Recent Milestones
In August, TechNews asked some of its key technical contacts at both newspapers and vendors whether they had pioneered any new technologies for the newspaper industry. The following is an edited selection of their responses.
Pre-Press
1968: The Sacramento (Ca.) Union is first newspaper to buy an offset plate processor for heavy usage. The vendor is Western Lithotech.
1970: The Daily Breeze of Torrance, Ca., becomes first newspaper to purchase an automated offset plate-exposure unit. The vendor is Western Lithotech.
1975: Graphic Enterprises of Ohio Inc. installs a broadsheet copier/proofer at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland.
1976: Monotype Systems Inc. introduces the industry's first production laser imager, the Lasercomp Mark 1.
1982: The Morning Call of Allentown, Pa., pioneers MediaStream Inc.'s electronic library.
1985: Ad-Star Publishing Technologies installs a remote advertising-entry system at The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J.
1985: The York Town Crier becomes the first newspaper in Virginia to use all Apple Macintosh computers.
1988: The Rocky Mountain News of Denver becomes the first newspaper to install a totally computerized weather package. WeatherData Inc. is the vendor.
1989: Le Droit in Ottawa is the first newspaper in Canada to become fully paginated, with help from Software Consulting Services.
1989: The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, N.J., is the first newspaper to purchase a broadsheet laser printer from Graphic Enterprises of Ohio Inc.
1989: The Daily Dispatch of Henderson, N.C., pioneers Digital Technology International's client-server architecture.
1989: The Orange County (Calif.) Register pioneers Edgil Associates Inc.'s prepayment-automation system for advertising and circulation.
1989: The Associated Press pioneers digital photography. The vendor is Kodak.
1992: Managing Editor Inc.'s first customer for its Page Director ad-layout system is The Toronto Sun.
1994: The Telegraph of Dixon, Ill., installs AdForce ad-dummying software from Managing Editor Inc.
1995: The Marco Island (Fla.) Eagle switches to all digital cameras.
1995: The Sun-Sentinel of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., installs the first interactive two-way integration to Atex, from CCI Europe.
1995: The Los Angeles Times interfaces personal computers with proprietary front-end classified and editorial systems. The vendor is CE Engineering Publishing Systems Inc.
1995: The Times Record News of Wichita Falls, Texas, pioneers CNI Corp.'s editorial database for tracking pages.
1997: The Boston Globe is the first newspaper to purchase Western Lithotech's DiamondSetter Laser PlateSetter unit.
Press
1950: Berlinske Tidende of Denmark is the first customer of WIFAG's concrete table.
1952: Solna Web USA Inc. sells its first bearerless cylinder designs, in Sweden.
1966: Verbandsdruckerei in Switzerland installs a 40,000 revolutions-per-hour press, the first press to achieve this speed. The vendor is WIFAG.
1971: The Jonesboro (Ark.) Sun pioneers dilitho printing (conversion of letterpress to offset). The vendor is Inland Newspaper Machinery Corp.
1972: Solna Web USA Inc. sells its first 2-over-1 perfecting color unit, in Sweden.
1980s: KBA installs its first jumbo newspaper press, in Antwerp, Belgium.
1986: The Sun in Baltimore is the first newspaper to purchase Ediwise's AbitRol Pro newsprint purchasing and inventory software.
1987: The San Francisco Newspaper Agency installs a flexographic press.
1990: The Courier-Journal of Louisville is the first newspaper to purchase KBA's Colormax press.
1994: Le Telegramme of France becomes the first newspaper to use a totally shaftless press. WIFAG is the vendor.
1995: Midi Libre of France becomes the first newspaper to change pages and page counts without stopping the press. The vendor is WIFAG.
1996: The Globe-Gazette of Mason City, Iowa, becomes the first newspaper to use KBA's Colormax software.
Post-Press
1953: The Philadelphia Bulletin becomes the first newspaper to use towline conveyors from Jervis B. Webb Co.
1986: GMA Inc. installs its first SLS straight-line inserting system, at The Reporter of Lansdale, Pa.
1987: The Boston Globe becomes the first newspaper to install GMA Inc.'s online press-to-pocket system.
1991: The Plain Dealer of Cleveland pioneers the use of automated cart loading. The vendor is Cannon Equipment Co. Inc.
1995: The San Jose Mercury News is the first newspaper to install front-page adhesive-note advertising. Wood Associates is the vendor.
1997: The Tribune-Review of Pittsburgh becomes the first newspaper to purchase a robotic palletizer for its packaging and distribution area. Machine Design Service Inc. is the vendor.