"I never worry about losing subscribers or postage thanks to Interlink!"
Dean Henricksen, Berrien Country Record (MI)
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Weekly newspaper editors from South Dakota and North Dakota gathered for a round-table discussion of successes and challenges during the first joint South Dakota Newspaper Association and North Dakota Newspaper Association convention held April 25-27 in Rapid City, SD. More than 200 members of the organizations attended. Convention topics included print/online connection, page/ad design, postal issues and public notices. Awards ceremonies for both organizations also were held during the convention. The top awards were presented during a dinner Friday evening at Mt. Rushmore. Interlink photo/Helen Sosniecki
From National Newspaper Association
WASHINGTON — Newspapers claiming automation mailing rates for their Periodicals newspapers or Standard Mail flats not eligible for Enhanced Carrier Route rates face new hurdles on Jan. 26, 2014, as the U.S. Postal Service’s mandates for Full-Service Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMbs) kick in. But National Newspaper Association President Merle Baranczyk said NNA’s efforts had built in new options for many newspapers to avoid the full impact.
USPS this week announced that the new Full-Service IMbs would be required for all mail seeking automation discounts. The first step toward its program to achieve greater service accountability began in January 2013, when mailers began using the Basic IMbs. The next step requires individual numbering on mailpieces, sack and tray tags and pallet placards so that USPS can see where the mail is throughout mail processing and delivery. Those individual numbers must also be provided to USPS through electronic documentation, with some exceptions.
Baranczyk said NNA had petitioned the Postal Service to make numerous changes to help newspapers adapt to USPS’s digital conversions.
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The USPS has released a final ruling stating Full-Service IMb will become the requirement for automation-compatible mail effective Jan. 26, 2014. Full-Service IMb will require a change in format to sack and tray tags, which Interlink will support in advance of USPS requirements.
Although current sacks and trays have two-inch holders, many of Interlink’s clients purchase and use one-inch tags in those holders. This option has worked in the past because the current design places the barcode in the lower half of the tag where it is not interrupted by the perforation between the two one-inch tags.
USPS Full-Service IMb changes the format of sack and tray tags by placing the barcode closer to the middle of the tag, causing the perforation to run through the middle of the barcode when printing on two one-inch tags. To avoid compromising the integrity of the barcode to meet USPS Full-Service requirements, Interlink will stop selling one-inch sack/tray tags as of Aug. 31, 2013.
In addition to the current case of two-inch sack tags offered, effective immediately, Interlink will offer a smaller package containing 100 sheets for $30 including shipping. The mailing supply order form has been updated to include the new package of 100 sheets of two-inch tags, and a disclaimer statement has been added regarding USPS Full-Service requirements and the incompatibility with the one-inch tags.
Interlink Supplies Order Form 4/2013
Excerpt from Matt Novak
Smithsonian’s Paleofuture Blog
March 18, 2013
“In the 1920s it was radio that was supposed to kill the newspaper. Then it was TV news. Then it was the Internet. The newspaper has evolved and adapted (remember when TV news killed the evening edition newspaper?) and will continue to evolve for many decades to come.
Visions of what newspapers might look like in the future have been varied throughout the 20th century. Sometimes they’ve taken the form of a piece of paper that you print at home, delivered via satellite or radio waves. Other times it’s a multimedia product that lives on your tablet or TV. Today we’re taking a look at just a few of the newspapers from the futures that never were.”
To view the blog in its entirety, please click the link provided. By clicking the link, you understand you are leaving the Interlink website and will be accessing Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian does not endorse, whether expressly or implicitly, any products, services or opinions presented on the Interlink website. Click Here to view the blog.
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