The Kitsap Sun in Bremerton, Wash., is upgrading its 35-year-old press in a four-phased project that includes giving the paper variable web-width capabilities.

The Sun tapped Pressline Services Inc. to oversee the rebuild, which will span a web-width reduction, control upgrade, digital page packs and an autopaster system to replace the current manual system, according to Ron Muhleman, director of operations at the E.W. Scripps Co.-owned daily.

The first part of the project, to begin this summer, will give the paper’s 1973 vintage Harris 1650 6-unit doublewide press variable web-width capabilities, ranging from 44 inches to 48 inches, he said.

The Sun will convert to a 46-inch-wide format from its current 50-inch width when the cutdown is completed, Muhleman said. Cutoff is 22.75 inches.

Acutech LLC will provide the tool-less lockups to support the reduction.

Following the cutdown, crews will then align the press’ units, folders and reels. The third part of the project will deal with the press’ controls and DC drives, which date back to when the machine was installed.

Rockwell Automation will upgrade the controls with a PressView console to support remote setting of ink and water and will also install its PrintLogix QE app to allow operators to create impositions with associated presets and RIP interface data. Rockwell will also convert the machine’s DC drives to AC power.

Controls Group Inc., meantime, will supply digital page packs.

The final phase will be the installation of two autopasters. The project is slated to be completed next year.

Q.I. picks up Journal News pact

The Journal News in Rockland County, N.Y., said Q.I. Press Controls North America will install its Intelligent Register System and a motorization package as part of an upgrade of its Goss International Corp. Metro press. The package will include 11 cameras and 90 motors and will permit the paper to automate control of the press’ circumferential and lateral motors.

Goss is overseeing the project.

Report: MAN Roland IPO on hold

MAN Roland will not file an IPO this year, according to a report in German business publication Euro am Sonntag.

The publication cited people familiar with the situation, according to a brief posted by Thomson Financial.

The press vendor is majority owned by Allianz Capital partners with the remainder owned by MAN AG.

Going public was part of the plan outlined by Allianz when it purchased the stake in MAN Roland in 2006.

Ohio, Pa., papers tap Presteligence

The Repository in Canton, Ohio, purchased NewsXtreme, Xtreme Inking and other applications from Presteligence in conjunction with the paper’s transition to computer-to-plate.

NewsXtreme will enable the paper to import its product plan from its ALS layout system and will also allow The Repository to permit customers to access page proofs.

Xtreme Inking, meantime, will let the paper calculate ink values for its Goss International Corp. press control system.

The apps will be installed in May, prior to the placement of two Kodak Trendsetter News thermal CTP units.

The Repository installation comes on the heels of an earlier sale of Xtreme Inking to the Altoona (Pa.) Mirror.

Look for more on The Repository’s CTP conversion in the June issue of Newspapers & Technology.

Study: Newspapers, Web potent consumer research tool

A study commissioned by Google indicates that consumers use newspapers and the Internet in tandem to evaluate and make purchases.

According to the study, conducted by Clark, Martire & Bartolemeo, among people who research products and services after seeing them advertised in newspapers, 67 percent use the Internet to find more information. Of that group, nearly 70 percent of consumers make a purchase following their additional research.

The research was the result of a study exploring the effectiveness of bringing new advertisers to the newspaper print environment through Google’s Print Ads platform.

Among other findings:

• More than half, 56 percent, of respondents either researched or purchased at least one product they saw in the newspaper in the last month.

•Of those who said they researched at least one product they saw in the newspaper, 67 percent said they conducted research online, compared with 48 percent who visited a store, 23 percent who called a store and 23 percent who asked a friend.

•About 48 percent of respondents said that seeing a product in the newspaper after seeing it online would make them trust the product more and be more likely to purchase.

The Google Print Ads program began in November 2006 with a test that included 50 newspapers and a small group of advertisers. Since then, the program has grown to include more than 750 newspapers representing 48 of the top 50 DMAs and covering 70 percent of U.S. paid circulation.

Affinity upgrades app

Affinity Express Inc. released a Web-based, hosted ad management app for users of its ad production services.

AESB 2.0, available now, incorporates Mediaspectrum’s AdWatch for ad tracking and administration, eProof for material uploading an annotation, Component Manager for drag-and-drop integration into Adobe InDesign and QuarkXpress and AdDrop for online material submission, according to the firm.

Affinity provides outsourced advertising production support for a number of U.S. publishers, including the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch and Chicago Sun-Times. The Elgin, Ill.-based firm maintains production offices in India and The Philippines and is owned by Philippines conglomerate Ayala Corp.

PAGE names ‘platinum’ suppliers

PAGE Cooperative unveiled its Platinum Supplier Program at the group’s annual member and supplier appreciation reception held April 14 at Nexpo. Designed to recognize and reward PAGE Preferred Suppliers that have performed at a superior level throughout the past year, the designation was bestowed upon 14 of the co-op’s existing 124 suppliers, including Apple Inc., Central Ink Corp., Diamond Roller, Impression Inks, Nela, PDI Plastics, Polkadots Software and Southern Lithoplate.

World’s largest print plant opened in U.K.

News International officially opened its Broxbourne printing plant today, in the process closing its Wapping production site.

The new facility, anchored by 12 triplewide presses from MAN Roland Inc. that can produce up to 1 million copies per hour, represents the final stages of the company’s $1 billion investment to upgrade its print facilities (see Newspapers & Technology, July 2007). NI said it’s the world’s largest print facility.

“This new Broxbourne facility represents an enormous advance in our capabilities — a truly state-of-the-art printing system that we are confident will deliver real innovation for years to come,” said Brian McGee, managing director of Newsprinters, NI’s printing unit. “Our investment of should be ample answer to those who believe the business of journalism, in print, is a business for yesterday’s readers, not tomorrow’s. We believe that print will continue to be a driving force, even in this connected age.”

NI began printing papers in Broxbourne earlier this year. It joins two other NI plants, one in Scotland and the other in northwest England.

ING unveils new logo; retains mission

The International Newspaper Group unveiled a new logo that backers say more accurately reflecting the organization’s diverse mission.

The design, featuring three overlapping circles, “better reflects the times and perception of our organization,” said Chuck Blevins, ING’s program chairman.

“The new logo represents the multiple spheres of ING’s activities,” he said. “The group wanted a design that had clean lines, had a strong feeling and represented structure.

“There is a lot of energy on the board and we needed a new logo that represented the strength and energy of our board. We believe the new logo fits that bill.”

ING, founded in 1975, is dedicated to newspaper production operations. It’s known for its efforts to attract new production talent by offering scholarships and internships to qualified college students.

The group’s annual conference will be held this year in Tampa, Fla., from Sept. 23-25 and will feature tours of Cox Target Media’s new production facility in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Vertis Communications’ plant in Tampa.

USA Today taps Fantasy Sports Ventures

USA Today will distribute its sports content throughout sites operated by Fantasy Sports Network under terms of a deal that also saw the paper purchase an undisclosed stake in the Web site operator.

As part of the alliance, FSV will provide analysis and other content to USA Today’s print and online editions, including USA Today’s Sports Weekly.

The paper and FSV will also create customized sponsorship opportunities for advertisers, the companies said.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

In Brief

Bill Taylor, operations director of the Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat, was named production executive of the year by Gannett Co.

The Associated Press named News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, Tribune Chairman Sam Zell, Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. Chairman Donna J. Barrett and Gannett Co. Chairman Craig A. Dubow to its board of directors.

CCI Europe named Audrey Glenn as marketing and communications manager.

Agfa named La Toya Hodge as manager of marketing communications.

Kodak’s Graphic Communication Group promoted David Martin and Richard Lloyd to new positions in the newspaper segment. Martin was named national and strategic account manager while Lloyd was named solution sales manager for the newspaper segment’s Central North region.

Screen (USA) promoted Scott Benson to the newly created position of product coordinator for CTP/Workflow.

Consultancy AIM Group added Barbari Griesse and Sandra J. Smith to its Classified Intelligence division.

Classified Concepts added a rental locator map program to its software.

www.classifiedconcepts.com

Hometown Focus, a community Web site and alternative Sunday publication serving the Iron Range of Minnesota, said it will launch April 27.

www.hometownfocus.us

MediaNews Group said it is handing customer service responsibilities for three of its Bay Area News Group newspapers to APAC Customer Services Inc.

www.apaccustomerservices.com