Kansas City Star to sell building, move printing to Des Moines

In 1978, my paper, the Santa Monica Evening Outlook, moved to a new building because the city wanted the downtown location for a new indoor shopping mall. I remember the press was packed up and sent to Argentina. They bought a new press from a Japanese company. It had full-color capability and they sold us on the job work we could do.

Around that time, I had a revelation that this full-color press was going to be our savior. I was having lunch in a restaurant. On the table was a list of specials -- printed. Other ad cards were stuck in a holder -- printed. They handed me a menu -- printed. On the wall were signs -- printed. And on and on and on. Think about all you encounter every day that is printed. One of the best things newspapers did was print stuff.

Turned out the press they bought was a piece of crap, and they also bought some accessories elsewhere that were not compatible with the new press. The job work plan failed. Probably inferior equipment, definitely incompetent management.

 

The logic behind sticking your best customers with the highest rates and not worrying about customer service works really well when your customer generally does not have an alternative.

So before the internet came along newspapers could keep raising rates and make more money. In the case of newspapers the publishers were generally less aggressive about raising home delivery rates because they wanted to maintain a large circulation base. But advertising rates were bumped up because what other source could deliver such a large audience? Then competition came along and it all went to hell as customers fled.

Cable television and satellite companies did the same thing. Then along came streaming. And it has all gone to hell for Direct TV. Subscriptions are down a third in the past couple of years.

DirecTV: no of video subscribers in the U.S. 2014-2020 | Statista

 

On a much smaller scale, I recall working at a weekly paper in the 1990s, in a small town in Michigan. The owner told me once that while subscriptions and (mostly) advertising allowed the paper to break even, job printing of business cards, menus, grocery store circulars, etc. were what made a profit.

Thinking about that now ... none of those things are printed anymore. Except (for now) the weekly newspaper.

 

I suppose Des Moines taking on the printing as a sign that the Register still plans on throwing papers seven days a week in Iowa, while Omaha, about the same distance from KC, doesn't intend to keep 7 days going.

Which, I suppose, is a sign Gannett/GateHouse -- Double the Big G, G squared??? -- is still planning on keeping its flagship papers throwing seven days a week.

I also wonder if the G/G still hands out those big G rings? My former publisher was very proud of his and even more of the diamond chips that had been added. The editor, who didn't have one, was quite upset he was lacking that piece of jewelry.