Capital Spending p.

By: George Garneau

Nearly $1 billion planned by newspapers
NORTH AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS plan nearly $1 billion in capital expenditures this year, according to an annual survey by the Newspaper Association of America.
Keep in mind that estimates do not necessarily jibe with actual spending. Last year, for example, newspapers spent $845.1 million, according to the latest survey, significantly below the $1.1 billion estimated in last May's survey.
Last year was the first time in eight years that newspaper capital expenditures fell below $1 billion, NAA said.
This year's survey included responses from 428 U.S. and 21 Canadian papers.
Plans for this year show spending for new buildings down slightly to $99 million, but increased spending for additions ($39.7 million estimated in 1993 versus $30.1 million actual in 1992), modernization ($62.4 million versus $34.1 million) and office furniture ($24.9 million versus $19 million).
Spending for telephone, audiotex, videotext and related systems is planned to rise significantly this year.
Sharp increases are projected in spending for computer systems: editorial ($57.3 million estimated in 1993 versus $41 million actual in 1992), classified ($20.2 million versus $11.4 million), financial ($29.5 million versus $18.5 million), circulation ($17.2 million versus $7 million), library ($5 million versus $2.1 million).
Spending for digital darkrooms declines slightly this year to $10.9 million, spending on platemaking equipment is steady at $8.3 million and expenditures for color scanning and separating equipment rise to $14.1 million this year, compared with $9.1 million last year.
In the pressroom, planned expenditures for new press equipment decline to $212.1 million this year, from $281.4 million actual last year, while spending for used equipment is projected to more than double to $42.4 million.
In the mailroom, the biggest growth is estimated in inserting equipment, which is expected to more than double to $113.2 million.
Materials-handling equipment gets considerably more spending this year, according to the survey: newsprint roll handling ($5.1 million versus $2.2 million), pallet handling ($3.1 million versus $1.8 million), AGVs ($13.1 million versus $7.7 million).
Spending for energy and security-management equipment is projected to double to $6.1 million this year.