On Sept. 12, a task force presented the NAA Board of Directors with the results of a two-month effort examining the technical, marketing and economic factors involved in reducing newspaper web widths to 50 inches. The task force was established at the request of the Board and was headed by John Madigan, president and chief executive officer of the Tribune Co. Its findings are contained in the NAA Web-Width Reduction Study.
The study shows that reducing web widths is feasible with the appropriate investment of time and resources. But there are many concerns, including advertiser and reader response, marketing and promotional costs, market share, increased paging and preserving standard advertising units.
The 100-plus page report contains comprehensive sections from the task force's technical, marketing and economic work groups, a sample 50-inch newspaper and a diskette containing a customizable economic model.
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