Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Resolute Announces Sale of Mersey Assets

Resolute Announces Sale of Mersey Assets:
Resolute Forest Products Inc. (NYSE: RFP) (TSX: RFP) today announced that the province of Nova Scotia, represented by the minister of the Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism, has completed the purchase of all the shares of Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited for nominal consideration.
Bowater Mersey is the former joint venture between Resolute (51%) and The Washington Post Company (49%), formed to hold the Mersey newsprint mill, located in Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, and other associated assets, including private timberlands, the Oakhill sawmill and Brooklyn Power Corporation. Resolute operated the Mersey newsprint mill until it was indefinitely idled in June of 2012. 

Dave Coles, National President of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP), said the announcement of the agreement with Resolute Forest Products and the Washington Post Company made by the Nova Scotia government is “great news for the forest industry”.
“This is extremely beneficial to retirees as it will have a very positive impact on the health of the pension plan for workers at the former Bowater mill,” said Coles.

Domtar Raises Pulp Prices

Domtar has begun informing North American customers that its northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) and southern bleached softwood kraft (SBSK) market pulp prices will increase $30/tonne, effective January 1, 2013 until further notice.
Montreal-headquartered Domtar told domestic customers its NBSK list price would increase to $900/tonne, industry contacts said today.

FPAC Pleased with Immigration Changes

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is pleased about today's announcement by the Minister of Citizen, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, concerning a new Federal Skilled Trades Program to help address labour shortages in skilled trades.
The forest products sector in Canada has been struggling to find skilled workers including millwrights, engineers, pipe fitters, truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, technologists and more.

NewPage Releases Sustainablity Report

NewPage Releases 2011-12 Sustainable Development Report: NewPage Corporation, the leading producer of printing and specialty papers in North America, announced today the release of its 2011-12 Sustainable Development Report, Making a Difference.

Mike Nizza To Lead Esquire Digital

Former ‘The Daily’ Editor Mike Nizza To Lead Esquire Digital: Not all of the staff from News Corp's about-to-fold "The Daily" app-a-zine ended up going over the sister pub New York Post in the end. Its managing editor for news Mike Nizza has landed at Esquire as the new editor-in-chief of Esquire Digital.

USPS Plans to Sell Magazine Subscriptions

Postal Service Plans to Sell Magazine Subscriptions:
The U.S. Postal Service, at the urging of publishers, is planning to sell magazine subscriptions on its website and to promote them at post offices. “The USPS is moving forward on a plan to offer magazine subscriptions for sale on usps.com,” says Idealliance’s summary of the recent Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) meeting, a joint USPS-mailers group.

NYT Introduces Compendium

The New York Times has introduced Compendium, a Pinterest-like tool for newspaper content.
Compendium enables readers to “curate” content from the Times—including articles, imagery, videos and quotations—to tell and share their own stories.

Apple, Google Offer $500 Million for Kodak Patents

Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Google Inc. have joined forces to offer more than $500 million to buy Eastman Kodak Co. (EKDKQ)’s patents out of bankruptcy, said people familiar with the situation.
The two companies, competing for dominance of the smartphone market, have partnered after leading two separate groups this summer to buy some of Kodak’s 1,100 imaging patents, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the process is private.

New Dynamics of Ad Campaigns

The New Dynamics of Ad Campaigns:
When your brand is everywhere, your ad campaigns need to be everywhere, plain and simple. As magazines evolve from a single printed entity produced monthly or weekly to a 24/7 media experience, advertisers expect to go along for that multi-channel ride. Engaging cross-platform ad buys are quickly becoming the new normal—even as content publishers still figure these new models out.