Quad Reports Q2 Results

http://www.cnbc.com/id/48559951
Quad Graphics today reported results for its second quarter and year-to-date ending June 30, 2012.
Highlights:
-- Generates second quarter net sales of $934 million.
-- Achieves second quarter Adjusted EBITDA of $112 million and Adjusted EBITDA margin of 12.0%, as compared to 11.9% in 2011.
-- Creates $60 million in second quarter Recurring Free Cash Flow and $167 million year-to-date.
-- Repays $42 million in debt during the quarter and $132 million year-to-date.
-- Completes integration of Worldcolor and confirms annual synergy savings of more than $275 million, exceeding original guidance of $225 million.

STRATA Survey-Ad Industry Strengthens

http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/108966/strata-survey-ad-industry-strengthens-despite-weak
The outlook for advertising spending is positive for the remainder of 2012. That optimism is heavily backed by a solid year of political advertising along with media buyers spreading their buys to available venues, according to a new STRATA Survey. Spot radio advertising saw an increase purchase by advertisers of 16%, up 80% over last quarter. STRATA conducted the survey of over 100 media buying agencies across the country. The second quarter survey revealed that more than half (52%) of agencies polled saw their business increase in the second quarter of 2012 compared to a year ago, up 12% from the first quarter. Roughly 94% of agencies expect business conditions to improve or stay the same in the second half of the year, with about 40% projecting growth.

Tourism Offices Attempt at Piece Of $810B Ind

http://adage.com/article/news/1-billion-ways-visit/236439/
The flagging economy and tough legislative budget wrangling have leveled out for many state tourism offices, which are back to the business of luring in visitors. And it is a big business: More than $810 billion is spent by travelers in the U.S. every year.Lately, many destination marketers are turning over more of their budgets to digital and social media both to save money and track effectiveness. For state tourism offices, accountability can mean the difference between getting funded or getting cut. Collectively, state destination marketers manage about $677 million in total yearly budgets, while city and specific destinations have more than $1.4 billion, according to the Destination Marketing Association International and U.S. Travel Organizations.

Disappointing Results For Reader's Digest

http://adage.com/article/media/disappointing-results-reader-s-digest-association/236582/
Reader's Digest Association said revenue in the second quarter totaled $84.5 million, down 22.5% from the quarter a year earlier as a result of a shrinking portfolio, declining subscription renewals, lower books sales and a decline in advertising in Canada.The company reported an operating loss of $93.2 million, reflecting a write-down of $113.4 million due to "changes in our long-term views due to lower than expected revenue and operating results" and "declines in prevailing market conditions in publishing and direct-marketing industries," it said.
 Over the past year the company has sold Every Day With Rachael Ray magazine, the formerly high-flying food title, and Allrecipes.com, the large food website, as part of its latest effort at transformation. It also shut down Fresh Home, a 2009 launch aimed at the young and budget-conscious.

NY Times Set to Sell About.com

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20120808/MEDIABUSINESS03/308089999/report-ny-times-co-set-to-sell-about-com
The New York Times Co. has a deal in place to sell About.com to Answers.com for $270 million, according to a report on AllThingsD.com.
According to the report, the deal has not yet closed and Answers.com's backers—private equity companies Summit Partners and TA Associates—are trying to line up financing. The Times Co. acquired About.com for $410 million in 2005. Last month, the company took a $195 million goodwill write-down on the unit, according to AllThings.

Hearst Partners With Sprinklr

Hearst Partners With Sprinklr to Manage Social Platforms:
For some of us, it's a good problem to have: Huge social media audiences spread across multiple brands and platforms and the messaging necessary for each have become harder and harder to efficiently manage. In the case of a company like Hearst that has more than 20 content brands, each with their own social media needs and audiences stretching into the millions, managing engagement, metrics and social content has become unwieldy. In the meantime, companies like Sprinklr have sprung up to take some of the pressure off publishers and other companies with particularly large followings.

COO Shift Hints Of Changes At ALM

Executive Changes At ALM:  
ALM, the legal services and information media company, has promoted Kevin Michielsen to the newly created position of chief operating officer. The change is at the tip of a host of other management changes as the company works through a new structure that president and CEO Bill Carter says will make it better positioned to meet customer information needs.

Mondi Sees Unchanged Prices For Uncoated Paper

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-07/mondi-sees-unchanged-prices-in-short-term-for-uncoated-paper
Mondi Group, Europe’s largest maker of office paper, said the short-term outlook for uncoated fine paper is for unchanged prices, while prices for corrugated paper are increasing as it focuses on demand from emerging markets. “Sales from emerging markets is 52 percent and growing,” Chief Executive Officer David Hathorn said in an phone interview today. Revenue from packaging products, which account for more than 60 percent of sales, are also expected to increase “over time,” he said.
 

Fortress Paper Reports Q2 Income

Fortress Paper reports net quarterly income of $12.5 million:
Fortress Paper Ltd. is reporting a net income of $12.5 million in their second quarter of 2012.This can be compared to a net loss of $10.5 million in the first quarter, and a net income of $2.9 million in the second quarter of last year.
The much improved current period result was primarily due to the gain realized on the sale of certain non-core assets in the Security Paper Products Segment.

USPS Defines Part-Time Rural PO's

http://postandparcel.info/49789/news/companies/usps-defines-new-style-part-time-rural-post-offices/ 
The US Postal Service has officially laid out how its network of thousands of rural post offices will look by 2014, as it acts to reduce operating hours in order to cut costs.The Postal Service published a Final Rule in the Federal Register yesterday that provided definitions for as many as 13,000 new-style post offices.

Director Confident In Paperlinx Future

Price confident in Paperlinx future:
New non-executive director Andrew Price said he had 'enthusiastically accepted' the invitation to the Paperlinx board following completion of the company's strategic review. Price told PrintWeek that he had been concerned that the global company would "go broke" unless tough action was taken. But he added: "There's some great potential in this business now that some hard decisions have been made and the company is now poised for growth.Paperlinx is in the strongest position it has been in for several years and is well positioned to finalise the restructure and grow in key diversified markets."