No decision on outsourcing Memphis CA’s printing

Talks between The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., and Journal Publishing Co. in Tupelo, Miss., are continuing past the Aug. 15 deadline set by JPC to determine whether it will take over production of the Tennessee daily (see Dateline, July 27, 2009).
An agreement between E.W. Scripps and JPC is “not real close,” according to comments attributed to Commercial Appeal attorney Richard Lowe by the Memphis Newspaper Guild.
The Guild said that one of the big differences between The Commercial Appeal and JPC is the length of contract. While JPC, which prints The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal and other papers, wants a longer-term agreement, The Commercial Appeal is apparently reluctant, the Guild said.
Lowe told the Guild that it’s unclear when the two sides might reach a decision.
JPC would have to invest millions in a new plant, including press and postpress equipment, to produce The Commercial Appeal. The privately owned publisher currently operates a singlewide Goss International Urbanite press.
Commercial Appeal Vice President of Operations Steve Tomb told News & Tech that he couldn’t comment on negotiations. JPC didn’t return calls asking for comment.
Scripps has been studying what to do with The Commercial Appeal’s 30-year-old Goss Metro presses for years. In 2008, the newspaper reduced the web width of the four machines from 50 inches to 46 inches. It’s also evaluating ways to reduce the press’ 23 9/16-inch cutoff, examining modification services from Goss and Pressline Services Inc. All of these options remain under consideration, a Scripps exec told News & Tech.