Staff Cut at Hearst as O to Lower Frequency
Beginning in mid-February of next year, 59 employees will be cut at Hearst Magazines, according to a WARN notice filed with the New York State Labor Department. The move comes as Hearst’s O, The Oprah Magazine goes from 12 issues to four in 2021. https://labor.ny.gov/app/warn/details.asp?id=9350
In a video released in the summer, Winfrey talked about the future of the magazine. “There’s been a lot of chatter and a lot of speculation about O The Magazine ending,” she said. “I want you to know it’s not ending. It’s evolving because after 20 years of covers I think it’s time. I also think it’s a good thing because none of us were meant to stay the same. We evolve with the times. So, yes, we are ending the monthly print edition with this year’s December issue,” she said.
Buyouts at Gannett
Gannett has accepted some 500 buyout opt-ins from employees, Poynter reported Nov. 12. The company had offered the buyouts in October. The buyouts involve some 60 editors, 19 photojournalists, seven managing editors, three executive editors and 124 reporters, says Poynter, which got a copy of a listing of the job titles of people chosen for buyouts. Some 600 people had wanted a buyout, Poynter said. Gannett is the nation’s biggest newspaper owner.
Rheinisch-Bergische Druckerei Will Use ABB’s MPS Production Systems
Global technology company ABB has been awarded a contract to provide software system upgrades including its MPS Production and production data analysis system MPS Inform to Rheinisch-Bergische Druckerei.Based in Dusseldorf, the company publishes daily, weekly and monthly papers, periodicals and magazines for customers in Germany. These include the Rheinische Post, Westdeutsche Zeitung, Remscheider Generalanzeiger and the Solinger Tageblatt. These are produced in a print run of around 600,000 copies along with 3.3 million advertising papers and magazines.
MPS Production is an ABB press management and optimization system that enables operators to plan print products using specifications imported from an external system or created using an inbuilt graphical planner.
“Our technologies have developed beyond recognition since we first worked with Rheinisch-Bergische Druckerei GmbH more than 35 years ago,” said Damian Staedeli, head of printing for Switzerland-based ABB.
Koenig & Bauer Publishes Q3 Report
German press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer has published its third quarter earnings report. In Q3, order intake was down 13.8%, at 232.6 million euros ($275.5 million), and revenue was down 32.2%, at 198.1 million euros ($234.6 million) year-on-year. In addition to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, this revenue decline was due to a new internal revenue recognition guideline of Koenig & Bauer AG, which caused a once-only revenue shift of 52.5 million euros ($62.2 million) to 2021 in the sheetfed segment, according to the company. In the first three quarters of 2020, new orders of 712.8 million euros ($844.1 million) were below the previous year’s figure of 843 million euros ($998.3 million) by 15.4%, although this was better than the general sector figures for printing presses published by industry association VDMA, which dropped by 26.8% in the same period. For more detail, go to the company’s site.
SendtoNews Holds Video Leadership Series
Online video platform SendtoNews is holding a digital video leadership series Nov. 16–19. Attendees will hear speakers from Condé Nast, NFL, SpotX, Oracle, Tribune Publishing and more discuss ways for publishers to thrive with digital video in 2021.
The live virtual event is free and features a series of four one-hour panel events, bringing together leaders from the digital video industry for discussions on the future of digital video to help publishers optimize user experience and increase traffic and revenue in 2021. Sessions will focus on contextual relevance, digital video best practices, quality content and industry trends and predictions and will leave time for questions.
“This year we saw an all-time high of online video consumption,” says Matthew Watson, CEO, SendtoNews. “Now is the time for digital publishers to capitalize on this opportunity by optimizing user experience, engagement and revenue.”
New Installations by Q.I. Press Controls
Q.I. Press Controls – Engineering Automation Electronics (QIPC-EAE) has gotten five orders recently for new measurement and control systems from India. Jyoti Book Depot, Hexagon Print & Pack, Sristi Graphics, Spenta Multimedia and NAPH Graphics all called on the Dutch specialist for the printing industry to further optimize their systems.
The orders come from both new QIPC-EAE users and existing ones. “We are very grateful that customers are putting their trust in us even during this pandemic and global crisis,” said Rakesh Dave, managing director of QIPC-EAE India, in a news release on the orders.
Jyoti Book Depot in Jalandhar, a QIPC-EAE user since 2013, had two mRC-3D cameras for color register control installed on their new TPH Orient press. Two mRC-3D cameras for color register control were also installed at Hexagon Print & Pack in Palgar. Sristi Graphics has ordered two IRS-cameras for their new press for register and cut-off control. And NAPH Graphics had two mRC-3D cameras installed on a press that will eventually be used by Saraihgat Photo Types.
In addition, QIPC-EAE also saw the arrival of a new user during the current pandemic. Spenta Multimedia in Navi Mumbai replaced their existing register system on its Mitsubishi Diamond press with three mRC-3D cameras for colour register and cut-off control.
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