'Reading Eagle' Debuts Monday in Berliner Format

By: E&P Staff A compact, better-organized version of the Reading Eagle rolls off a new, faster press in a new 77,000-square-foot plant.

The changes are a result of a project begun four years ago that so far has cost an estimated $33 million.

The company bought a KBA press designed for Berliner format to make printing more efficient, provide later-breaking news, add a fifth daily section and improve work for other newspapers, advertisers and customers, according to Publisher William S. Flippin and Associate Publisher Larry R. Orkus.

Formerly sporadic, full color is now available on all pages, according to Production Manager J. Michael Engle.

A Sunday story by Jason Brudereck quotes Orkus: "Where other newspapers have been cutting their products to deal with the economy, this publisher invested in technology that allowed us to expand our product by producing it more efficiently."

While the Eagle Co. remains committed to its Web site, but "without adequate investigation, newspapers in general have fallen into lockstep agreement that they're being replaced by the Internet," Orkus said. "We didn't believe that then and we really don't believe that now after hearing from our readers at community meetings in the last few months."

In addition to a front-page index and weather summary, organization of content has been improved. In the past, sections moved around the paper from one edition to another. "You never knew where they were going to be located," Editor Harry J. Deitz Jr. said.

The Eagle retains its type size but uses another font for easier reading.

With the new plant operating next to the company's 152,000-square-foot building, its earlier print site is up for sale.