E.W. Scripps said it would consolidate some of its photo-toning operations into three regional centers by year-end. Ed Pieratt, Scripps’ director of technology, said systems at the Ventura County (Calif.) Star, Treasure Coast Newspapers in Florida and the Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press will be upgraded with calibrated monitors and related software to enable workers to process images from more than a dozen dailies. The Scripps’ initiative, which applies to non-editorial images, will rely on Asura software from OneVision, Intellitune from Agfa and a homegrown app, dubbed ImageDevil, to treat the photos. Editorial images will continue to be managed locally, Pieratt said.

The Observer-Dispatch in Utica, N.Y., is evaluating whether or not to build a new production facility, according to a publisher’s column posted on the paper’s Web site in late April. “We’re … reviewing architects’ proposals to explore the possibility of a new production facility,” wrote President and Publisher Donna M. Donovan. Donovan told Newspapers & Technology that the GateHouse Media Inc.-owned daily wasn’t ready yet to provide any details, and that planning is still in the very early stages.

The paper is one of a handful in the United States still being produced on a letterpress.

A ruling by the U.S. District Court in northern California cleared the way for Shoom Inc. to deploy its e-invoice software at USA Today and other newspapers.

Shoom in late 2006 said it would install its invoicing software at the Gannett Co. Inc. paper, but implementation was halted after a now-defunct firm, Chicago-based Electronic Imaging Systems of America, filed suit against Shoom, Gannett and several other vendors of electronic invoicing software alleging patent infringement.

U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White ruled in favor of Shoom by issuing a default judgment stating that Shoom’s invoicing software didn’t violate any of EISA’s patents. The judge also awarded monetary damages.

Journal Communications Inc. said it will roll out Clickability Inc.’s Web content management software to underpin its Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, community newspaper, radio and television Web sites. Clickability will host and maintain the software at its data center.

Danish offset printer Stibo Graphic ordered a third ProTech HS blanket cleaning system from Baldwin Technology Co. Inc.

The printer will fit the system to a new 80-page MAN Roland LithoMAN press, joining two other presses sporting Baldwin equipment at Stibo’s Horsens, Denmark, site.

One year ago

USAToday.com launched a redesigned Web site featuring social networking features supported by Pluck Corp.’s SiteLIfe and BlogBurst apps.

Five years ago

The Butler (Pa.) Eagle became the first U.S. newspaper to use a doublewide press that blends heatset, coldset and multiple web widths in a single pressline. The paper purchased the hybrid Uniliner from Goss International Corp.

10 years ago

Thompson Newspapers and Western Newspapers installed PrePress Solution Inc. Panther FasTrak metal platesetting systems to support their operations.

15 years ago