The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., could transfer printing and production to a new facility operated by Journal Publishing Co. Inc. in Tupelo, Miss.
JPC, which publishes The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal and other papers, contacted The Commercial Appeal earlier this year to determine if it might be interested in having the daily produced and packaged in Tupelo, according to a memo written by Daniel Connolly, president of the Memphis Newspaper Guild.
E.W. Scripps, which owns The Commercial Appeal, has been evaluating what to do with its 30-year-old presses for years. The paper cut the web width of its four Goss International Metro presses from 50 inches to 46 inches last year and it also upgraded DC drives. The Commercial Appeal also evaluated cutoff modification services from Goss and Pressline Services Inc. to determine if it could do anything about the machines’ 23 9/16-inch cutoff in order to gain other operational and newsprint savings, according to the memo.
But the costs associated with modifying the machines — pegged at about $25 million, Connolly wrote — made the project unfeasible.
Replacing the older presses with new machines was also rejected by Scripps, which just finished spending almost $100 million for a new plant and building for the Naples (Fla.) Daily News.
Connolly said no decision has yet been made, but that JPC Publisher Clay Foster wanted to get a response by Scripps by Aug. 15.
JPC would have to substantially upgrade its production capabilities to produce The Commercial Appeal. The company currently operates a Goss Urbanite singlewide press. It would also have to juggle production in order to ensure that delivery to Memphis — some 110 miles from Tupelo — would be guaranteed.
If The Commercial Appeal does opt to shift production to JPC, the soonest the transfer could occur would be in late 2010, the memo said.
Neither Scripps nor JPC executives would comment on negotiations.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Report: Heidelberg, manroland talking merger
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, which just concluded one of its worst financial years in history, is talking merger with manroland, according to a report in a financial newsletter.
German newsletter Platow Brief disclosed the discussions, according to Bloomberg, but didn’t say where it obtained the information.
The newsletter said that Allianz, the German conglomerate that owns stakes in both press vendors, is behind the push.
Allianz owns 12 percent of Heidelberg and 65 percent of manroland.
Bloomberg said neither Heidelberg, manroland nor Allianz would comment. Manroland’s North American press representative also declined comment.
Reports that the two companies might combine operations come after Heidelberg reported a loss of $354 million last year, on revenues of $4.3 billion.
Heidelberg CEO Bernhard Schreier termed last year as “without doubt one of the worst in the more than 150-year history of Heidelberg – if not the worst,” according to PrintWeek, a U.K. trade publication.
German newsletter Platow Brief disclosed the discussions, according to Bloomberg, but didn’t say where it obtained the information.
The newsletter said that Allianz, the German conglomerate that owns stakes in both press vendors, is behind the push.
Allianz owns 12 percent of Heidelberg and 65 percent of manroland.
Bloomberg said neither Heidelberg, manroland nor Allianz would comment. Manroland’s North American press representative also declined comment.
Reports that the two companies might combine operations come after Heidelberg reported a loss of $354 million last year, on revenues of $4.3 billion.
Heidelberg CEO Bernhard Schreier termed last year as “without doubt one of the worst in the more than 150-year history of Heidelberg – if not the worst,” according to PrintWeek, a U.K. trade publication.
Ann Arbor News prints last edition
The Ann Arbor (Mich.) News printed its last edition last week, succeeded by a new Web site and twice-a-week print complementary publication called AnnArbor.com.
Advance Publications this spring said it would close the 174-year-old News in favor of a Web-centric distribution strategy.
The print product is distributed Thursdays and Sundays, with the first edition sent to readers yesterday.
The News’ production plant, anchored by a 42-unit Goss International Magnum press that went on-edition earlier this decade, remains in operation as a stand-along entity. In addition to the printed AnnArbor.com print publication, the plant prints a regional edition of The New York Times and the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen-Patriot.
Advance in March said it would shutter The News as part of a plan that also saw a reduction in print days of sister Michigan papers The Flint Journal, The Bay City Times and Saginaw News from seven to three.
Advance Publications this spring said it would close the 174-year-old News in favor of a Web-centric distribution strategy.
The print product is distributed Thursdays and Sundays, with the first edition sent to readers yesterday.
The News’ production plant, anchored by a 42-unit Goss International Magnum press that went on-edition earlier this decade, remains in operation as a stand-along entity. In addition to the printed AnnArbor.com print publication, the plant prints a regional edition of The New York Times and the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen-Patriot.
Advance in March said it would shutter The News as part of a plan that also saw a reduction in print days of sister Michigan papers The Flint Journal, The Bay City Times and Saginaw News from seven to three.
European printer producing USA Today on Versamark
Kodak said Rotomail, a variable data printing company in Europe, is printing USA Today on Versamark VL4200 printing systems.
Through an agreement with Messaggerie Internazionali, an Italian distributor of a number of foreign newspapers, Rotomail is digitally printing an international edition of USA Today, which is distributed to hotels and kiosks in major tourist towns and a number of airports, Kodak said.
Rotomail installed two Versamark VL2200 machines last year and recently upgraded to the Versamark VL4200. The company now has seven Versamark digital presses at its facility.
“While some laser printing systems provide some remote printing benefits, they can’t produce the newspaper’s color pictures and advertisements to a satisfactory standard,” said Giovanni Antonuzzo, CEO of Rotomail. “The VL4200 … can make light work of most newspapers on the market with its color and duplex printing.”
Rotomail began with runs of 500 copies a day five days per week and increased daily production to 3,000 copies for the summer, Antonuzzo said.
Rotomail receives PDF files nightly for the next day’s newspaper pages and the 3,000 copies are printed in roughly one hour, Kodak said. Finished copies of USA Today are delivered to the distributor and are available at kiosks and hotels by 6:00 the following morning.
The Versamark VL4200 System operates at speeds of 410 feet per minute at a resolution of 600-by-360 dpi, Kodak said.
Through an agreement with Messaggerie Internazionali, an Italian distributor of a number of foreign newspapers, Rotomail is digitally printing an international edition of USA Today, which is distributed to hotels and kiosks in major tourist towns and a number of airports, Kodak said.
Rotomail installed two Versamark VL2200 machines last year and recently upgraded to the Versamark VL4200. The company now has seven Versamark digital presses at its facility.
“While some laser printing systems provide some remote printing benefits, they can’t produce the newspaper’s color pictures and advertisements to a satisfactory standard,” said Giovanni Antonuzzo, CEO of Rotomail. “The VL4200 … can make light work of most newspapers on the market with its color and duplex printing.”
Rotomail began with runs of 500 copies a day five days per week and increased daily production to 3,000 copies for the summer, Antonuzzo said.
Rotomail receives PDF files nightly for the next day’s newspaper pages and the 3,000 copies are printed in roughly one hour, Kodak said. Finished copies of USA Today are delivered to the distributor and are available at kiosks and hotels by 6:00 the following morning.
The Versamark VL4200 System operates at speeds of 410 feet per minute at a resolution of 600-by-360 dpi, Kodak said.
USA set for e-edition
USA Today said it will roll out a revamped digital version of the paper, featuring additional content, Aug. 3.
The new e-Edition, based on Olive Software’s digital conversion app, will include a Saturday-Sunday supplement called Today Extra, said Dave Hunke, president and publisher of USA Today.
Subscribers will receive the digital edition each morning by 5:30. The e-Edition can be read online or downloaded for later consumption.
Digital subscriptions will be provided as a complement to existing home and business subscribers. Subscriptions to just the digital edition will also be available, at $99 per year.
“We're very pleased to be able to bring the e-Edition to our readers and we will continue to look for new platforms to grow on,” Hunke said.
The new e-Edition, based on Olive Software’s digital conversion app, will include a Saturday-Sunday supplement called Today Extra, said Dave Hunke, president and publisher of USA Today.
Subscribers will receive the digital edition each morning by 5:30. The e-Edition can be read online or downloaded for later consumption.
Digital subscriptions will be provided as a complement to existing home and business subscribers. Subscriptions to just the digital edition will also be available, at $99 per year.
“We're very pleased to be able to bring the e-Edition to our readers and we will continue to look for new platforms to grow on,” Hunke said.
OC Register, LA Times team up for ad insert
Orange County Register Communications and the Los Angeles Times Media Group will launch an advertising insert distribution solution, called OCSaver/Local Values, beginning Aug. 27-29, the publishers said.
OCSaver/Local Values will be distributed to subscribers of The Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times on Fridays and to non-subscribers through The Register’s 25 community newspapers, LATMG’s Spanish language newspaper Hoy Fin de Semana and non-subscribers via USPS mail on Thursday, Friday or Saturday of each week.
OC Saver/Local Values allows advertisers to reach selected households, providing significantly increased targeting capabilities, the publishers said.
Meantime, Register parent Freedom Communications said it partnered with Brand Affinity Technologies Inc. to allow advertisers to launch promotions featuring celebrities or athletes on Freedom Communications’ online sites. Advertisers can use BAT’s platform to identify and deploy the most appropriate talent for their brands and markets, choosing among 2,700 athletes and celebrities.
Once an endorsement deal is offered and accepted, companies can use video and other assets to build their campaigns.
OCSaver/Local Values will be distributed to subscribers of The Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times on Fridays and to non-subscribers through The Register’s 25 community newspapers, LATMG’s Spanish language newspaper Hoy Fin de Semana and non-subscribers via USPS mail on Thursday, Friday or Saturday of each week.
OC Saver/Local Values allows advertisers to reach selected households, providing significantly increased targeting capabilities, the publishers said.
Meantime, Register parent Freedom Communications said it partnered with Brand Affinity Technologies Inc. to allow advertisers to launch promotions featuring celebrities or athletes on Freedom Communications’ online sites. Advertisers can use BAT’s platform to identify and deploy the most appropriate talent for their brands and markets, choosing among 2,700 athletes and celebrities.
Once an endorsement deal is offered and accepted, companies can use video and other assets to build their campaigns.
SF Chronicle launches weather spread
The San Francisco Chronicle on July 12 launched Almanac, a two-page weather spread, which will appear in the paper every Sunday. Almanac was created in cooperation with Weather Underground and includes features unique to the Bay Area, as well as national and international weather details and graphics.
“We were looking for a different way to present and package the weather that was dynamic and one of a kind,” Michael Keith, consumer marketing director told News & Tech. “The weather here has a personality of its own and we wanted something that reflected that.”
The Chronicle shifted its printing to Transcontinental’s Fremont, Calif., facility on July 5, and the facility’s three manroland Colorman XXL heatset/coldset presses will afford the publisher increased color in the Almanac feature and throughout the paper, Keith said.
Look for more on the Chronicle’s Almanac feature in the September issue.
“We were looking for a different way to present and package the weather that was dynamic and one of a kind,” Michael Keith, consumer marketing director told News & Tech. “The weather here has a personality of its own and we wanted something that reflected that.”
The Chronicle shifted its printing to Transcontinental’s Fremont, Calif., facility on July 5, and the facility’s three manroland Colorman XXL heatset/coldset presses will afford the publisher increased color in the Almanac feature and throughout the paper, Keith said.
Look for more on the Chronicle’s Almanac feature in the September issue.
German paper live on ppi ad apps
Saarbucker Zeitung of Germany went live with its advertising workflow management software from ppi Media GmbH. The workflow automates functions from ad booking through reservation and production to pagination, ppi said. PPI Media GmbH, a subsidiary of manroland AG, is also responsible for implementing a standard interface to the publisher’s newly installed SAP Media software.
Saarbrucker Zeitung commissioned ppi Media to install its ad apps at last year’s IfraExpo. Along with modules for edition planning and output management, ppi installed its AdPag, AdMan, AdCept and ProPag apps for the newspaper.
Saarbrucker Zeitung commissioned ppi Media to install its ad apps at last year’s IfraExpo. Along with modules for edition planning and output management, ppi installed its AdPag, AdMan, AdCept and ProPag apps for the newspaper.
Fond du Lac Reporter closing offices
The Reporter in Fond du Lac, Wis., is moving production to a sister production facility in Appleton, Wis., beginning in September.
The paper said Gannett Co. Inc., which owns The Reporter, is closing the newspaper’s downtown offices and transferring printing and distribution operations to Gannett Wisconsin Media’s Action plant in Appleton, located about 35 miles from Fond du Lac.
"We'll be able to run the operations of The Reporter and Action more efficiently at one location," Executive Editor and General Manager Richard Roesgen said.
The production consolidation will cost about 45 jobs.
The paper said Gannett Co. Inc., which owns The Reporter, is closing the newspaper’s downtown offices and transferring printing and distribution operations to Gannett Wisconsin Media’s Action plant in Appleton, located about 35 miles from Fond du Lac.
"We'll be able to run the operations of The Reporter and Action more efficiently at one location," Executive Editor and General Manager Richard Roesgen said.
The production consolidation will cost about 45 jobs.
Naples daily closer to new building
The Naples (Fla.) Daily News said it will begin moving to its new production and headquarters facility in suburban Naples now that it’s received a final certificate of occupancy.
The $95 million facility is anchored by a WIFAG 371 evolution press engineered with a 20-inch cutoff, computer-to-plate equipment from Agfa and Nela and postpress equipment from Schur Packaging Systems and Muller Martini Mailroom Systems Inc.
The $95 million facility is anchored by a WIFAG 371 evolution press engineered with a 20-inch cutoff, computer-to-plate equipment from Agfa and Nela and postpress equipment from Schur Packaging Systems and Muller Martini Mailroom Systems Inc.
Print ’09 newspaper panel to discuss industry future
Join News & Tech and newspaper industry thought leaders at a special Print ’09 seminar, to be held Monday, Sept. 14.
Among panelists expected to appear are Austin Ryan, vice president of operations at Gannett; Bill May, vice president of production, The Dallas Morning News; and Paul Lynch, manager of commercial sales and logistics/quality at the Chicago Tribune. The 90-minute seminar, moderated by News & Tech editor-in-chief Chuck Moozakis, will take place at Room 502 A/B in the South Hall of McCormick Place in Chicago. Print 09 is being held Sept. 11-16.
Among panelists expected to appear are Austin Ryan, vice president of operations at Gannett; Bill May, vice president of production, The Dallas Morning News; and Paul Lynch, manager of commercial sales and logistics/quality at the Chicago Tribune. The 90-minute seminar, moderated by News & Tech editor-in-chief Chuck Moozakis, will take place at Room 502 A/B in the South Hall of McCormick Place in Chicago. Print 09 is being held Sept. 11-16.
Obituary: Gary Coutts
Gary Coutts, a veteran press and production operator and retired technical sales representative for US Ink, passed away April 4. He was 71.
Mr. Coutts began his career as a lithographer at the Times Colonist in Victoria, B.C., before taking production and operations jobs in Los Angeles and Seattle. He retired from US Ink in 2007 after a 20-year career with the ink vendor.
Mr. Coutts began his career as a lithographer at the Times Colonist in Victoria, B.C., before taking production and operations jobs in Los Angeles and Seattle. He retired from US Ink in 2007 after a 20-year career with the ink vendor.
In Brief
The New York Times Co. named Kate Taylor vice president of strategic planning, technology, a newly created position.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named Chris Chamberlain general manager and executive vice president, succeeding Diana Block, who resigned. Block will continue to serve on the board of the family-owned company that publishes the Post-Gazette. Meantime, John Robinson Block, the Post-Gazette’s publisher and editor-in-chief, was named chairman of the daily.
Gavle, Sweden-based newspaper publisher and printer Mittmedia tapped Graphic Web Systems B.V. to install a press extension to its Koenig & Bauer AG Journal newspaper press. GWS will also work with EAE to upgrade the machine’s press controls in a project to be completed next month.
www,gws.nl
www.eaeusa.com
Manroland said the first of two highly automated 32-page Colorman presses went into production at German publisher Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung. The presses are the first machines to be equipped with the vendor’s autoprint technology, which features such operations as automatic plate loading, cutoff register control and reduced start time.
www.manroland.us.com
The Racine (Wis.) Journal Times launched a new Web site underpinned by software that integrates with behavioral targeting features developed by Yahoo. The Journal Times said that behavioral targeting will help companies be assured that their ads will be displayed on relevant Web pages.
www.journaltimes.com
Boston Globe Media launched a new business division, dubbed BGM Experiential, which will offer customized services to local and national businesses marketing their products in the Boston market.
Plastic Logic said it would use AT&T’s 3G network to provide mobile broadband connectivity for its forthcoming e-reader. The Plastic Logic reader, which measures 8.5-by-11 inches, will be formally launched early next year, Plastic Logic said. Detroit Media Partnership is evaluating prototypes of the reader as part of its migration to digital distribution, and Plastic Logic has also secured deals with other newspapers. Pricing of the device will be announced next year.
www.plasticlogic.com
Adobe Systems Inc. introduced two new authoring frameworks, Open Source Media Framework and Text Layout Framework. The first platform lets developers build rich media players optimized for Adobe Flash while the second lets developers add sophisticated typography to their Web sites.
www.adobe.com
Atex said Marseille, France, daily La Provence is upgrading its content management software to the software vendor’s H11 platform. The upgrade will let the daily manage content across multiple channels.
www.atex.com
WoodWing named system integrator eMerge Consulting LLC a network partner. Under the agreement, eMerge will oversee sales and installation of WoodWing’s full suite of editorial software.
www.woodwing.com
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named Chris Chamberlain general manager and executive vice president, succeeding Diana Block, who resigned. Block will continue to serve on the board of the family-owned company that publishes the Post-Gazette. Meantime, John Robinson Block, the Post-Gazette’s publisher and editor-in-chief, was named chairman of the daily.
Gavle, Sweden-based newspaper publisher and printer Mittmedia tapped Graphic Web Systems B.V. to install a press extension to its Koenig & Bauer AG Journal newspaper press. GWS will also work with EAE to upgrade the machine’s press controls in a project to be completed next month.
www,gws.nl
www.eaeusa.com
Manroland said the first of two highly automated 32-page Colorman presses went into production at German publisher Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung. The presses are the first machines to be equipped with the vendor’s autoprint technology, which features such operations as automatic plate loading, cutoff register control and reduced start time.
www.manroland.us.com
The Racine (Wis.) Journal Times launched a new Web site underpinned by software that integrates with behavioral targeting features developed by Yahoo. The Journal Times said that behavioral targeting will help companies be assured that their ads will be displayed on relevant Web pages.
www.journaltimes.com
Boston Globe Media launched a new business division, dubbed BGM Experiential, which will offer customized services to local and national businesses marketing their products in the Boston market.
Plastic Logic said it would use AT&T’s 3G network to provide mobile broadband connectivity for its forthcoming e-reader. The Plastic Logic reader, which measures 8.5-by-11 inches, will be formally launched early next year, Plastic Logic said. Detroit Media Partnership is evaluating prototypes of the reader as part of its migration to digital distribution, and Plastic Logic has also secured deals with other newspapers. Pricing of the device will be announced next year.
www.plasticlogic.com
Adobe Systems Inc. introduced two new authoring frameworks, Open Source Media Framework and Text Layout Framework. The first platform lets developers build rich media players optimized for Adobe Flash while the second lets developers add sophisticated typography to their Web sites.
www.adobe.com
Atex said Marseille, France, daily La Provence is upgrading its content management software to the software vendor’s H11 platform. The upgrade will let the daily manage content across multiple channels.
www.atex.com
WoodWing named system integrator eMerge Consulting LLC a network partner. Under the agreement, eMerge will oversee sales and installation of WoodWing’s full suite of editorial software.
www.woodwing.com
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