The Statesman Journal will shift printing an hour away to the rival Portland Oregonian starting Oct. 14, making the Salem paper the latest to close its production plant in a bid to cut costs.
Portland is about 50 miles north of Salem. I'm unfamiliar with driving conditions during bad weather that could slow delivery.
The move will eliminate between 20 and 25 full-time jobs and about 30 part-time ones, the paper said in a story posted online late yesterday afternoon. The announcement came as Gannett's stock closed at a record 52-week high: $16.30 a share.
Under the contract between the two papers, Oregonian employees cannot look at Statesman Journal papers while they’re on the presses.
Closing the printing press could pave the way for the paper to move to a different, presumably smaller and less-expensive building in Salem, Publisher Steve Silberman said, although no specific plans have been made.
In addition to closing production plants, Gannett has been selling excess real estate as it winds down operations nationwide.
The deal between the two dailies comes amid speculation that the Oregonian could join other Advance Publications dailies in reducing the number of print editions to three days a week.
Salem's weekday circulation is about 37,000; Sunday is about 45,000, according to the March 31 ABC report. Portland's is 248,000 weekdays and 307,000 on Sundays.
Under the contract between the two papers, Oregonian employees cannot look at Statesman Journal papers while they’re on the presses.
Closing the printing press could pave the way for the paper to move to a different, presumably smaller and less-expensive building in Salem, Publisher Steve Silberman said, although no specific plans have been made.
In addition to closing production plants, Gannett has been selling excess real estate as it winds down operations nationwide.
The deal between the two dailies comes amid speculation that the Oregonian could join other Advance Publications dailies in reducing the number of print editions to three days a week.
Salem's weekday circulation is about 37,000; Sunday is about 45,000, according to the March 31 ABC report. Portland's is 248,000 weekdays and 307,000 on Sundays.
"Under the contract between the two papers, Oregonian employees cannot look at Statesman Journal papers while they’re on the presses."
ReplyDeleteHeck, that's the same way our pressmen run our paper. Deliver the waste and damn the registration.
"Under the contract between the two papers, Oregonian employees cannot look at Statesman Journal papers while they’re on the presses."
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious! It's like a bunch of kids playing hide and seek saying "don't peek." I hope the press crew is allowed to look at them. What, are they just going to switch on the press and not check registration or anything? Let 'er rip Harry! Come back in two hours.
Along the same lines....
ReplyDeletethey're going to be told to set all the ink and registration off the gray bars; the rest of the page be damned?