Hearst Purchases New KBA Web Press for Albany Newspaper

NEW YORK—Dec. 12, 2011—Hearst Corp. announced it has closed on a deal with Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) for the purchase of a Commander CL offset press at the Albany Times Union, the leading newspaper in New York’s Capital Region.

The investment will enable the Times Union to provide readers and advertisers with one of the best-quality newspapers and related client products in the country. The facility is scheduled to come online in the first quarter of 2013.

“The Times Union has been the capital region’s most trusted source for news and information for more than 150 years,” said Frank A. Bennack Jr., CEO of Hearst. “This announcement continues that mission for readers and advertisers, and greatly enhances the vibrancy of the newspaper. The capital investment affirms Hearst’s and the Times Union’s commitment to a printed newspaper while we invest in cutting-edge digital technologies at the same time.”

“Our new printing facility will enable the Times Union—better than virtually any other newspaper today—to provide readers with the finest product available and meet our clients’ continued demand for more options to enhance the effectiveness of their advertising,” said Mark Aldam, president, Hearst Newspapers.

“For readers, the experience of reading the Times Union will be like a move from analog to high-definition technology,” said George R. Hearst III, publisher of the Times Union. “Our photography and graphics will be more lively and our type will be more readable. For advertisers, this advance means we’ll be able to offer great product flexibility. Not only will we be able to publish color advertising on every page of the newspaper, but we’ll also be able to accommodate multiple-format products—including sizes ranging from traditional broadsheet to tabloid, gatefold and variable-sized specialty products.”

“We are delighted to welcome Hearst’s Albany Times Union to KBA’s long list of newspaper customers around the world,” commented KBA president and CEO Claus Bolza-Schüenemann. “Once again we have won the day with our latest innovation for newsprint, the Commander CL launched at this year’s IFRA Expo newspaper trade fair in Vienna. We are looking forward to a long-term partnership in the New York Capital area.”

The KBA Commander CL is a 32-page collect-capable press, fitted with contemporary direct-to-plate technology, capable of printing up to 64 pages of full color in a single run. It will be outfitted with two folders—one a traditional, fixed-width folder and the other capable of operating at variable width. They are each rated at 80,000 copies per hour, giving the press the capacity to produce double that number when in full production.

The press replaces a letterpress machine that has been in operation since the newspaper moved into its Colonie, NY, headquarters in August 1970.

About KBA
Established almost 195 years ago in Wuerzburg, Germany, Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA), the parent of the KBA group, is the oldest and second-largest press manufacturer worldwide. KBA’s banner, ‘People & Print,’ reflects its dual focus as a driver of innovation for print entrepreneurs. The group’s product range is the broadest in the industry, imparting a unique level of expertise and exceptional competence in mastering technological challenges. The product portfolio includes commercial and newspaper web presses, sheetfed offset presses in all format classes, special presses for books, inserts, banknotes, securities, metal-decorating, smart cards, CDs and DVDs, a digital inkjet press to be launched at Drupa 2012 plus inkjet and laser coding systems.

About Hearst Newspapers
Hearst Newspapers is the operating group responsible for Hearst Corporation’s newspapers, local digital marketing services businesses and directories. With more than 4,700 employees across the nation, Hearst Newspapers publishes 15 dailies and 37 weeklies in cities including Houston, San Francisco, San Antonio and Albany. It also operates digital marketing services and directories businesses under the LocalEdge brand.

About Hearst
Hearst Corp. is one of the nation’s largest diversified media companies. Its major interests include ownership of 15 daily and 37 weekly newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union; hundreds of magazines around the world, including Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, ELLE and O, The Oprah Magazine; 29 television stations, which reach a combined 18 percent of U.S. viewers; ownership in leading cable networks, including Lifetime, A&E, History and ESPN; as well as business publishing, including a minority joint venture interest in Fitch Ratings; Internet and marketing services businesses, television production, newspaper features distribution and real estate.

Source: Hearst.