Tribune Co. last week unveiled a Chicago-based blog aggregation site as it attempts to lure more readers to its online offerings.
The beta version of ChicagoNow features blogs from more than 30 local personalities and subject matter experts.
By year-end it hopes to increase that number to more than 80.
In a video introducing the project, the Tribune said ChicagoNow can be described as a site where “The Huffington Post meets Facebook for Chicago.”
The Tribune has been working on developing the site since late last year. The new site will offer a slate of advertising options, and it will also be home to the Chicago Tribune’s relaunched RedEye Web site.
News & Tech will have more information about Tribune’s plans in the July issue.
Monday, June 1, 2009
NAA: Ad sales drop almost 30% in Q1
Print ad sales for the first quarter of 2009 fell almost 30 percent, the worst drop in modern history.
According to the Newspaper Association of America, newspapers posted $5.9 billion in print ad revenues, down 29.7 percent from the year-ago quarter. Online sales, meantime, fell 13.4 percent, to $696 million. Taken together, newspapers sold a total of $6.6 billion in overall advertising, a decrease of 28 percent.
In 2008, newspapers sold more than $9.2 billion in print and online advertising during the first three months of the year.
As expected, classified ad revenues continued their swift decline, falling during the first three months of 2009 by 42 percent, to $1.4 billion.
By segment, automotive classifieds fell 43 percent, to $322 million; and real estate fell 45 percent to $336 million. Recruitment classifieds declined a whopping 67 percent, to $205 million.
According to the Newspaper Association of America, newspapers posted $5.9 billion in print ad revenues, down 29.7 percent from the year-ago quarter. Online sales, meantime, fell 13.4 percent, to $696 million. Taken together, newspapers sold a total of $6.6 billion in overall advertising, a decrease of 28 percent.
In 2008, newspapers sold more than $9.2 billion in print and online advertising during the first three months of the year.
As expected, classified ad revenues continued their swift decline, falling during the first three months of 2009 by 42 percent, to $1.4 billion.
By segment, automotive classifieds fell 43 percent, to $322 million; and real estate fell 45 percent to $336 million. Recruitment classifieds declined a whopping 67 percent, to $205 million.
Free Lance-Star picks QIPC for register, color control
The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, Va., said it would equip its new press with automatic register and cutoff control systems from Q.I. Press Controls.
QIPC will install its mRC registration system on the newspaper’s Goss International Corp. FPS press, which is slated to go into production next year.
The triplewide FPS press is configured with four towers and two folders. Eight cameras on the towers will monitor color register while 18 additional mRC cameras will sit on the folders to control cutoff.
The Free Lance-Star is the third newspaper to buy the mRC system, following The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Transcontinental Inc., which is using it in its soon-to-be-opened Fremont, Calif., facility.
QIPC will install its mRC registration system on the newspaper’s Goss International Corp. FPS press, which is slated to go into production next year.
The triplewide FPS press is configured with four towers and two folders. Eight cameras on the towers will monitor color register while 18 additional mRC cameras will sit on the folders to control cutoff.
The Free Lance-Star is the third newspaper to buy the mRC system, following The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Transcontinental Inc., which is using it in its soon-to-be-opened Fremont, Calif., facility.
Lee reporting ink savings with Kodak app
Lee Enterprises is reporting ink savings of 20 percent to 25 percent since implementing Kodak’s Ink Optimizing Service software at 12 of its daily newspapers, Kodak said.
Kodak’s Ink Optimizing Service, which Lee first tested at the Billings (Mont.) Gazette, provides customers with an ICC DeviceLink profile that plugs into Kodak’s Prinergy workflow app.
Based on the that profile, separated image files go through a gray component replacement process that reduces ink usage by replacing CMY inks with less-expensive black ink, while limiting the Total Area Coverage to a predefined level.
“Ink savings have met our expectations and we also see enhancements to the quality of photos,” said Brian Kardell, vice president of production and chief information officer at Lee.
In addition to the Gazette, Lee rolled out the service to the Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune; the Rapid City (S.D.) Journal; the Bismarck (N.D.) Tribune; the Sioux City (Iowa) Journal; the Times in Munster, Ind.; the Times News in Twin Falls, Idaho; the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; the Missoulian in Missoula, Mont.; the Quad City Times in Davenport, Iowa; the Pantagraph in Bloomington, Ill.; and the North County Times in Escondido, Calif.
Kodak’s Ink Optimizing Service, which Lee first tested at the Billings (Mont.) Gazette, provides customers with an ICC DeviceLink profile that plugs into Kodak’s Prinergy workflow app.
Based on the that profile, separated image files go through a gray component replacement process that reduces ink usage by replacing CMY inks with less-expensive black ink, while limiting the Total Area Coverage to a predefined level.
“Ink savings have met our expectations and we also see enhancements to the quality of photos,” said Brian Kardell, vice president of production and chief information officer at Lee.
In addition to the Gazette, Lee rolled out the service to the Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune; the Rapid City (S.D.) Journal; the Bismarck (N.D.) Tribune; the Sioux City (Iowa) Journal; the Times in Munster, Ind.; the Times News in Twin Falls, Idaho; the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; the Missoulian in Missoula, Mont.; the Quad City Times in Davenport, Iowa; the Pantagraph in Bloomington, Ill.; and the North County Times in Escondido, Calif.
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 new 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, NZPA’s manager of commercial services. “It will also enable us to create new products and services.”
NZPA publishes information every 24 hours from its news 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 new 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, NZPA’s manager of commercial services. “It will also enable us to create new products and services.”
NZPA publishes information every 24 hours from its news staff, overseas wire services and other sources including the New Zealand Stock Exchange.
Finnish daily buys KBA Cortina
Finnish publisher Keski-Pohjanmaan Kirjapaino purchased a waterless Cortina press from Koenig & Bauer AG.
The 4-by-1 machine, to go into production next year, will be configured as four towers and two folders and sport a 22-inch cutoff. It’s capable of printing 150,000 32-page, full-color tabloids per hour. The machine will also be equipped with KBA’s PlateTronic automatic plate changers, RollerTronic automatic roller locks and NipTronic bearers.
Copies can be stitched, glued, perforated or scored after the quarterfold, KBA said.
KBA said the press is the 17th Cortina it’s sold since introducing the waterless machine in 2002.
The 4-by-1 machine, to go into production next year, will be configured as four towers and two folders and sport a 22-inch cutoff. It’s capable of printing 150,000 32-page, full-color tabloids per hour. The machine will also be equipped with KBA’s PlateTronic automatic plate changers, RollerTronic automatic roller locks and NipTronic bearers.
Copies can be stitched, glued, perforated or scored after the quarterfold, KBA said.
KBA said the press is the 17th Cortina it’s sold since introducing the waterless machine in 2002.
Hyperlocal news site to expand
City search Web site HelloMetro.com said it is expanding its HyperLocal news operation to more than 1,100 Web sites in the United States and Canada.
Louisville, Ky.-based HelloMetro said three online newspapers launched last week, in Louisville; Nashville, Tenn.; and Seattle. Each paper contains articles from local HelloMetro reporters. The information will be compiled into PDF newspapers and available to readers, HelloMetro said.
Ultimately, the company said it expects to produce 1,100 PDF newspapers each day.
Louisville, Ky.-based HelloMetro said three online newspapers launched last week, in Louisville; Nashville, Tenn.; and Seattle. Each paper contains articles from local HelloMetro reporters. The information will be compiled into PDF newspapers and available to readers, HelloMetro said.
Ultimately, the company said it expects to produce 1,100 PDF newspapers each day.
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