeting tomorrow.
RJI launched its Newsbooks initiative last year. RJI produces the content free of charge for DPA members. The books are customized for downloading and easy reading on e-readers and other mobile display devices.
The New York Times has been selling Digital Newsbooks produced by RJI on its own Web site since fall 2008.
RJI said DPA members, hosting services and RJI will share revenues stemming from the sale of the Newsbooks.
For more information about the project visit www.rjionline.org
2 more publishers file for bankruptcy protection
American Community Newspapers Inc.’s bankruptcy could cost Gannett Co. Inc. hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Gannett’s printing group, owed $273,000 was listed as ACN’s largest unsecured creditor, according to the filing.
ACN filed for bankruptcy protection April 28, citing a weak advertising market, according to Gene Carr, ACN’s chairman and chief executive officer.
The Dallas-based publisher prints more than 80 newspapers — primarily weeklies — in four markets: Dallas, northern Virginia, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Columbus, Ohio.
The firm said it had obtained $5 million in debtor-in-possession financing. The publisher listed assets in the range of $50 million to $100 million and debts of about $107 million.
Meantime, the family-owned Columbian Publishing Co. in Vancouver, Wash., filed for bankruptcy protection in order to address credit issues with the Bank of America. The company borrowed money from the bank to finance a new building in downtown Vancouver.
According to filings, CPC owes $17 million to BofA as well as other unsecured creditors.
CAN and CPC are sixth and seventh newspaper publishers to file for bankruptcy protection, following Tribune Co., Philadelphia Newspapers LLC, the (Minneapolis) Star-Tribune, Journal Register Co. and the Sun-Times Media Group.
Schur rolling out new inserter
Schur Packaging Systems Inc. is rolling out a new inserter that’s based on inserting and gripping technology it obtained as a result of its purchase of IdabWamac.
The new system, the 1455, has a rated capacity of 45,000 packages per hour, said Dan Kemper, president.
The inserter capitalizes on IdabWamac’s integral gripper design, in which product is transported — from buffer to stacker — by a single gripper. Other inserting systems rely on multiple gripper systems to convey the same product.
“The biggest advantage is that the paper can maintain and manage the integrity of the product,” Kemper said.
The 1455, available now, uses Schur’s 1055 hoppers to create a system with a lower profile and smaller footprint, Kemper said. As a result, hoppers are positioned on the floor rather than on top of the machine, as IdabWamac had designed them.
Triblocal expands print editions to North Shore
The Chicago Tribune expanded its TribLocal community journalism initiative with three weekly print editions and associated Web sites focused on high-income North Shore suburbs.
The first editions, published last week, cover the communities of Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Northfield, Glencoe, Highland Park, Deerfield, Highwood, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Northbrook, Glenview and Golf.
Triblocal was introduced in 2007 and now reaches 65 Chicago suburbs in print and online (see News & Tech, May 2007.
PressTerra expands digital distribution
PressTerra said it partnered with Ontime Transport & Logistics to distribute newspaper titles to expatriates and tourists in Spain. Many of the titles, which will begin to be distributed around the Iberian Peninsula today, were not previously available in Spain, or were only available the day after publication.
The papers will be printed at Madrid-based Imcodavila, which went on-edition with its Océ JetStream 2200 digital press May 1.
The company now prints 6,000, 80-page broadsheet papers — a mixture of dailies, weeklies and monthlies — in full color each day (see News & Tech, April 2009).
Titles to be distributed by Ontime include El Mercurio from Chile, El Colombiano from Colombia, Diario Hoy from Ecuador, La Jornada from Mexico and El Comercio and El Correo from Peru. Miami-based El Nuevo Herald will also be printed at Imcodavila, as well as a number of additional titles that PressTerra also publishes at its VASP print partner site in Lisbon, Portugal, which operates an Agfa DGNews digital press.
Meantime, PressTerra announced other partnerships in Portugal and Spain, including those to print the New York Post, Tages Anzeiger of Switzerland; Romania Libera of Romania, and Dagens Nyheter and Goteborgs Posten of Sweden.
Hearst live with Jazbox in Conn.
MediaSpan said Hearst’s Connecticut Media Group is fully live on Jazbox. Hearst deployed the app to consolidate resources and offer its Connecticut papers the ability to produce print and online content simultaneously, MediaSpan said.
More than 175 seats of Jazbox are now deployed in a consolidated server located at The Connecticut Post in Bridgeport. Ten Hearst titles, including The Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Advocate in Stamford, Greenwich Times and six Brooks weekly publications are using the system.
KBA expresses cautious outlook
Koenig & Bauer AG, even as it posted a 2008 loss of $134 million and projected an additional 20 percent drop in sales this year, said it expects its 2009 financial performance to stabilize, provided demand doesn’t deteriorate further.
The vendor said much of the loss was fueled by restructuring charges in addition to a sharp drop in sheetfed press sales. Sales of web and specialty presses partially offset the downturn, the company said.. All told, KBA said revenues fell 10 percent to $1.9 billion in 2008, with sheetfed sales dropping more than 22 percent.
The vendor said it continued to ship presses worldwide, although the percentage of machines sent to the United States dropped to 9.4 percent. KBA attributed the decrease to U.S. printers’ “continued reluctance to invest” in new machinery.
For 2009, KBA projects an additional 20 percent drop in sales, but expects that it will be able to get its expenses in line and avoid any further losses.
Goss making heat recovery system available worldwide
Goss International Corp. said its Ecobox thermal energy recovery system is now available worldwide.
The system is compatible with heatset dryers equipped with integrated afterburners. Water circulating through Ecobox is heated by exhaust air from the dryer. The heated water can either be used or converted to replace or supplement the energy required for HVAC or other systems within the production facility, Goss said.
Goss has installed Ecobox throughout Europe. The company is now making it available to other countries, including those in North America.
Colo. publisher to kick off new press May 19
Lehman Communications Corp., which prints several northern Colorado newspapers including the Daily Times-Call in Longmont, will go on-edition with its new press May 19.
The company purchased a Uniset press from manroland in 2007 to anchor a $20 million, 60,000-square-foot plant. Lehman also prints the Loveland Reporter-Herald as well as a number of other weekly newspapers and commercial accounts.
AJC debuts 44-inch size
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week introduced a redesigned and more colorful paper, produced on a 44-inch-wide web.
The paper in 2007 tapped TKS (USA) to add six ColorTop 7000 H-style color towers to its existing pressline to boost color and print quality.
The towers were equipped with press control upgrades from ABB and also include color registration controls from Q.I. Press Controls.
Journal-Constitution mechanics and engineers oversaw the web-width reduction project while Britton Services Inc. oversaw the tower installation.
Study: online newspaper reading time increases
Internet users are spending more time reading online newspapers but are also more likely to drop their print subscriptions as they migrate from newsprint to electronic distribution.
Research conducted by the Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communications said that Internet users read online newspapers 53 minutes a week, the highest level thus far in the 8-year-old study.
In 2007, users spent about 41 minutes reading online newspapers.
The survey also found that 22 percent of users said they stopped their print subscriptions to a newspaper or magazine because they could access the same content online.
“The most significant trend about how Americans are changing their news reading habits may be found in comparing the use of online media by light users vs. heavy users,” said Center Director Jeffrey I. Cole. “Heavy Internet users spend 65 more minutes per week reading online newspapers than do light users.”
The World Internet Project, created by the Center for the Digital Future, also conducts studies of the impact of online technology in 23 partner countries. And every partner found the same trend in its country: When Internet use reaches 30 percent of the population, print newspaper consumption begins to decline.
Study: Local online advertising continues to grow
Newspapers continued to make strides in attracting local advertisers to their Web sites, according to a study released last week by Borrell Associates.
In 2008 newspapers saw a 6 percent increase in local ad revenues to $3.4 billion, the study said. Borrell said it expects total revenues for local advertising to increase another 6 percent this year.
The report analyzed Web revenues for over 4,300 local media properties representing 6,000 Web sites in the U.S. and Canada.
Gatehouse to kick-off seasonal Cape Cod pub
GateHouse Media New England said it will launch a free seasonal daily covering Cape Cod beginning next month.
The new publication, Cape Cod Day, will publish Tuesday through Saturday, beginning June 23 and ending after the Labor Day weekend.
GateHouse said the paper will have a print run of approximately 25,000. It will be produced in Orleans, Mass., where GateHouse’s Cape Codder and Harwich Oracle newspapers are published.
The publisher said it has already booked front-page ads from local businesses for the entire 11-week print run.
Obituary: Don Kay
Don Kay, who retired as vice president of operations at The Sun in San Bernardino, Calif., passed away suddenly April 30. He was 62. Services are pending.
In Brief
Gannett Co. Inc. appointed Susie Ellwood chief executive officer of the Detroit Media Partnership, succeeding David Hunke, who was named publisher of USA Today.
DMP also named Paul Anger editor and publisher of the Detroit Free Press and Joyce Jenereaux executive vice president.
USA Today named John Hilkirk editor. He formerly served as executive editor.
Gannett Co. Inc. shareholders re-elected Craig A. Dubow chairman, president and chief executive officer. They also re-elected Howard D. Elias, Marjorie Magner, Scott K. McCune, Duncan M. McFarland, Donna E. Shalala, Neal Shapiro and Karen Hastie Williams to the board of directors.
Meantime, Gannett named Todd A. Mayman senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. He succeeds Kurt Wimmer, who will become a partner at the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP.
The San Francisco Chronicle named Jeff Bergin vice president of advertising.
The Record in Stockton, Calif., said press operator Bert Sampson retired after a 40-year career at the paper. He joined the newspaper in 1969 after working at the Lodi (Calif.) News-Sentinel and served as lead operator and press mechanic on the Record’s letterpress, which was decommissioned in 2004.
PressTerra appointed Ralph Vooys president and chief executive officer and Marta Bohoyo as vice president of marketing. Karina Tettero and Anitra Vooys will remain as director of customer services and Presstige business unit director, respectively.
WRH Marketing AG appointed Marko Roini as managing director at Ferag Suomi.
Eastman Kodak Co named Dave Wigfield worldwide sales and operations director, workflow, business solutions and services group
French daily Paris-Normandie completed the successful rollout of the first installation of Atex AdBaseE in France.
The group selected the Atex AdBaseE as a foundation to allow self-service advertising.
www.atex.com
Tensor Group Inc. added a 10-minute informational video on its Web site. The video showcases Tensor’s manufacturing facility and features a demonstration of its presses in action in Turkey.
www.tensorgroup.com
Harland Simon upgraded drive controls at U.K. publisher Polestar Chantry, swapping out obsolete electronics with a Siemens DC drive unit. Harland Simon performed the conversion on PC’s Baker Perkins G14 press.
www.harlandsimon.com
Atex and Chyron announced the integration of the Atex Polopoly Content Manager and Polopoly Relationship Manager with Chyron's Axis Web-based content creation services.
www.atex.com
Aspermont Ltd. deployed WoodWing’s Enterprise content publishing platform at its publications in Europe and Australia.
www.woodwing.com
Digital Technology International launched a new Web site based on its DTI Lightning content management app.
www.dtint.com
Reuters.com rolled out software from Apture to allow its reporters to add multimedia element to their blogs.
www.apture.com
Controls Group Inc. will convert 18 couples of a manroland Uniman press from open fountain to digital injection at Swiss newspaper printer Centre d’Impression des Ronquoz. The digital inkers will integrate with the press’ existing ABB control software, and operational in September.
www.controlsgroupinc.com
U.K. newspaper publisher GMG Regional Media will install Miles 33’s Workflow CMS across all of its newspaper properties. The deployment is scheduled for completion by this fall, Miles 33 said.
www.miles33.com
New Jersey online-only hyperlocal daily newspaper TheAlternativePress.com said it is expanding to Westfield, its eighth community.
www.thealternativepress.com
Clarity Media selected Clickability Inc. to underpin its Examiner.com Web sites. The app will allow writers and editors to more easily post content.
www.clickability.com
The Silverton (Colo.) Standard & the Miner will now be operated as a non-profit newspaper after the weekly’s owner donated it to the local historical society. Thirteenth Street Media Inc. made the move after determining it could no longer profitably operate the 1,000-subscriber Standard. Silverton, a former mining town, is located in the southwest corner of the state.
The Reading (Pa.) Eagle, which earlier this year opened its $33 million production facility, last week laid off about 12 percent of its staff because of declining revenues.
The Wilson (N.C.) Daily Times is moving to morning distribution, effective May 5. The family-owned paper began publishing in 1896.
The (New York) Daily News launched a social network for small businesses. The service, Daily News SmallBiz, is based on software from SaleSpider.com.
Amazon said it will hold a press conference May 6 to unveil a Kindle that’s outfitted with a larger-diameter screen tailored for newspaper distribution.
www.amazon.com
The Denver Post will eliminate daily distribution and home delivery of the paper to Colorado towns and counties located more than 100 miles from the Mile High City, effective July 12.
The Post will continue to deliver its Sunday edition but customers now receiving seven-day-a-week home delivery of the paper will have to convert to electronic distribution, The Denver Newspaper Agency said.
www.denverpost.com
Ifra said papers can begin registering for the International Newspaper Color Quality Club 2010-2012 competition.
For the first time, Ifra is opening the competition to all newspapers, and membership will not be limited to 50 newspapers, as in prior INCQC competitions.
Papers registering by Oct. 16, 2009, can request a free test evaluation, Ifra said.
Interested newspapers can obtain information, including registration forms, at www.colorqualityclub.org.
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