-News International last month began printing newspapers at its Broxhourne, England, plant, capping a $1 billion plan to improve its U.K. production facilities. NI built three plants to produce The (London) Times, the Sun and News of the World, among other titles. It contracted with MAN Roland to purchase 19 triplewide ColorMAN XXL presses to anchor its new production facilities. In addition to the Broxhourne site, NI opened new plants in Glasgow, Scotland, and Knowseley in northwest England (see Newspapers & Technology, July 2007).

-The Yahoo newspaper consortium said it will join forces with QuadrantOne, the online advertising network formed by Tribune Co., Gannett Co. Inc. Hearst Corp. and The New York Times Co. That will add 138 Web sites to the alliance and bring the total number of papers participating to more than 250, officials said. Additional consortium members may also join at a later date, QuadrantOne said.

-The St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times is rolling out postpress management software from Burt Technologies Inc. The paper licensed PackagingManager, LineManager, DistributionManager, PostalManager and Burt’s OpenInterface. Installation will take place this spring.

-Tribune Co. is combining broadcast, print and online operations of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale with WSFL-TV. About 40 people who work for the station, a CW affiliate, will move into the Sun-Sentinel’s building later this year. It’s the first time Tribune blended television, print and online operations under one roof, the Sun-Sentinel said. Howard Greenberg, Sun-Sentinel publisher, was named general manager of WSFL.

-The Knight Foundation said it will donate $25 million to the Newseum, the largest single gift from a news organization to the facility. The Washington, D.C.-based museum opens this month.

-Eagle Web Press went into production with a second UV curing system at its Salem, Ore., facility. The printer installed a Prime UV curing system on a Web Press Corp. Quad-Stack. Eagle equipped a Goss International Community press with a similar Prime UV system in 2004.

-The Victoria (Texas) Advocate purchased Tera Digital Publishing’s GN3 editorial software, in a bid to facilitate reverse publishing. The buy includes 17 seats apiece of GN3’s Ted text editing app, Fred pagination app and Tark cross-media archive. Installation is under way and The Advocate expects to be live on GN3 in April. GN3 will also be used to provide content for the group’s weekly Matagorda Advocate in nearby Bay City.

 

One year ago

The Dallas Morning News flips the switch on its new $50 million Sunday post-production plant in south Dallas. Two 6-hopper FSI Packing System collators from Prim Hall anchor the facility.

Five years ago

Goss International reaches a settlement with three pressmakers accused of contributing to its 1999 bankruptcy. MAN Roland Inc., KBA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries negotiate an agreement with Goss. Claims against a fourth press vendor, TKS, remain in force.

10 years ago

The Las Vegas Review-Journal buys two shaftless Newsliner presses from Goss Graphic Systems Inc. while the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer buys a Colora press from KBA-Motter. The Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star, meantime, buys a FlexoMAN press from MAN Roland Inc.

15 years ago

Knight Ridder’s Information Design Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., demonstrates an electronic newspaper designed to be read on computer monitors.