When editors of The Daily Herald in Provo, Utah, returned from lunch Nov. 15 to find the parking lot full of circulation personnel waiting for papers, they expected to be chewed out for fouling up production---again. But this was far more serious than the usual slipped deadline or pagination problem. For the first time in 122 years, the Herald was going to miss printing a daily edition.
No one knew why, but the electrical circuitry for the dampener-roller motors had shorted out on the Herald's 26-year-old Goss Urbanite, Pre-1000 Series, nine-unit press. A local electrician was called in but to no avail. As troubleshooting continued into the evening, fears mounted that the press might be out of commission the next day too.
Experts in Pennsylvania and California were consulted by phone and were even asked to fly to Provo, 45 miles south of Salt Lake City. They were unavailable, but one knew an electronics expert named H.D. Moss of Controlled Energy Inc., who lives only 30 minutes from the Herald. Moss was shortly on the scene, and before long had isolated the problem---a $6.40 bridge rectifier on one of the press units. Only one rectifier had failed, but since all nine were wired in parallel, the entire circuitry was affected, according to Steve Steele, the Herald's press foreman.
The next morning, Steele walked across the street to an electronics store, bought a rectifier off the shelf, plugged it in, and the press was back in operation just in time to catch up on advance printing that was supposed to have been done by the night shift.
Meanwhile, arrangements had been made through Dominic Welch, president of the Newspaper Agency Corp. in Salt Lake City, to print the Nov. 16 issue of the Herald.
The entire episode cost an estimated $30,000 in lost advertising revenue, overtime, subscription credits, outside printing costs, shipping and other factors---all for want of a $6.40 part.
Steele says that unlike bearing repair, blanket replacement and other mechanical upkeep, bridge-rectifier failure is not something that can be prevented through routine maintenance. The Herald's rectifiers hadn't skipped a beat in 26 years and most will likely outlast the aging press. Replacing old rectifiers with new is no guarantee against problems. Even new electronic equipment can fail after only a few hours of service. As a hedge, Steele has bought a spare rectifier, and he knows where he can get more.
Steele says he is keeping Moss's phone number close at hand and has retained the electrician to look for other problems that can be forestalled through preventive maintenance, such as checking for worn insulation, loose connections, faulty switches and other equipment glitches. Steele notes with envy that the Newspaper Agency Corp. employs five full-time press electricians. Steele has none for a press that operates two shifts a day to produce a 34,000-circulation daily; a 58,000-circulation, twice-a-week shopper; an 18,200-circulation student newspaper, and several advertising supplements each week.
Losing a press run is a horrible experience. In the Herald's case, it attracted statewide media attention. But as one commentator said, missing only one day in 122 years is actually quite an admirable record. It's a credit to an overworked crew that has barely enough time for even the most basic maintenance.
Paul Richards is editor of The Daily Herald. E-mail, edit1@itsnet.com; phone, (801) 344-2541.
©1997 Newspaper Association of America. All rights reserved.