National Geographic Celebrates 125th Anniversary

http://ipdahome.org/newsstand/?cat=296

In Q&A, Chris Johns, EVP, group editorial director of National Geographic Society, says NGS has continued to thrive amid tech and other changes because it’s more than a media outlet–its mission as a nonprofit institution dedicated to science and exploration have built trust and strong brand equity.   

Forbes

BtoB to Merge into Advertising Age in 2014

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20131001/MANAGEMENT09/310019995/btob-to-merge-into-advertising-age-in-2014

BtoB magazine will become part of Advertising Age, its sibling publication on the consumer marketing side, effective Jan. 1, Crain Communications Inc. announced today.

The move reflects the growing overlap between b2b and consumer strategies as both grow more focused on targeting and engaging specific customer groups.

As part of the merger, a variety of BtoB's features, daily digital news coverage and successful event franchises will be integrated into Ad Age's overall product mix. The publication will continue all its scheduled events, webinars, virtual trade shows, print schedule and daily and weekly news coverage through the rest of this year.

Maine Adds Sales Tax for Magazines, Newspapers

http://bostonherald.com/business/media_marketing/2013/09/maine_newspapers_magazines_slapped_with_sales_tax

Maine residents will have to pay slightly more for newspapers, magazines and other publications, which will be subject to the state's 5.5 percent sales tax starting Tuesday.
Gov. Paul LePage, who generally opposes all new taxes, pushed to lift the exemption on newspapers and magazines in the last legislative session, arguing that only a handful of states allow them to be tax free.
But some say the new tax — which the state estimates will bring in about $6 million over the next two fiscal years — puts a regulatory burden on newspapers with limited resources and staff while taxing buyers.
The newspaper tax come as Maine's sales tax rises on Tuesday to 5.5 percent from 5 percent and the meals and lodging tax is boosted to 8 percent from 7 percent. LePage vetoed the state's $6.3 billion budget because of those increases.

ICSC: 3.4% Rise in Holiday Retail Sales Forecast

http://www.northjersey.com/news/225843111_Retailers__holiday_sales_may_increase_3_4___ICSC_estimates.html

U.S. retailers' sales will climb 3.4 percent this holiday season, slightly more than last year, even as companies expect more modest spending from consumers facing higher payroll taxes and economic uncertainty.

Last year, sales in November and December climbed 3 percent excluding automobile, food and beverage-related sales, Jesse Tron, a spokesman for the International Council of Shopping Centers, a New York-based trade group, said in a phone interview today. Chain-store sales may increase 2 percent.

Weyerhaeuser Announces Price Increase

Weyerhaeuser announced an increase of $2.00/cwt, effective with shipments on or after November 1, on the following Norbrite ® grades:

Nprbrite 75, Norbrite Plus, Norbrite Offset, Norbrite 92, Norbrite Opaque, Norbrite Cream and Recycled Norbrite Book Cream, and 40NBO45 and 40R7535 Norbrite Book.

Boise Begins Internationsl Falls Layoffs

http://www.prairiebizmag.com/event/article/id/16130/

Friday was Bill Schrader's last day at the enormous Boise paper mill, which anchors this small Minnesota city on the Canadian border.

After six years at the mill, working as fifth hand on the No. four paper machine, Schrader is one of 265 workers who will be out of a job as part of a major layoff here. By Monday, two paper machines and a coating machine will be shut down and a third of the mill's workforce eliminated.

McDonald’s to Replace Polystyrene Cups with Paper

http://www.asyousow.org/sustainability/McDonalds.shtml

McDonald’s to replace polystyrene foam cups with paper cups at 14,000 US restaurants

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 27, 2013 (RISI) - McDonald's has agreed to replace its polystyrene foam hot beverage cups with paper-based cups at all its 14,000 restaurants in the US, according to social corporate responsibility advocate As You Sow. McDonald's rolled out a pilot program in March 2012 to replace foam cups with paper stock at 2,000 of its US stores. The company tested double-walled fiber hot cups at 15% of their stores, primarily on the West Coast, for consumer acceptance, operation impact, and overall importance. "The company has confirmed that the pilots were successful and that it will phase out foam cups at all locations in the coming months. We are pleased that the company decided to make the switch to paper cups permanent and expand it to all of its restaurants," As You Sow said. Starbucks uses 10% recycled paper fiber in its paper hot beverage cups and has committed to recycle all post-consumer paper and plastic cups discarded in company-owned stores by 2015, As You Sow noted.

UPM: Uruguay Mill Closed Pending Gov. Response

http://www.upm.com/en/Pages/default.aspx

Pulp producer UPM is standing by its position of keeping its 1.1 million tonnes/yr bleached eucalyptus kraft (BEK) pulp mill in the Uruguayan city of Fray Bentos shut down until it receives from the country's government the authorization necessary to expand its capacity to 1.3 million tonnes/yr.

"The UPM Fray Bentos mill has successfully completed its scheduled annual maintenance shutdown. All the equipment and processes will be tested as well as production trials conducted until the end of the weekend in order to guarantee the mill's normal operation. Once the tests are done, it will only be possible to proceed with production if the State of Uruguay authorizes the increased volume permit," the company stated in a press release sent out last Wednesday.

Sappi May Relocate Nijmegen Mill Production

http://www.na.sappi.com/home

As a result of the continued market decline and consequent overcapacity in the European coated paper markets, combined with high raw material costs not compensated for by higher selling prices, Sappi has generated a loss in its European activities.
To return its European operations to profitability, Sappi has undertaken a review of its European production assets and has identified the need to concentrate its production at fewer sites. Exhaustive analysis has indicated that the preferred option would be to relocate the entire production of Nijmegen Mill to other Sappi mills in Europe. The aim of this action would be to optimise Sappi's entire Heat Set Web Offset (HSWO) business.

Survey Affirm the Power of Print In Households Earning $100K+

http://printinthemix.com/Fastfacts/Show/778

The 2013 Ipsos Affluent Survey USA reports that Affluents (adults living in households with at least $100,000 in annual household income), “continue to be enthusiastic consumers of traditional media, even while their use of digital media continues to grow sharply.”
The study projects that there are now 62.5 million U.S. Affluents, up more than 6% over the past two years. Accounting for 20% of U.S. households, Ipsos projects Affluents hold 69% of U.S. net worth.

PRINT READERSHIP  

The survey finds that 81% of Affluents regularly read at least one of the 142 measured and reported print publications (135 magazines and 7 national newspapers). Coupled with the growth of the Affluent population, the number of who read a print publication rose to more than 50 million. The total duplicated average-issue audience (AIA) is more than 207 million, a figure that declined 2.4% from 2012

The study reports that print readership skews significantly higher among Affluent Women, Ultra Affluents ($250K+ household income) and Wealthy consumers ($500K+ household income).

Affluents read 16.7 issues from 7.4 different titles.

Ultra Affluents read 22% more titles (9.0 vs. 7.4) and 29% more issues.

Wealthy consumers read 45% more titles (10.7 vs. 7.4) and 62% more issues (27.0 vs. 16.7) than Affluents.

The Forbes Contributor Model

http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/the-forbes-contributor-model-technology-feedback-and-incentives/s2/a554255/

When Forbes was re-thinking its web publishing model in 2010, they were reflecting on the state of the industry and the shift in publishing power.
In particular, their aim was to respond to the fact that "anyone can publish at any time without trucks, planes, satellites," Mike Federle, chief operating officer at Forbes Media, told the FIPP Congress today.
As such, they built their contributor network - on top of what he described as a "technology-led, data-driven newsroom" at Forbes - which enables authorised individuals to publish straight to the Forbes website.

Hearst’s Clinton Talks ‘Big Content’

http://ipdahome.org/newsstand/?cat=296

In video Q&A (3 minutes), Hearst Magazines president of marketing and publishing director Michael Clinton describes Hearst’s “big content” strategy (linking editors’ curated content to media for brands’ benefit). Example: Esquire’s current issue features a “Life of Man” theme, with content spanning print, digital, user-generated and a two-hour special on the new Esquire network. Corvette is among advertisers buying the package.

Bloomberg

Flood of New Book Releases for Holidays

http://ipdahome.org/newsstand/?cat=296

Major releases this week have substantial print runs, along with digital. The physical book business remains meaningful, writes WSJ, quoting Publishers Weekly co-editorial director Jim Milliot: “Publishers still believe in print.” Publishers and booksellers (especially independents) optimistic about holiday season; hoping for strong second half after declines in 1H.  

WSJ

ZenithOptimedia’s New Advertising Projections

http://ipdahome.org/newsstand/?cat=296

Projects 3.5% increase in global ad spend for 2013. In U.S., digital will account for 21.8% (vs. 19% in 2012) of ad spend; mobile for 3.7%–but mobile will grow by 81% this year (vs. 16% growth for Internet). Magazines’ global share of ad spend in 2012 was 7%; share in 2015 projected at 6.8%. 

TechCrunch

Federal Authorities Raid Lumber Liquidators

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303342104579101042712448428.html

Federal authorities want to know where all that cheap wood at Lumber Liquidators comes from.

On Thursday, the discount hardwood flooring retailer's headquarters in Toano, Va., and another location in Richmond were raided by special agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations unit, together with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Justice Department.

The agents were looking for evidence the company had imported wood products from forests in far eastern Russian that are home to the endangered Siberian tiger, a person familiar with the matter said.

ICE said no arrests were made and declined to say whether any items were removed from either location. The investigation's affidavit and search warrants remain sealed.

Tribune To Cut Costs By $100 Million

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/210166/tribune-to-cut-costs-by-100-million.html#axzz2gPQr95jr

With its newspapers on the auction block, Tribune Co. is ordering its publishing division to slash their budgets by $100 million, according to Chicago media watcher Robert Feder, who first reported the news. The move is probably intended to make the publications more attractive to potential buyers.
Tribune CEO Peter Liguori issued the order during a meeting with the heads of the company’s publishing units on Wednesday, per Feder, citing sources familiar with the plan. The cuts will hit all parts of the publishing division, including newsrooms, and are scheduled to take effect beginning in December. 

GateHouse Media Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130927-905540.html

GateHouse Media, Inc. (OTC: GHSE) and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively, "GateHouse"), comprising one of the largest publishers of locally based print and online media in the United States, have commenced voluntary chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

Concurrently with the bankruptcy filing, GateHouse filed and requested confirmation of a joint prepackaged plan of reorganization.

OpenGate Capital Buys PenneySaver from Harte-Hanks

http://www.opengatecapital.com/2013/09/27/opengate-capital-completes-acquisition-of-pennysaver-usa/

OpenGate Capital, a global private buyout firm, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of PennySaver USA comprised of the Shoppers and PennySaver assets from Harte-Hanks, Inc., (NYSE: HHS) just one week after announcing it had signed an agreement to acquire the business.  PennySaver USA, headquartered in Brea, California, represents the first California-based acquisition for OpenGate Capital, and it joins a portfolio of 12 other leading enterprises with operations throughout North America, Latin America and Europe.