-The DB Group in Mumbai, India, ordered seven 4-by-1 Prisma doublewide presses from Koenig & Bauer AG to anchor future production needs.

DB will use the presses to produce the Sunday editions of Daily News & Analysis, a 410,000-subscriber English-language publication. Plans call for DB to increase the circulation of the paper to more than 600,000, thanks in part to a 140-page national edition that launched last October.

-The (Little Rock) Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review are installing violet computer-to-plate imagers and associated equipment from alfaQuest Technologies. The Democrat-Gazette installed two FasTrak systems, while the Tribune-Review is placing five imagers at two sites, alfaQuest said. Both papers are also installing TrakMate automatic plate loaders. Look for more information on these installations in the March issue of Newspapers & Technology.

 

-The Chicago Tribune’s Triblocal program expanded its hyper-local community coverage to 13 southwest and western Chicago suburban communities, bringing the total number of sites to 21.

Triblocal said it will have 35 hyper-local Web sites and eight companion newspapers with a circulation of 120,000 by the end of the year. Print editions are distributed weekly with home-delivered and single copies of the Chicago Tribune.

-The three newspaper publishers that own SP Newsprint Co. agreed to sell their stakes to White Birch Paper Co. for approximately $350 million. Media General Inc., McClatchy Co. and Cox Enterprises Inc. will use the after-tax proceeds to reduce debt. The transaction is expected to be completed this spring.

-Manugraph DGM Inc. said it sold a 430 press to Russian publisher Ofsetnaya Gazetnaya Fabrica. The 20-unit press, with two 1035 folders, will be configured as four towers. The units are equipped with motorized register control, a DGM ultrasonic web break detection system and pneumatic actuation of form rollers and impression. It will also sport a special web-up platform and a Siemens digital drive system. The press will be installed this spring.

-Web sites operated by The New York Times, Gannett Co. and E.W. Scripps ranked among the top 50 U.S. sites in December, according to comScore Media Metrix.

 New York Times Digital attracted more than 44 million unique visitors during the month, positioning the site as the 11th most popular. Yahoo sites were  the most heavily trafficked, racking up more than 183 million unique visitors, comScore said.

E.W. Scripps notched more than 20.2 million unique visitors to its sites, ranking 36th while Gannett, with 20.1 million unique visitors, came in 37th place.

One year ago

Digital Technology International snaps up Publishing Business Systems Inc. while Atex acquires Mactive and its worldwide units.

Five years ago

North Jersey Media Group deploys workflow software from ppi Media to anchor its commercial newspaper production plant in Rockaway, N.J.

10 years ago

Baseview Products Inc. introduces Circulation Pro, allowing newspapers to take subscriber information from Web sites and import it into the circulation software.

15 years ago

Rockwell Graphic Systems is awarded $2.6 million stemming from a lawsuit it filed against DEV Industries alleging that DEV illegally used Rockwell’s drawings and trade secrets.