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Digital Technology International appointed Steve Nilan as vice president of marketing. Nilan has more than 20 years’ experience in the newspaper industry as well as digital and SaaS expertise.
Goss International Corp. named Wesley Clements vice president of Goss Lifetime Support.
Mary Jacobus, president and chief operating officer of The New York Times Co.’s Regional Media Group, died Feb. 20 of a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. She was 52.
The Columbus (Neb.) Telegram will move production of the paper to the Fremont (Neb.) Tribune, effective March 16. Both papers are owned by Lee Enterprises. Meantime, the Daily Record in Ellensburg, Wash., is transferring printing to the Yakima (Wash.) Herald-Republic next month.
Lee Enterprises Inc. said it reached agreements with its creditors for a favorable restructuring of about $1.1 billion in debt. The agreement pushes to 2012 a significant amount of money the publisher is scheduled to pay creditors between now and 2011.
The (Minneapolis) Star Tribune asked a federal bankruptcy judge to cancel the labor contract covering its press operators. According to the paper, the company wants the freedom to cut wages and issue new work rules that would reduce staffing and trim overtime.
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Sales Account Executive Position
A.F.L. Web Printing, unrivaled as one of the largest cold-web facilities with the most process color capacity in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region, is hiring a Sales Account Executive. Responsible for selling A.F.L’s printing services to new customers and for developing and maintaining business solutions with current customers. College graduate desired, 3-5 years of print publication sales experience preferred.
See complete ad.
Printing Press/Post Press Field Maintenance Technician
Leverage your experience to build a rewarding career with Freedom Communications, Inc., a privately owned, diverse media company of newspapers. We are looking for a savvy electro-mechanical maintenance technician. 5+ years experience and knowledge of web presses and post press equipment required.
See complete ad.
Mailroom/Inserting Manager
immediate opening for the Brattleboro Reformer, located in Southern Vermont. This is a night position responsible for the daily and weekly inserting operation. Inserting machine and supervision experience required. We operate a Harris 848 inserting machine with 8 heads. Starting salary 40K with full benefits.
See complete ad.
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Printing Brokers
Midwest web offset printer producing 2.5+ monthly impressions, currently has available press time. This coldset printing facility is CTP equipped and capable of meeting strict publishing deadlines.
See complete ad. |
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Transcon cut won’t hurt
Fremont plant progress
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Transcontinental Inc.’s move to cut 1,500 jobs and trim costs will have no impact on its Fremont, Calif., newspaper-printing facility or plans to build new production facilities to produce The (Toronto) Globe and Mail.
"Everything is still on track" for those projects, a Transcontinental spokesman told Newspapers & Technology.
The Fremont plant, slated to open later this year, will print the San Francisco Chronicle under terms of a 15-year contract between the printer and Hearst Corp. Transcontinental in late 2008 said it would build new plants to print The Globe and Mail as part of an extension of its existing contract with the paper.
Transcontinental last week said it would cut its workforce and take other cost-reduction steps to buffer itself against the declining economy. The company said commercial printing, direct mail and magazine advertising placements had all declined as a result of the global recession.
The company has already eliminated 500 jobs with the remaining 1,000 expected to be cut by year-end.
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No plans yet to print IBD
on HP digital press, O’Neil says
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O’Neil Data Systems LLC said it currently has no plans to print Investor’s Business Daily on the Hewlett Packard Inkjet Web Press it installed in December.
Instead, IBD sister company O’Neil is currently using the press — capable of printing broadsheet newspapers — to produce personalized marketing and financial statements.
"As of this date, O’Neil has no intentions of running IBD on this press," a spokeswoman for IBD told Newspapers & Technology.
HP’s Inkjet Web Press, first trotted out at drupa last year (see Newspapers & Technology, July 2008), was designed with the newspaper market in mind, according to Aurelio Maruggi, vice president and general manager of inkjet high-speed production solutions for HP. The press features a scalable web width of up to 30 inches for production of full-broadsheet newspaper formats or multiple-up documents. It carries a price tag of $2.5 million and boasts speeds of up to 400 feet per minute at 600-by-600 dpi.
"O’Neil Data Systems’ installation of the HP Inkjet Web Press is an important first step in the commercialization of a breakthrough printing platform based on a proven and stable technology, designed to offer significant value in terms of print quality, productivity and cost," Maruggi told N&T. "HP inkjet high-speed production solutions is working closely with O’Neil to help the company establish productive, profitable printing operations on a wide range of applications."
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MediaXchange vendors
ready to trot out new products, services
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| What to expect in Las Vegas (listed in alphabetical order):
•AdLizard is showing its Web 123 ad creation tool for online classified ad building. The vendor will also demo its new real estate interface, including the Campaign Management tool, which allows Realtors to create their print ad as well as additional marketing collateral like brochures and postcards simultaneously.
The vendor will also demo its advertising apps rich media platform, which allows advertisers to create a single ad concept and create numerous personalized ads based on demographic information.
AdLizard: Booth 1723
•Aragon System Products is introducing Production Monitoring Display, a monitor that displays production run numbers. ASP said the display counts are visible from more than 75 yards, allowing pressroom and packaging center personnel to easily keep track of ongoing production runs and to address problems as soon as they occur. Aragon will also feature its planning and insert management software.
Aragon System Products: Booth 1907
•Burt Technologies Inc. is unveiling the latest upgrade to its postproduction management software.
Burt v10 features enhancements to its entire suite of postpress apps. The company is highlighting Burt Staffing Manager, software that helps newspapers more efficiently staff their packaging operations.
Burt Technologies: Booth 817
•Data Sciences, which recently announced a joint marketing agreement with Software Consulting Services, is showing its new DSI-e-solicitor app for the automated processing of solicited subscription orders. New orders can be entered individually into a Web page or uploaded en masse and order information is transferred via the Internet and automatically placed in an import batch that resides within the DSI/Circulation system.
DSI: Booth 1228
•Essex Products Group is showing its KeyColor C remote ink desk with AutoSet and AutoPage. KeyColor integrated color control apps are designed to deliver consistent color, speed makeready and significantly reduced waste. EPG is also touting its KeyColor color measurement technology and other product developments resulting from its 2008 acquisition of GripDigital Inc.
EPG: Booth 900
•England-based UV systems manufacturer GEW Inc. is rolling out its UV drying system to the U.S. newspaper industry at mediaXchange.
GEW’s IsoCure system is available either as conventional UV curing or inert atmosphere nitrogen technology for higher-speed presses, according to Brian Wenger, GEW’s president.
GEW: Booth 2009
•Innolutions Inc. is rolling out its closed-loop color register control and closed-loop color control products to the newspaper industry.
Windsor, N.J.-based Innolutions previously marketed its CRC2000 register control and CCC and BCC color controls to commercial printers.
Innolutions: Booth 2019
•Manugraph DGM Inc. is introducing the HiLine Express, a 45,000-copy-per-hour singlewide press that’s aimed at newspaper and commercial publication printers.
The machine is equipped with an MDGM 1240 folder and engineered with three ink form rollers and three oscillators. The ink form roller construction ensures precise ink laydown on the plate, thus providing excellent contrast, heavy coverage reproduction, and low dot gain, MDGM said.
Each printing tower features a 10-roller inking train. The HiLine Express is designed with a two-roller spray dampening system, toolless plate lockup and remote-controlled motorized lateral and circumferential registration systems. Plate and blanket cylinders are built with wide, hardened bearers.
MDGM: Booth 2301
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| MediaXchange continued |
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•Miles 33 is introducing Intelligent Internet Advertising, an online advertising sales app that lets newspapers offer companies the chance to purchase rotating banner advertising that’s linked to relevant Web pages. IIA also includes a business directory, mobile directory, a bidding component, auto search and a reporting module, Miles 33 said.
The vendor is also displaying its FutureProof and workflow product suites, which comprise integrated modules for advertising management, credit control, billing, A/R, ad planning, ad production, pagination, self serve, editorial content management, page design and makeup, workflow management and media independent content authoring. New apps include FutureProof IQ Web-based business intelligence and reporting; and MotorsWizard and PropertyWizard for auto dealers and real estate agents.
Miles 33: Booth 1113
•Muller Martini Mailroom Systems Inc. is introducing the SL-3000 XL inserter, a system that allows newspapers to quickly change over the inserter to package differently sized products. The inserter features components, such as a universal feeder and variable format pocket, enabling newspapers to process various-sized newspaper jackets.
The variable pocket also features a bent front wall design, while pocket stream aligners ensure that products are centrally positioned between the pocket walls.
Muller Martini will not have a booth, but will have a meeting room at the show.
•MWM System Inc. is showcasing CopyTrack Basic and CopyTrack Mobile, software that tracks copy waste and helps printers reduce overprinting. CopyTrack Mobile can be used on cell phones, smart phones and other personal digital assistants.
MWM: Booth 2606
•NewsEngin is releasing Ampere, which provides cloud-based hosting and same-day deployment of dedicated, high-performance software for complete newsroom content-management, the vendor said.
Ampere will cost news organizations $25 per month for most staff members, NewsEngin said, citing a month-to-month license.
NewsEngin is also displaying the latest version of NewsRouter, software that lets newspapers automatically publish content to the Amazon Kindle e-reader, Apple iPhone or any Web site.
The software works with legacy pagination systems and permits newspapers to post content automatically over multiple channels.
NewsEngin: Booth 1046
•OneVision is showcasing the latest versions of its prepress and Web content software, Amendo, Mirado and Voyager.
Amendo automatically enhances image quality while Mirado makes it possible for users to repurpose existing print files for electronic display. Voyager supports online file transfer and approval. OneVision is also holding a user group meeting on Monday, March 9 at 4 p.m.
OneVision: Booth 1829
•PPI Media is displaying its advertising and workflow production and management software, including its latest developments in multi-channel publishing. The vendor is showing AdInvent, its ad reservation app; AdMan for ad management for print and online formats; and its printnet suite of production workflow apps.
PPI: Booth 2223
•Presteligence is introducing My News…On the Go, electronic edition software that allows readers to access newspaper content online or via mobile devices.
The software, which enables users to listen to stories delivered by virtual newscasters, supports e-mail alerts, search, bookmarking and commenting, the company said.
In addition to My News…On the Go, Presteligence is showcasing Adinfinitum, its e-tearsheet and proofing app; NewsXtreme production workflow software and Ink-Miser ink optimization software.
Presteligence: Booth 1137
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| MediaXchange continued 2 |
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•Prime UV is displaying its line of perfection dryers. The air-cooled UV dryers can cure UV inks at press speeds of up to 90,000 impressions per hour, the company said. They can be installed after the last print unit of a press to cure both the top and bottom sides of the web.
Prime UV said the dryers have been identified as a pollution prevention (P2) technique by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. By using a perfection UV dryer instead of a heatset dryer, printers can cut their energy consumption by as much as 90 percent, Prime UV said.
The company said it’s equipped more than 100 four-high coldset presses with perfection towers since 2001. Recent installations include Huron Web Printing in Ontario, Canada, which outfitted two press towers with Prime UV’s perfection dryers.
Prime UV: Booth 1846
•Saxotech is showing its Mediaware Center platform for content creation and channel management. Mediaware is a configurable workflow-centric content management app that brings print and digital publishing together, allowing media companies to produce and share content in a streamlined and collaborative environment, the firm said. The app supports integrated newsroom functions and provides tools for story planning and content management based on resource availability.
Saxotech: Booth 1213
•Software Consulting Services, which recently announced a joint marketing agreement with Data Sciences Inc., is showing its complete line of advertising, newsroom and production software. Advertising apps on display include AdMax for order entry and billing; Layout 8000, now in its 11th version, for automated dummying; SCS/ClassPage for classified pagination; SCS/Track for ad tracking, which now works with SCS’s new Community Display Services app for Web-based ad-production status checking, online approval with proofing and commentary, online ad submission and catalogs; and AdReason business intelligence software.
SCS is also showing its AdBoss suite, which now includes ReserveAdBoss, a tool for managing premium positions through access to mock-up edition plans on the Web; as well as apps for press imposition color assignments, position management and electronic tearsheet management.
SCS’s Scoop editorial app, which now offers a Web-based interface through its Scoop NewsPlanner app, and FotoWare DAM app are also on display.
SCS: Booth 1228
•Southern Lithoplate is offering seminars at its booth on March 9-10, with experts addressing ways newspapers can win sales and advertisers. The vendor’s CTP Alliance partners, including Presteligence, Polkadots, CGS/Oris and Nela, will also be on hand to discuss prepress and cost reduction options for newspapers using their respective products.
The vendor will also have information on its line of Viper 830 thermal and Tiger V violet plate lines.
SLP: Booth 1411
•TownNews.com is releasing BLOX CMS, a new content management system that has drag-and-drop movable blocks of content for Internet sites. The blocks can be moved by newspaper staff members or can be programmed to move, appear or disappear at designated times and dates.
Each block can be programmed to pull in text, photos, videos, graphics, HTML documents, related links and PDFs. Smart blocks can change structure or design in response to the type of content they are fed (video versus text, for example).
TownNews.com also selected Vmix as its premium video solution provider. Lastly TownNews.com is offering a new service that includes Yellow Pages, site search, search engine advertising, search engine optimization, video advertising, maps and directions and online and print display advertising.
TownNews.com: Booth 1850
•US Ink is ready to help companies improve their taste in newspaper advertising. The ink supplier is introducing sticky notes embedded with an edible film that smells and tastes like an advertiser’s flavored product.
"An important part of US Ink’s value proposition to the newspaper industry is to help make the printed newspaper more relevant in a digital era," said Michael Dodd, US Ink’s president, explaining the company’s involvement in the concept.
The film was developed in concert with suburban Philadelphia-based First Flavor Inc., whose patent-pending Peel ‘n Taste marketing system was first used in 2007.
US Ink: Booth 2413
•Wave2 is showing its iPublish software for self-service advertising. The app enables publishers to save costs in the transition ad sales and operations from traditional print models to interactive cross media that includes print and direct mail. This includes iPublish AdPortal for self service advertising for print and online; iPublish Inventory for reverse publishing for autos, real estate full page ads and targeted route level and direct mail print inserts, iPublish EasyBuild to streamline and automate production and iPublish Studio to empower sales staff to manage unlimited spec ads for planning and building cross media ad campaigns.
Wave2: Booth # 2415
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Tensor chairman adds president duties
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Tensor Group Inc. said Chairman Martin Hozjan is assuming the responsibilities of president following the departure of Don Gustafson.
Gustafson joined Tensor as president in April 2001.
The firm didn’t disclose details regarding his exit.
"I am excited by the new structure, which will enable Tensor to continue to grow its worldwide business and provide excellent products and service to its customers," Hozjan said. Hozjan whose family owns Tensor as well as parts manufacturing firm MAH Machine Co. Inc., said the family will continue to have active roles in the management of the press vendor. "We have been experiencing consistent growth over the past 10 years and we look forward to continuing to successfully grow the company," he said.
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Philly, Journal Register file
for bankruptcy protection
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Philadelphia Newspapers LLC and Journal Register Co. each filed for bankruptcy protection over the weekend, the latest victims of the faltering newspaper economy.
PNL said it took the step so it could restructure its $390 million debt load, but that otherwise its operations are sound and profitable, according to Brian Tierney, who purchased the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com from Knight Ridder Inc. in 2006. PNL made its filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Journal Register, meantime, said in its filing that it’s agreed with key creditors on a pre-negotiated reorganization plan and that it would restructure its operations, according to Reuters.
The company, whose stock had been trading for less than a penny, publishes 20 daily newspapers and a number of weekly publications. Recently, it closed a number of weeklies in Connecticut and also sold dailies it owned in New Britain and Bristol, Conn., to Central Connecticut Communications.
PNL and JRC join Tribune Co. and the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune as newspaper publishers that have filed for bankruptcy protection.
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5 NE papers to share edit content
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The (New York) Daily News, Times Union in Albany, N.Y., The Record in Bergen County, N.J., Buffalo (N.Y.) News and the Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J., said they would begin sharing editorial content this spring.
The papers created the Northeast Consortium to oversee the exchange of articles, photographs and graphics among the newspapers.
"As the Northeast Consortium, our publications will assist each other in gathering news, sports and features materials, giving our readers access to more and expanded content from the top newspapers in each of the respective markets," said Marc Kramer, chief executive officer of the Daily News.
The Northeast Consortium is the latest in a series of cooperative agreements among rival newspapers to share content. Papers in Texas, Florida, Washington, D.C., and other areas have struck similar agreements.
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Texas, Minn. papers implement ink-reduction apps
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The Tyler (Texas) Telegraph is live with OnColor Eco ink optimization software from ProImage.
"I believe we will pay for the software, installation and hardware in less than 12 months," Chief Operating Officer Andrew Clyde told Newspapers & Technology. "Any time we have a product that has an 11-14 month ROI, we can capitalize and reduce expense."
Minnesota newspaper printer Cannon Valley Printing, meantime, began using Kodak’s Ink Optimizing Service.
"With the Ink Optimizing Service, we no longer have many of the reproduction quality issues caused by images that come in without proper editing," said Roger Stolley, general manager of Cannon Valley Printing. "We’ve seen substantial improvements to the quality of photographs printed in our newspapers and realized significant savings on ink."
Look for the full article on these installs in the March issue.
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Nela buys optical firm
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Nela said it acquired German optical measurement firm OMCS Optical Measurement GmbH.
No financial details were disclosed.
The acquisition will allow Nela to capitalize on OMCS’ development of optical surface inspection systems, said Nela President Frank Neumeister.
"The effective development of OMCS’ business offers great potential for the future growth of Nela," he said. "The automated and touchless inspection of mass parts and composite materials presents many business opportunities."
Neumeister said OMCS’ technology could play a role in the development of closed-loop color registration systems and other newspaper press systems.
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KBA gets China nod
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Koenig & Bauer AG said it sold a two section Commander press line to Chinese publisher Dazhong Daily Newspaper Group.
The presses will be installed in early 2010 and configured as four blanket-to-blanket towers, four turner bars, two folders with two formers each and two KF-5 jaw folders. The lines will be able to produce as many as 170,000 full-color, 32-page newspapers per hour.
EAE is providing the press console software and Schur Packaging Systems will equip the publisher’s mailroom.
DDNG publishes 11 dailies, including Qilu Evening News and Peninsula City.
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Rocky fate to be determined
by end of March
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E.W. Scripps will decide the fate of the (Denver) Rocky Mountain News no later than March 31, a senior executive said.The company’s chief executive officer, Rich Boehne, told Wall Street analysts, "I believe you’ll hear news from us on this before the end of the first quarter, for sure, and not too far out."
Meantime, Scripps said it received no income from its 50 percent interest in the Denver Newspaper Agency JOA it shares with MediaNews Group during the fourth quarter of 2008. Expenses totaled $8.44 million.
The publisher put the News up for sale in December, saying it would accept offers through the middle of January.
If the paper does fold, it will be the largest daily newspaper to close its doors since 1995, when The Houston Post stopped publishing.
Finally, The Tucson (Ariz.) Citizen said it’s likely its last day of publication will be March 21. The paper said it didn’t receive any bids from prospective buyers by a Feb. 19 deadline. Gannett Inc. Co., which publishes the paper as part of a JOA with Lee Enterprises, last month said it would close the 138-year-old paper if a new buyer couldn’t be found.
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Harding picks up Morning News contract
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Harding Consulting Alliance said it’s been tapped by The Dallas Morning News to perform a study examining the paper’s operations and distribution.
HCA said the study will also include an evaluation of The Morning News’ existing commercial printing operation. The study will conclude this summer.
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Weekly publisher picks Anygraaf
for layout
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Frederick, Md.-based HomeTown Media Group picked Anygraaf to provide ad layout software in support of its weekly publications.
The publisher deployed Planner edition management and ad layout software, along with Doris CMS, an app that centralizes the scheduling and management of ad bookings.
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Corrections
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| Last week’s Dateline story, "CC1, Britton awarded Gannett press upgrade" should have reported that Britton is involved only at Gannett Offset sites in Norwood, Mass., Chandler, Ariz., and Atlanta. CC1 is overseeing the addition of its color registration equipment at those sites as well as Gannett Offset in Springfield, Va., and the Times Argus in Howell, Mich.
Last week’s Dateline story, "Kodak notches sales" should not have identified Harlan Newspapers as the parent company of The Post-Searchlight in Bainbridge, Ga. The Post-Searchlight is owned by Bainbridge Media LLC. Both The Post-Searchlight and Harlan Newspapers installed Kodak’s Trendsetter News 70 thermal computer-to-plate units and associated software.
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