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More Papers
making switch to 50" web
By mid-April, one-third of all
Kentucky newspapers had made the switch to a 50-inch web.
The list includes all Landmark Community Newspapers who switched to
the smaller web size on April 1.
Newspaper executives say they’re making the change in order to cut
thousands off their budgets. Averages say most are saving in the
neighborhood of 7 percent of the cost of newsprint.
Until now, most papers had a 54-inch web, which results in pages that
are 13.5 inches wide. On a 50-inch web, each page is an inch smaller
at 12.5 inches. The web is the paper that travels from the newsprint
roll to the press. On a regular double-wide press, four pages get
printed across the web.
By all accounts, the change has not had a negative impact on
readership. Some reports even indicate that readers say they find the
paper easier to hold, but for the most part, there has been no reader
response to the conversion at all.
Teresa Rice, general manager of the Lebanon Enterprise, said her
customers haven’t noticed the change at all and staff reaction has
been positive.
“We have not heard anything from our readers or our advertisers,”
said Rice. “Apparently nobody noticed which is probably good.
“The staff seemed positive about the change. The ad manager was a
little concerned about what the reaction might be from a couple of
advertisers. The others seem to like the new size and believe the
paper is easier to read and to handle.”
Rice predicts the newspaper will save about 9 percent in the cost of
newspaper and notes the costs associated with the conversation were
minimal.
“In the long run the savings that we will see will help our bottom
line. It's
nice to benefit from a cost cutting measure that doesn't diminish the
quality of our product or cause any hardships on the staff,” she
said.
Donn Wimmer, publisher of The Hancock Clarion, also reported no
reaction from readers or advertisers. His paper made the switch April
5 because it’s printed by Landmark.
Wimmer said the main disadvantage he’s seen thus far is ads still
being received in SAU sizes.
Rice said her staff started talking about the conversion about a year
ago and Landmark held meetings for its Kentucky papers about six
months ago. Other meetings were held in January to prepare the papers
for the switch.
The Lebanon Enterprise began changing some of its ad sizes over in
February to see what the consequences would be.
“Our biggest concern was the impact it would have on large real
estate ads. We found that we were able to reduce the amount of white
space between the listings and get the same amount of information into
the same space. The best part was that the ads still looked good,”
she said. “We changed our page sizes a few weeks before the
conversion and we reduced the size of our page headers and the leading
of our copy. We had been running 10 point type with 12 point leading.
Now we use 11 point leading.”
Rice thinks the main disadvantage to the smaller web size is the
limitations placed on design.
“The dominant photo and the headlines must be smaller to fit the
space, which can be troublesome. I liked offering readers two lead
stories – one on both sides of a dominant photo in some of our
issues. I find the reduction of size is prohibitive to that type of
layout,” said Rice. “Other than that I see no real disadvantages.
In our case, reducing the leading has allowed us to get the same
amount of news into the paper every week that we did before with the
larger size.
Mark Van Patten, general manager of The Daily News in Bowling Green,
said his paper planned the conversion for about four months. He, too,
reports no reaction from readers.
“There was none to the web size — but we changed the layout of the
bridge column and crossword puzzle and had a lot of reaction: the
bridge column was
messed up a few days and the crossword puzzle won't fold to a quarter
page,” said Van Patten.
As far advertiser reaction, Van Patten said, “We had only one
serious complaint — most comments to ad reps were in a joking manner
along the lines of: ‘I guess you'll be reducing rates.’ “
Van Patten sees several advantages to the smaller web size.
“It’s easy money: cost savings and classified revenue enhancement.
(if the
newspaper charges by the line.) Newsprint rolls are lighter for the
press crew to handle. We can stack one more roll higher — increasing
storage capacity,” he said. “In the future, smaller plate sizes
which will help the ink/water balance and reduce costs.”
The only real disadvantages Van Patten sees are some inserts stick out
of the paper now and tabs “look square.”
“There are hassle factors, too,” he said. “Converting standing
ads — especially filler ads and headers in classified. We should
have started changing sizes much earlier and floated them. Notifying
advertisers — especially out-of-town companies. Calculating
newsprint consumption to avoid leftovers was a challenge. Changing
templates and standing materials in the newsroom. Trimming negatives -
we didn't replace film punch so we're punching off center and the
image setter supply boxes don't fit the new film size.”
The 55 Kentucky newspapers that made the conversion include:
Anderson News
Benton Tribune Courier
Boone County Recorder
Bourbon County Citizen
Bowling Green Daily News
Breckinridge Herald News
Cadiz Record
Campbell County Recorder
Carrollton News Democrat
Casey County News
Central Kentucky News Journal
Cynthiana Democrat
Eddyville Herald Ledger
Elizabethtown News Enterprise
Elliott County News
Floyd County Times
Fulton Leader
Grant County News
Greensburg Record Herald
Hancock Clarion
Harlan Daily Enterprise
Hazard Herald
Henry County Local
Hickman County Gazette
Hickman Courier
Kenton County Recorder
Kentucky Enquirer
Kentucky Post
Kentucky Standard
LaRue County Herald News
Lebanon Enterprise
Lewis County Herald
Licking Valley Courier
London Sentinel Echo
McCreary County Record
Meade County Messenger
Middlesboro Daily News
Oldham Era
Owenton News Herald
Paducah Sun
Radcliff Sentinel
Richmond Register
Russell Springs Times Journal
Sebree Banner
Shelbyville Sentinel News
Shepherdsville Pioneer News
Somerset Commonwealth Journal
Spencer Magnet
Springfield Sun
Sturgis News
Trimble Banner
Troublesome Creek Times
Wayne County Outlook
Winchester Sun
Wolfe County News
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