The Chattanooga Times Free Press announced today that it will be investing in a new printing press.VIDEO
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The Chattanooga Times Free Press is buying a new printing press to add more color capability and production efficiency to the daily newspaper.
Walter Hussman, chief executive of Wehco Media Inc., which owns the Times Free Press, said the newspaper will replace its outmoded flexography printing press with an offset press that includes replacement towers purchased from the Boston Globe and the Denver Post. Installation of the new press should begin within the next month and be completed by the end of the year.
"We are making this investment because we believe newspapers, both in print and digital, have a good future," Hussman said in an employee memo Thursday. "Chattanooga continues to be the top performing newspaper among a group of Southeastern newspapers in advertising sales."
Hussman said he was encouraged that advertising revenues were up in the first quarter of 2013 for the Times Free Press, one of 14 daily and 11 weekly newspapers owned by Wehco Media.
Jason Taylor, president of the Times Free Press, said the multimillion-dollar investment "underscores our belief in the future of print newspapers." The new press will allow the newspaper to offer more color pages while realizing production efficiencies.
"Chattanooga continues to embrace our print product and we want to enhance the product that we deliver," Taylor said. "We're excited about moving ahead with this improved technology."