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.
Monday, May 18, 2009
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
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