Independent news

Three take on new responsibilities for Independent, Delaware State News

2009-10-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

Pictured left to right, Toni Ayers, Wanda Ford-Waring and
Heather Cregar

Three Dover executives have accepted expanded responsibilities at Independent Newspapers and its flagship daily newspaper, the Delaware State News.

Accounting Manager Toni L. Ayers will add Corporate Treasurer to her duties, Credit Director Wanda Ford-Waring who also serves as Corporate Secretary will also become Trustee of the company’s 401k Plan, and Heather Cregar will become interim Advertising Director at the Delaware State News.

All three appointments are effective Oct. 21, according to President & Publisher Ed Dulin, who made the announcement. The three positions are currently filled by Chris Engel, who is leaving to pursue other interests.

“We are grateful that Chris Engel has served this company well for more than 31 years in a wide variety of roles, and we wish him all the best”, Mr. Dulin said. “We are so fortunate to have top-notch executives like Toni Ayers, Wanda Ford-Waring and Heather Cregar ready to step up to added responsibilities.”

Newspapers are the leading ad medium cited by consumers

2009-08-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

According to MORI Research, 59% of adults identify newspapers as the medium they use for planning, shopping and purchase decisions:

73% of adults regularly or occasionally
read newspaper inserts

82% of those surveyed said they "took action"
as a result of newspaper advertising, including ...

shopped from a newspaper insert (82%), clipped a coupon (61%), bought something (50%), visited a website to learn more (33%), tried something for the first time (27%).

Other media trails well behind newspapers as the primary medium for checking advertising. The closest competitor, the Internet, trailed newspapers by 20 percentage points, direct mail gained a 14% response in the survey, and television was cited by only 8% of respondents.

According to preliminary data from MORI Research who conducted this phone and Internet survey of more than 3,000 adults for the Newspaper Association of America.

***

From McClatchy-Tribune Information Services...

Seven myth-busters about newspapers

The newspaper media -- print and digital -- will emerge from the current environment an even stronger multi-platform force. Here are some reasons why based on common myths about the industry.

Myth: No one reads newspapers anymore.

Reality: More than 104 million adults read a print newspaper every day, more than 115 million on Sundays. That's more people than watch the Super Bowl (94 million), "American Idol" (23 million) or that typically watch the late local news (65 million).

Myth: Young people no longer read newspapers.

Reality: 61 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 25- to 34-year-olds read a newspaper in an average week and 65 percent of them read a newspaper or visited a newspaper Web site in the past week.

Myth: Newspaper readership is tanking.

Reality: Average weekday newspaper readership declined a mere 1.8 percent between 2007 and 2008, and about 7 percent since its peak in 2002. Compare that to the 10 percent decline seen in the prime time TV audience in 2007 alone. Meanwhile, newspapers' Web audience has grown nearly 75 percent since 2004, to 73 million unique visitors a month.

Myth: Many newspapers are going out of business.

Reality: Newspapers, as individual businesses, by and large remain profitable enterprises -- with operating margins that Wall Street analysts estimate will generally average in the low- to mid-teens during 2009. While that may be down from historical highs, such margins would be the envy of many other industries today.

Myth: Newspaper advertising doesn't work.

Reality: Google's own research shows that 56 percent of consumers researched or purchased products they saw in a newspaper.

Myth: There are no creative options in newspapers.

Reality: Newspaper advertising options have exploded and now include shape and polybag ads, post-it notes, "we prints," shingle spadeas, scented ads, taste-it ads, glow-in-the-dark, belly bands and temporary tattoos, as well as event and database marketing, behavioral targeting, e-mail blasts, e-newsletters and more.

Myth: If newspapers close, you will still be able to get news from other sources.

Reality: Newspapers make a larger investment in journalism than any other medium. Most of the content from "aggregators" and other media originated with newspapers.

Annual benefits renewal announcement

2009-07-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

HEALTH BENEFITS OPEN ENROLLMENT ...
You must make a change because health and prescription benefits have been combined.

Log onto Ceridian Self Service and select Please Enroll Here. This appears under the ENROLLMENT flag at the top of the Self Service screen.

PLEASE CLICK HERE for a PDF file of your 2009 EMPLOYEE BENEFITS GUIDE.

New plan year begins August 1, 2009.

There will be no change in premiums for members of INI’s Blue Cross & Blue Shield health insurance plan who are also covered by INI’s prescription plan. The few employees who opted out of our prescription plan, however, will see an increase since
prescription coverage will now be included in the basic coverage.

• The premium for medical and prescription coverage will be $114 per person per pay period (or $106 per person per pay for who qualify for the tobacco-free discount).

• The premium for our optional Dental plan will decrease from $12.50 to $12.00 per person per pay period. Even existing participants will have to enroll for the new plan year.

• The premium for the optional voluntary life insurance is age banded. Dependent life insurance premium varies by the age of the dependent and the amount of the insurance elected.

• The premium for the optional long term disability is $0.320 per $100 of covered payroll per month.

As health care costs increase, we want to encourage all of our employees and their dependents to be as healthy as they can be. We encourage you to schedule your annual physical and follow the preventive guidelines based on your age and gender. We value the benefit of preventive care. That is why these benefits remain covered at 100% and NO deductible.

For a summary of the benefit plans, go to

initoolbox.newszap.com

or log on to read the

Benefits section of Ceridian Self Service at

sourceselfservice2.ceridian.com/independentnewspapers

Contact inipayroll@newszap.com

if you have difficulty with Open Enrollment.

Stretch Yourself ...

2009-05-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

Make stretching at your desk a daily habit

Reprinted with permission from Shaw Newspapers

Submitted by Melanie Clements
Human Resources Coordinator,
Shaw Newspapers Corporate Services

Feeling the aches and pains of spending too many hours tackling the pile of work on your desk or leaning forward hunched over the keyboard? Sitting at a desk all day puts pressure on your lower back, neck and shoulders. When the day is over, you may feel the effects with symptoms like soreness or exhaustion.

Fortunately, proper stretching is something you can do to give your muscles and tendons the rest, recovery and nutrients they need for health and injury prevention. Even if you have a comfy, well-adjusted chair, it’s still necessary to stretch and change positions because your body is designed to move.

Relieve common aches and pains by taking one-minute breaks every 20 minutes or so to relieve tension and loosen stiff muscles. Make sure to stretch your arm, shoulder and back muscles. Here are a few helpful stretches to get you started:

Finger stretch

Separate and straighten your fingers until you feel a stretch, keeping your hand in alignment with your wrist. Hold for 10 seconds. Next, bend the end and middle knuckles of your fingers, keeping your hand and wrist in the same position. Hold for 10 seconds. Relax and repeat.

Back scratch

Give yourself a pat on the back, and gently stretch the back of your arm at the same time. Reach behind your head and place your hand on your upper back, keeping your arm close to your ear. Gently hold your elbow with your opposite hand. Pull your elbow toward the back of your head and reach your hand toward the middle of your back until you feel a gentle stretch. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds. Relax. Repeat on the other side.

Chin tuck

Start by facing straight ahead. Keep your back straight, and pull your chin toward your chest until you feel a stretch along the back of your neck. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Relax and return to your starting position. Repeat two to three times.

Shoulder shrug

Slowly bring your shoulders up toward your ears. Hold for three to five seconds, then roll your shoulders back and down. Relax. Repeat five to 10 times.

Daily stretching can help you feel better, boost your energy level and reduce the pain caused by prolonged sitting at your desk. For more great stretching exercises, take a stretch break today and log on to Blue Access for Members at www.bcbsil.com.

Source: 1998-2006 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research 45312.0306

A Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

Independent changes format

2009-03-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

Independent Newspapers, Inc. has announced plans to convert the size of its community newspapers from the traditional broadsheet format to a new “compact” format.

The biggest change, says Bret McKeand, the company’s vice president of Arizona’s operations, will be in the size of the page.

“ The width of the page remains relatively the same, but the height of the page will be reduced from 22 inches to 12 inches,” says Mr. McKeand.

The new format is meant to appeal to readers and advertisers. “ We’re confident readers will find the new format convenient to read and much more attractive,” says Mr. McKeand.

“Advertisers will immediately notice that their ads stand out more and they will see greater impact from their ads in this new format,” added Mr. McKeand.

The compact size also provides more opportunity for color throughout the entire newspaper Each newspaper’s commitment to local news remains the same.

“ We will continue to be the No. 1 source for local news in each of the communities we serve,” stated Mr. McKeand. “ We’re confident our new-and-improved newspapers, along with our existing online community sites, allow us to be the leader in local news.”

***

The following story ran in the last broadsheet issues of Independent’s Arizona weeklies, announcing the format change that took place the following week.

Coming soon:
A new look to an old friend

By Bret McKeand

Nothing is permanent except change.

That statement is true more so today than ever before. We live in a changing world. We’re all struggling to come to grips with a changing economy. Citizens are adapting to new technology that is supposed to change our lives for the better.

The newspaper you’re holding in your hands is also making a change. It’s a major change for us, but one we’re confident will be positive for our readers and advertisers.

Beginning with next week’s edition, your favorite community newspaper may appear just a little bit different to you.

Independent Newspapers, the Valley’s most popular group of local, community newspapers, will begin publishing its newspapers that week in the new, modern “compact” format vs. the traditional “broadsheet” format.

It marks the first major format change in 23 years for the company and refl ects a design that studies have shown is preferred by readers and advertisers alike.

But no matter how you look at it, it’s still your hometown newspaper!

The most noticeable difference, of course, is the size of the product. The new “compact” is smaller -- but don’t let its size fool you. The new “compact” offers tremendous advantages over the broadsheet and more and more newspaper companies are starting to take notice:

• The new size provides greater convenience to readers. It’s easier to hold, easier to read.

• The new format allows us greater fl exibility when it comes to packaging and design. We’re very confident you’ll like the way content and features are organized and presented in next week’s edition.

• Most important, the new compact will allow us to expand the use of color throughout the publication. With the new format, you’ll see much, much more color! The pages will be more exciting and the photographs will be much vibrant!

We’re also confident the new format will be attractive to our advertisers. We recognize times are tough and many businesses are struggling to survive. We are constantly in search of ways to improve our products and provide advertisers with an effective and cost-affordable way to reach consumers in their market. We think the new format gives our advertisers more “bang for their buck!”

The new compacts provide greater impact for advertisers. Again studies have shown that readers tend to recall — and react — to advertisements in compacts at a greater rate than they do in traditional broadsheets.

The No. 1 complaint from our local advertisers over the years involved “ad clutter.” Frankly, there were too many ads on a page — and the more ads on the page, the less likely their ad was to be spotted by a reader.

Compacts conquer that challenge. The overall page size is smaller. There are fewer ads on a page, so each ad stands out much more than if it were on a page crowded with dozens of small ads.

Finally, the new compact is much more efficient for us to produce. That’s important in these tough economic times. We’ve been the Valley’s No. 1 community newspaper publisher for over three decades and we have every intention of continuing in that role.

We’re not ashamed in the least bit to say this move will help us streamline our efforts. That’s benefi cial to our readers and advertisers, not to mention our company and its employees.

Despite the new look, rest assured everything else you’ve come to expect from the Independent remains the same. We’re still your hometown newspaper providing you with the same great news and information you’ve come to expect from us.

We hope you like our new look. Please us know your thoughts and suggestions for improvements. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to serving you in the future!

Editor’s note: Bret McKeand is vice president of operations for Independent Newspapers, Inc. Bret welcomes your comments and suggestions and can be reached at

azpublisher@newszap.com.

***

Why the change?

WHAT IS COMPACT?

The term “compact” was coined in the 1970s by the editors at the British newspaper, the “Daily Mail,” when it converted from broadsheet to tabloid. Interestingly, the “Daily Mail” has come to call itself a “tabloid.” The term “compact” is now often used to differentiate newspapers with more traditional content from those with a more flamboyant publishing style, the former being a “compact” and the latter, a “tabloid.”

SAME GREAT NEWSPAPERS!

We have taken great care in our conversion to retain all of the important elements in our newspapers so that our “brand” will remain in tact. We want to assure readers that even though their paper looks different, this is just a new and improved version of the same hometown product they’ve been receiving on their driveway or mailbox for years.

READERS LOVE IT!

Study after study demonstrates that readers overwhelmingly prefer compact, more convenient formats. The smaller size lends itself well to our busy lifestyles. A compact edition is more portable, easier to handle and navigate; it is more like a magazine. The format allows more pages and more stories.

ADVERTISERS PREFER IT!

Our advertisers are the BIG winners with this conversion, because ads run in compact editions uniformly produce better results than ads run in a broadsheet format. When considering the benefits of the compact vs. traditional broadsheet, keep these points in mind: Advertisers want to buy impact and results, not “advertising inches.” What matters the most is the relative portion of the page that the ad occupies and not the physical size of the ad or the newspaper page. Put simply: Reader recall is a function of the relative dominance of the ad on the page.

Our new rate structure is greatly simplified and easier to grasp, providing advertisers with more flexibility to determine their marketing campaigns and making it easier for them to upgrade to color, larger ads and/or additional newspapers. Modular ads result in improved layout, which promotes readership and recall. You should think of modular ads on a compact page as being “super-sized,” something true even for smaller advertisers.

For example, an advertiser now buying a 2-column-by-2-inch ad in a broadsheet is paying for roughly 1/32 of a page, but the equivalent on a compact page is a sixteenth, or proportionately twice the page dominance and twice the
impact.

Selling to advertisers who claim ‘No money” left

2009-03-18T13:24:00.001-07:00

By Darel LaPrade

With the recession deepening, our sales teams are hearing a common refrain more and more often – clients or would-be clients claiming they can’t afford to advertise.

As an objection, it seems logical enough, at least at first glance – consumers are cutting their spending, so a business should cut its advertising commensurately.

For businesses seeking to survive, or thrive, during an economic down-turn, eliminating advertising is a serious mistake. In fact, most research on the topic suggests advertising in difficult economic times can actually provide a significant opportunity to capture market share:

* In a study of U.S. recessions, McGraw-Hill Research analyzed 600 companies from 1980-1985. The results showed that business-to-business firms that maintained or increased their advertising expenditures during the recession from 1981 to 1982 averaged significantly higher sales growth, both during the recession and for the following three years, than those that eliminated or decreased advertising. By 1985, sales of companies that were aggressive recession advertisers had risen 256 percent over those that didn' advertising.

* Businesses that aggressively increased media advertising expenditures during the last recession (just 25% of all businesses) increased their market share 2 1/2 times the average for all businesses in the post-recession period.

* Another study documented a 1.5 point increase in market share among businesses increasing ad spending during recessionary periods. By contrast, during expansion periods, 80 percent of businesses increased advertising budgets with no improvement in market share, since most competitors did the same thing.

In other words, cutting an advertising budget in a recession is actually counter-productive. Advertising now is, in reality, one of the best ways to weather the storm.

Cost-Effective Ways a Business Can Make Advertising Work in a Recession

* Placing advertising in complimentary media can save money and produce results. For example, combination ads in multiple newspapers, supported by a sensible internet campaign on newszap.com, can reduce costs and reach thousands of extra readers.

* Paying attention to trends and taking advantage of how these trends shape our media can pay big dividends during a recession. In our company, the conversion of our newspapers to a compact format provides wary advertisers with just this sort of opportunity to take advantage of a new approach in print advertising that can positively affect the bottom-line.

* Don’t go black or drop out of sight. In an attempt to optimize spending, some advertisers may decide to spend for advertising in waves figuring that periodic spending in bursts is the key to driving sales. This is not the case. Other advertisers will simply discontinue their advertising – another strategy that ends up costing more money – in lost sales – than it saves in the long-run. If you reduce your advertising budget, avoid spending the rest of it in bursts, because continuous spending even at lower levels is more effective.

The bottom-line is that advertising during a recession presents a business with unique opportunities to solidify an existing customer base while building new customers. By maintaining a consistent advertising campaign, a recession can give a business a chance to make serious in-roads against its competitors that may have cut back advertising.

Excuses for not Advertising

The three most commonly mentioned excuses for not advertising during a recession are these:

* People do not have money, so our advertising would be wasted

* We can afford to slash, since competitors are doing the same

* The money saved on advertising helps our profits.

People do not have the money, so our advertising would be wasted: Studies of every recession since 1940 indicate that recessions have little adverse impact on total employment (the size of the employed labor force has never declined by more than 2 percent) and, similarly, little adverse impact on disposable income. (Real disposable personal income per capita has never declined by more than 2 percent.) The pessimism among advertisers is mainly myth, hardly warranted by facts. Because families start curtailing their purchases during a recession, not less but more advertising is required to prevent consumption from eroding.

We can afford to slash, since competitors are doing the same: Equally fallacious is the rationale that a company can afford reducing its advertising spending because everybody else is cutting back. Rather than waiting for business to return to normal, owners and managers should cash in on the opportunity that the rival companies are creating for them. The company courageous enough to stay in and fight when everyone else is playing safe can bring about a dramatic improvement in market position. Some progressive small companies have recognized this. Instead of withdrawing “into their shells” and waiting for something to happen, they expand their programs during slowdowns. As a result, they better position themselves to benefit when the eventual upturn occurs.

The money saved on advertising helps our profits: Even more tenuous is this excuse: Advertising should be cut to help sagging profits. Attempts to retain the same profit margin during a recession, as a business enjoyed prior to the recession, actually costs more in the long run than continuing to advertise. There is likely to be a fast erosion of the customer-base that the advertiser has taken years, even decades, to build. It is nearly impossible to regain the old customers once they have switched to competitive businesses.

***

Recognition decreases when advertising decreases. But an increase in advertising, especially during a recession when others are cutting back, causes an increase in recognition. The bottom-line is our clients need to advertise more now than ever before.

Newszap.com features online newspaper archive

2009-03-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

Independent has partnered with NewsBank.com to create an online newspaper archive for newszap.com visitors to purchase previously published material from our group newspapers.

This archive is advertised in the lower left-hand corner of the newszap.com community home pages. Clicking the button takes visitors to a co-branded e-commerce site where individual articles or subscriptions of varying lengths can be purchased.

Independent’s newsrooms have free unlimited access to these archives. Our newspapers, including all the back issues we had converted and stored in a digital format, are now readily accessible in a single place on the Internet where they can be searched and sorted by keywords and dates. While the archives do not include photos, artwork, or ads, they still have the potential to be a great research tool.

2008-2009 INI EMPLOYEE BENEFITS PLAN & PREMIUM OVERVIEW

2008-07-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

To our employees:
We’re committed to offering our employees competitive benefits and we endorse a health plan that promotes healthy lifestyle choices. However, INI is in the same boat as the rest of the country, we’re struggling to cope with seemingly out-of-control increases in health care costs.

We’ve recently finished the annual review of INI benefits. There are no changes to INI employee group benefits program. All other deductibles and coverage terms remain the same, however, please carefully read this summary of the benefits programs so you understand how it affects you or your dependents. The new Plan Year begins August 1, 2008.

The basic participant premium for medical coverage will increase from $80 to $92 per pay period. We’re able to offer a tobacco-free discount again this year. Participants who apply and qualify for this discount will pay $84 per pay period. We’ll also continue to offer a healthy initiatives plan and a wellness/prevention component to the plan.

The prescription drug premium will increase to $22 per participant per pay period. The co-pays also remain the same at $5 for generic drugs, $25 for brand drugs and $45 for non-formulary drugs. Please carefully review the changes below under Prescription Drug Plan so you understand any changes that affect you or your dependents.

The dental coverage premium drops slightly from $12.75 to $12.50 per participant per pay period.

All regular full time employees are eligible for group benefits. Spouses may also qualify. Unmarried children (biological and adopted or placed in the home for adoption) may also be eligible provided they are under the age of 19 and more than 50% dependent for support. (Court-ordered medical coverage may also qualify for dependents not in the home). Unmarried children up to age 25 who are full-time students can be covered under the Medical Plan provided a Student Certification Form (available from Blue Cross) is submitted by August 1 each year. Newly hired INI employees who sign up for benefits begin receiving them after 3 full calendar months of service.

There will be no change to the Long Term Disability premium or the premium for Supplemental Life insurance this year.

Enrolling or changing your coverage is easy. If you’re already enrolled in INI’s group benefits plan, and you don’t want to make any coverage changes for you or your dependents, you won’t need to do anything.

Open Enrollment for the 2008-2009 Plan Year begins July 14 for employees who qualify for coverage or want to change their current benefits. (Enrollment ends on July 28). The Plan Year starts August 1, 2008 and ends July 31, 2009.

To change your benefits or enroll during Open Enrollment log onto Ceridian Self Service at https://sourceselfservice2.ceridian.com/independentnewspapers and select the Open Enrollment flag which appears at the top of the Self Service screen. If you have problems with Open Enrollment please contact inipayroll@newszap.com for help.

If you do not have access to a computer and you’d like to arrange to use a company computer to handle your enrollment, please contact inipayroll@newszap.com or call 1-800-426-4192, or 302-741-8274 if calling from Delaware.

To see a complete review of INI’s group benefits go to VIII. Benefit Summary Plans in initoolbox. Below is the 2008-2009 Overview.

Medical and Prescription Drug Benefits Summary
(August 1, 2008 through July 31, 2009 Coverage Year)

Medical Plan

Independent Newspapers Inc. offers a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Plan through Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Delaware. The PPO allows you to access care at a lower cost when using ‘In Network’ providers without obtaining a referral. When using an Out of Network provider, you will pay a higher portion of the costs, and you are responsible for charges in excess of the plan’s allowable benefit.

Plan features and premiums:

-$2 million lifetime coverage. This means a covered participant has $2 million in total lifetime coverage while on the plan. Until 2007 the total lifetime coverage was $1 million.

-100% Wellness Prevention coverage for approved checkups and tests. Some milestone checkups and tests are considered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware as important for maintaining good health and they are 100% covered. They include physicals, well-child visits, immunizations, gynecological exams, cholesterol and blood sugar testing, age milestone tests such as mammogram, colonoscopy and more. For complete coverage details visit www.bcbsde.com or call 1- 800-633-2563.

-BluePrints for Health (previously Healthy Dividends). This Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware program rewards exercise, weight loss, and smoking cessation. This program is available to all who participate in the Medical Plan. The program offers reimbursement to those who take steps to quit smoking, exercise or lose weight through the plans offered under Healthy Dividends. Check the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware web site at https://blueprintsforhealth.myhealthways.com/ or call 1-800-633-2563 for details.

-Tobacco-free Discount* is offered to any Medical Plan participant who qualifies. To be eligible, you must attest that you (your dependents) and your household have been tobacco-free for the past 12 months. (This means that no one uses tobacco products of any kind, including cigarettes, chewing tobacco, cigars, pipe tobacco etc.). If you qualify, you will pay a reduced premium for you and any dependents on the plan. The discounted participant rate will be $84 per person per pay period instead of this year’s regular per participant premium of $92 per pay period.

*Employees who receive the Tobacco-Free Discount are REQUIRED to notify INI within 30 days if the tobacco status in their household changes. Providing untrue information about tobacco use in order to qualify for this discount could result in lifetime suspension of medical benefits coverage for you and your dependents.

Spousal coverage requirement. Please keep in mind that your spouse is not eligible for coverage under INI’s plan if he or she is able to receive coverage through another employer or provider. If you elect coverage for your spouse you’ll need to confirm in the Enrollment form that your spouse is not eligible for medical coverage through any other plan. If your spouse is already enrolled in INI’s medical plan and employer coverage DOES become available at some future date, you’ll want to quickly choose that option to avoid loss of benefits for your spouse. (INI benefits will be cancelled when other employer coverage is available).

Deductibles, co-insurance, co-pays and maximum out of pocket limits. The chart below outlines coverage limits. In-Network coverage continues to be the less expensive option.

Out-of-Pocket Maximums: In-Network: $1,500 Individual/$2,250 Family Out-of-Network: $4,500 Individual/$6,750 Family
Coinsurance Level: In-Network: 85% Out-of-Network: 70%
Lifetime Maximum: $2,000,000
Physician Services: In-Network: $20 co-pay per visit Out-of-Network: 70% after deductible
Physicals: In-Network: 100% Out-of-Network: 70% after deductible
Well-child Visits: In-Network: 100% Out-of-Network: 70% after deductible
Hospitalization*
Inpatient: In-Network: 85% after deductible Out-of-Network: 70% after deductible
Outpatient: In-Network: 85% after deductible Out-of-Network: 70% after deductible
Diagnostic Testing: In-Network: 85% after deductible Out-of-Network: 70% after deductible
Pregnancy & Maternity: In-Network: 85% after deductible Out-of-Network: 70% after deductible
Emergency Accident: $75.00 Co pay
Outpatient Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapies: In-Network: 85% after deductible Out-of-Network: 70% after deductible
Mental Health*
Inpatient (Up to 31 days per year): In-Network: 85% after deductible Out-of-Network: 70% after deductible
Outpatient (Up to 30 visits per year): In-Network: 85% after deductible Out-of-Network: 70% after deductible
Substance Abuse* (Inpatient and Outpatient; up to 31 days per year): In-Network: 85% after deductible Out-of-Network: 70% after deductible
This is a brief description of the medical program. Actual benefit payments made in accordance with the master contract.

Prescription Drug Plan

The prescription plan is separate from your medical coverage. This means you must choose prescription coverage if you wish to have prescription benefits. The plan has a three-tier co-pay and a mail order feature for your maintenance/long term medications.

Generic Drugs: $5 co-pay
Preferred Brand Name Drugs: $25 co-pay
Non-Preferred Brand Name Drugs: $45 co-pay

The Plan has a mandatory generic drug requirement. If a generic drug is available but a brand name drug is dispensed, you will be required to pay the brand co pay plus the price difference between the brand and the generic.

Dental

The dental benefit is provided through Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Delaware. You may receive services from any licensed dentist in your area. Routine exams include cleanings and x-rays, and are recommended twice per year. All benefits are paid based on the BCBS of DE allowable charge.

Deductible: $50 Individual/$150 Family
Maximum: $1,000 per person per plan year
Preventive: 100% - Deductible waived
Basic: 80% after deductible is met
Major: 50% after deductible is met Basic Life & Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance

Independent Newspapers provides every regular fulltime employee with a basic life insurance benefit in the amount of $10,000. An additional Accidental Death & Dismemberment benefit for the same amount applies to a death resulting from an accident or certain injuries. These benefits are provided free to qualified employees.

Voluntary Life Insurance

Independent Newspapers offers qualified employees the option of purchasing additional life insurance in units of $10,000 to a maximum of $200,000.

New employees: All newly hired regular fulltime employees can buy additional coverage up to $100,000 as part of their initial benefits sign up. New employees who want to purchase coverage above that amount (up to a max. of $200,000) will need to satisfactorily complete the Evidence of Insurability form and approval process.

All other regular full time employees: Any qualified employee not already covered can add life insurance during Open Enrollment. Any covered employee can buy additional coverage during Open Enrollment. In both cases, the same coverage limits (above) apply and coverage is contingent upon successful completion of the Evidence of Insurability form and approval process.
Spouses and dependents: Covered employees may also buy life insurance coverage for a spouse. Coverage may be up to or equal to 50% of the amount of insurance purchased for the employee, rounded to the nearest $10,000. The Evidence of Insurability rules apply. Coverage for dependent children from 6 months to age 26 can be bought in the amount of $1,000, $2,000, $4,000, $5,000 or $10,000. Evidence of Insurability is not required for dependent child coverage.

Voluntary Long-Term Disability

This plan provides qualified employees (regular fulltime) with income continuation protection should injury or illness extend beyond a 180 day ‘elimination’ period. For disabilities that commence after 8/1/2004, the benefit pays 60% of an employee’s monthly base salary up to a maximum of $10,000 per month. Evidence of Insurability is required for any employee choosing to sign up for this coverage during Open Enrollment.

Employee Contributions

The premium(s) for medical, prescription, dental, voluntary life and voluntary long-term disability insurance are taken on a bi-weekly basis through payroll deduction. The contribution amount is determined by the level of benefits selected.

Medical: $92 per covered person (tobacco-free discount: $84.00 per covered person)
Prescription Drug: $22.00 per covered person
Dental: $12.50 per covered person
Basic Life & AD&D: Company-paid benefit
Voluntary Long-Term Disability: $0.275 per $100 of covered payroll per month
Voluntary Life Insurance: Age-banded rates

Key Benefits Contacts

DENTAL INSURANCE: Go to www.bcbsde.com to submit your questions about dental benefits or claims, or call Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware at 800-633-2563.

DISABILITY INSURANCE: Email inipayroll@newszap.com

DRUG BENEFITS: Go to www.expressscripts.com to view information about drug coverage or claims, or call Express Scripts at 800-451-6245.

HEALTH INSURANCE: Go to www.bcbsde.com to submit your questions about health benefits or claims, or call Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware at 800-633-2563.

LIFE INSURANCE: Email inipayroll@newszap.com.

401K PLAN: To check account balances, view selected funds and review monies in these funds, access your 401k account information through the Internet, by going to www.jhpensions.com. Existing users should select 'sign in' and first time users should select 'register'. When asked for a contract number, enter 61386 and then follow sign in or sign up instructions. 401k participants can also call Manulife/John Hancock at 800-395-1113. (rev. 3/05).

QUESTIONS ON 401K PLAN? Email Liberty Benefit's Pension Analyst at pensions@lbg1.com. Or, you can contact the Participant Service team at Lincoln Benefits Group at (800) 826-7859.

CHANGE OF 401K DEFERRALS? Log onto Ceridian Self Service at https://sourceselfservice2.ceridian.com/independentnewspapers and select 401(K) Elections under Benefits.

IF ALL ELSE FAILS: Email inipayroll@newszap.com with your questions.

Company-wide cell phone expense reduction

2008-06-27T09:49:00.001-07:00

No reimbursements for company use of personal cell phones will be allowed after July 31. In addition, individuals using company-provided cell phones are asked to turn in these phones by July 15 unless they have been granted a specific exception. If you feel that your job absolutely requires the use of a cell phone, please explain why by July 10 in an email to inicorporate@newszap.com, so we can consider your request. All media companies are struggling during the current economic downturn, and we are no exception. We are currently spending tens of thousands of dollars annually for cell phones, even though INI's new phone system makes it easy for anybody to forward their calls and check their messages from anywhere. (Here is a link to the instructions for setting up Call Forward and Remote Access of voice mail: http://initoolbox.newszap.com/PDFs/Call_Forw_VM_%20Access.pdf . You must be connected to the network for this link to work.) Thanks to everybody for helping get these costs under control. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. – Joe Smyth, CEO.

Remembering a friend who shared a sports passion

2008-06-24T04:08:00.000-07:00

Gene Bryson

By Dave Hughes
Delaware State News

“It’s ERRRN-HART! NOT EEEERNHART!”

“The National League is clearly better!”

“Miami Hurricanes. Coolest uniforms in football.”

“Oh, you’re late for the game in Laurel? Well, then, I guess we better stop cruising around Kent County.”

“Don’t lean against any of the cars while you’re in the garage. If they fire up the engine, you won’t like it.”

“Blue Hen football is overrated. All they do is play chumps every week.”

The day I was hoping would never come — losing a close friend — finally arrived last week.

When I got the call about Gene Bryson, I was stunned to the bone. Sure, I’ve lost loved ones in recent years, including my dad in 2005, but there’s something sacred about a friend, someone close to your age, someone with whom you’ve shared many special moments and shared a wild and crazy passion for sports.

I knew Gene very well for nearly 30 years. He was someone I broke in with professionally in this wacky newspaper industry, a person whom I admired and trusted greatly. Cool, calm, totally professional, a little opinionated and critical of the world but always completely on target, cutting through the fog and seeing the story clearly. That was Gene.

And suddenly, in an instant, he’s gone and isn’t coming back. It’s a blow from which I’m not sure I’ll ever fully recover.

Yet there are the memories — oh, and are there ever plenty of Gene memories, which I will cherish the rest of my life. They are the crutch upon which I will try to support myself in this difficult moment, and beyond.

Gene and I shared a love of sports that led us both to nearly 20 years of covering ball games, prominent athletic figures in Delaware and the professional sporting world for the Wilmington News Journal, where we both began our careers the very same week in April 1979. It also prepared both of us for an editing career years later “down the dual highway” at the Delaware State News, with Gene serving as my supervisor and mentor.

He was greatly helpful to me as I tried to reinvent myself as a news copy editor, when I saw a whole other side to him, possessing a depth of knowledge about the political and social landscape of lower Delaware that amazed me. I marveled at his ability to write headlines and the uncanny knack for picking the best photo out of the bunch.

It was a rather unlikely pairing in the beginning. I was the slightly cocky preppie from suburban Baltimore, an outsider who invaded the Delaware sports scene. Gene was a laid-back, Skoal-chewing, small-town Downstate native from Smyrna, a loyal hometown guy to the core. But we hit it off instantly, with the sports world as our common ground.

The priceless moments I shared with Gene have come flooding back the past few days like a tidal wave. There was the night we spent together at Veterans Stadium covering Steve Carlton’s departure from the Phillies. There was the day Earl Weaver returned as Orioles manager. There was the time we drove in a blinding snowstorm to Media, Pa., to meet Harry Kalas to go over banquet arrangements.

We saw future NFL star John Taylor, then playing for Delaware State, shake and bake his way to a lengthy punt return touchdown at Franklin Field. “Watch this,” Gene boldly predicted the second Taylor caught the ball. “He’ll take it all the way.”

There were Miami-Temple games in Philadelphia (he insisted on watching his beloved Hurricanes whenever they were even remotely in the area), or the Eagles-Colts game at The Vet, back in the Bergey-Jaws-Vermeil days when he had season tickets and when “my” Colts were still in Baltimore. More recently, there was the first Ravens game at the new stadium.

We used to argue loudly and incessantly about which league was better, the National or American. He insisted the NL and the Phillies were superior to the AL and the Orioles, and wouldn’t give in. The argument extended to Mike Schmidt (with whom he shared the same birthday, Sept. 27) vs. Brooks Robinson at third base. We never did resolve the issue, but we sure had a great time yapping about it.

One year when we were sharing a summer house in Dewey Beach, we went out to a bar to watch the All-Star Game. On the first pitch of the game, Gene made some wisecrack about the NL being a better league, and for the next three hours we argued nonstop about it. Much to my dismay, the NL won in the 13th inning on a hit by Tim Raines, which was fitting because Gene always thought Tim Raines was baseball’s best player during that era.

One of his great memories was interviewing Gaylord Perry before a game in Baltimore, when the notorious spitballer extended a friendly hand filled with Vaseline. Gene was sporting a full beard at the time and Gaylord declared, “When are ya gonna shave?”

Carl Yastrzemski once nastily turned me down for an interview in person, then the next year Gene got the Red Sox P.R. department to set up a phone interview with himself and the retiring superstar. “See how easy it is?” Gene joked.

Gene used to criticize me for the way I pronounced Dale Earnhardt’s last name. “It’s Errrn–hart, not Eeeern-hart!” he would scold me. He loved to relate the tale about how he got the modest Intimidator on the phone for an interview. “Gene? This is Earnhardt,” was how the legendary racer would introduce himself in unassuming fashion, like he was talking to his next-door neighbor.

NASCAR, the 20th century version, was Gene’s obvious first love, which led to his authoring a superb book on the history of Dover’s speedway. He took me in the garage one time the day before a Dover race and warned me about getting too close to the cars. Sure enough, someone started up an engine and I jumped a Monster Mile. I looked at Gene and he had that typical “I told ya” grin on his face.

He wore that same grin after getting a dirty look from Salesianum’s football coach when he decided to ask me what angle I was going to take in my game story. This normally wouldn’t be a big deal, but the team was conducting its postgame prayer at that moment and we were standing only a few feet away.

I used to arrive late to every Downstate high school football game I ever covered for the News Journal, because Gene and I would go out to dinner beforehand and we’d end up cruising around in his IROC across half of Kent County. I didn’t mind the late arrivals, though, because I greatly enjoyed those drives, and, ever the Downstate native, he always pointed out some interesting place or historic tidbit that I was unaware of, maybe near the waves at Woodland Beach, perhaps in Clayton or by the tracks in Wyoming.

Then we’d go out and have a few beers after we pounded out our stories on deadline, and finally would stop by a closed mini-mart in the wee hours, rip open the papers that had been delivered for the next morning, and critique each other’s stories and complain about the headlines in the freezing cold. “Hey, you misspelled Bob Cuthrell’s name!” would be a likely comment from him.

We were headed to the beach one hot summer day and, in bumper-to-bumper traffic, he rear-ended the car in front of him and caused extensive damage to his Camaro. He certainly was upset, but not so much about the car. He was about to miss a good day at the beach.

He was a great journalist but wouldn’t have made a great meteorologist. He simply despised cold weather, and I can trace that hatred to a high school football state tournament game played at his alma mater of Smyrna High, circa 1980. Gene woke up to balmy 60-degree temperatures that morning, but failed to realize the forecast called for frigid and wind-whipped conditions to come rolling in by early afternoon. While the rest of us arrived wearing heavy coats, hats and gloves, Gene was stuck in the miserable press box with just a light sweater and had to sit and suffer in the bitter cold all afternoon, not to mention do interviews and write an extensive story afterwards.

All of us who knew him are well aware of the things he loved, which included Skoal, the “old” NASCAR, license tag No. 29, his swimming pool, Coca-Cola (only the giant bottles), Miami Hurricanes football and the color orange, Bruce Springsteen (who he once saw for five concerts in a six-day span), Pink Floyd, Richie Hebner (touted by Gene as the ultimate cool baseball player), Johnny Callison (his favorite Phillie as a kid), “The Rockford Files” (the intro of which he taped to use on his answering machine at home), Bob Newhart and “M.A.S.H.” (taped every episode).

His passion for the Hurricanes (which wore out several of his VCRs) stemmed from an unlikely assignment to Penn State to cover the Nittany Lions vs. Miami around 1981. Gene saw what the rest of the nation was about to see, a South Florida football program that was prepared to dominate the national spotlight for the next couple of decades. And he just loved those uniforms.

Things he hated: New Castle County (“would never live there”); Delaware football (an unsolved riddle in my mind, because I never could quite figure out his source of Blue Hen dislike); suntan lotion (not forbidden by him at poolside but almost); wintertime (he often expressed a desire to live in Florida).

Gene, I miss you. I wish you were back here right now, arguing with me about baseball, critiquing a story or headline, discussing “The Sopranos” or whatever, casting a giant presence over those around you.

I won’t get over your loss easily. But I have gained greatly from you being part of my life.

Editor’s note: Dave Hughes is a copy editor for the Delaware State News.

Lost for words without Bryson

2008-06-24T03:59:00.000-07:00

By Andrew West
Delaware State News

DOVER — Gene Bryson loved a clever headline.

He wrote some gems during his time with the Delaware State News. Remember these?

Noise laws lower the boom

Sunday liquor plan gets round of boos

Gene loved the play on words.

For a story about the Dover Downs Hotel, he came up with “Vroom with a view.”

He must have repeated that 50 times that night for effect.

We’re going to miss that.

Gene died suddenly Tuesday in his Dover home. He was 51.

We lost a good friend and a newsman with almost three decades of experience.

As senior editor, Gene had a hand in just about everything we do. He coordinated assignments; coached reporters, photographers, designers; collaborated with editors; and readily spoke his mind.

Sure, he was demanding. But it was his way of pushing for the best.

He joined the Delaware State News in 1999 and took on a behind-the-scenes news career that was quite a bit different than his nearly 20 years of work as a sports writer for the upstate paper.

He edited with a keen, critical eye.

He challenged and mentored writers and never offered phony praise.

Gene fought for what he thought readers deserved.

If a reporter didn’t ask the “why?” question, Gene would get agitated.

Talk of tax hikes and referendums raised his conservative ire. He would tell you he might as well just send his whole paycheck straight to the state of Delaware.

He hated cold weather, too. Sometimes he would twist his rant and turn it into a joke about how he needed to move somewhere warm — and where they didn’t have taxes and government.

The truth is, Gene probably would have never left Delaware and certainly never would have moved north of the canal.

He knew Kent County.

While he wasn’t one for rubbing elbows with politicians, he kept close watch, perhaps feeling obliged to do so given his father’s involvement.

His father, George Eugene Bryson, was Smyrna’s mayor from 1967-75 and 1979-81 and heavily involved in Republican politics. His mother Alice’s father, William Matthews Jr., was a state senator in the 1930s.

“We grew up on politics,” said Rick Bryson, Gene’s brother.

We couldn’t tell you how often Gene inserted context and background into our stories.

Many people were surprised by Gene’s talent once he became a news editor.

Gene would readily tell you that sportswriters were among the most talented and versatile people in any newsroom. He appreciated the pace and pressure.

All of that showed in his commitment to the newspaper.

With Dover buried in a foot of snow on Feb. 12, 2003, Gene was one of few people able to come to work. He picked up copy editor Craig Horleman that day and with the help of page designer Sheri Sussman they built a newspaper.

Unfortunately, we never printed it. The snow was too high for it to be delivered. He made it home and back to work the next day when the snowfall had reached two feet.

He also reveled in helping with other Independent Newspapers Inc. (INI) publications. There were a number of times when he edited the Okeechobee News, our company’s daily in Central Florida, from the Dover office when the news team there was hunkered down during hurricanes.

In 2007, INI awarded Gene with a prestigious Excellence Award for leadership.

He had a cut-to-the-chase work ethic, advice and experiences to share. For every event, there was a memory.

A longtime beat writer covering Delaware State football, Gene followed the Hornets all over the south to such places as Tallahassee, Fla., where tailgating is so legendary that the pregame press notes once described the weather as “hot and smoky.” He loved to tell that tale.

The man loved sports, especially Miami Hurricanes football and just about any major college football he could watch on his high-definition television.

He and Dave Hughes, a member of our copy desk, started their sportswriting careers at the same time and enjoyed running arguments ever since about the National and American leagues and whether Mike Schmidt or Brooks Robinson was the better third baseman. Gene sided with Schmidt and the Phils.

On NASCAR weeks, we had the best resource in the state in our newsroom. Gene wrote about racing for nearly two decades.

In recent years, Gene shunned the press box, preferring to sit in the grandstands to take in the fumes and let the bits of Goodyear rubber and grit pepper his face. He wouldn’t go on Sundays because he hated the crowds and the traffic.

Gene got a lot of mileage out of his personal Dale Earnhardt story.

You have to picture Gene sitting by his pool, baking in the hot sun and enjoying every minute of it when the phone rings.

“Gene ... Earnhardt.”

“Talk fast,” Earnhardt told him.

Only in NASCAR, the old school NASCAR, could you get a superstar to return a phone call for an interview. He got calls from Rusty Wallace and Jeff Gordon that same day. In the mid-1990s, you couldn’t have done better.

We would often walk away as Gene was still telling the story, having heard it many times before.

“Talk fast.”

Gene would keep right on saying it, mimicking Earnhardt.

“Talk fast.”

Andrew West is managing editor of the Delaware State News.

Outside Directors Join INI Board

2008-03-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

After several months of planning, the Members of our non-profit holding company have elected a three-member board of directors that includes the CEO and two new independent outside directors. We have previously had a board made up completely of corporate officers.

The newly elected directors are:

RICHARD BRICKER, a lawyer by training, has been an independent business consultant and real estate investor/syndicator since the early 1990's. His prior experience included managing the Southwest operations of a national investment bank’s real estate mezzanine finance group; presidency of a multi-office real estate development, management and investment company; and the chairmanship of a small publicly-owned Canadian financial institution.

PETE EYERLY, a former Member of INI’s non-profit holding company, is chairman of Press-Enterprise, Inc., a family-owned company that owns daily and business journals in Pennsylvania, has developed a significant web offset commercial printing business and has an advertising agency in Bloomsburg, PA. Pete was one of the founders and is a past president of the national PAGE purchasing cooperative for newspapers. He has served on several other corporate and association boards.

JOE SMYTH is chairman and CEO of Independent Newspapers and the holding company. Growing up in a newspaper family, he has done just about everything to be done at a newspaper. He acquired ownership of the Delaware State News in 1969, changed the corporate name to Independent Newspapers, Inc., and expanded it to today's four-state operation. In 1991, Joe transferred ownership to a non-profit holding company, to ensure its continued independence. He was co-founder and first president of PAGE, the national purchasing cooperative for newspapers, and is the author of Newsroom Guidelines for Independent Newspapers.

“The other corporate officers who previously made up our board of directors will no longer be tugged between their primary roles and the very different responsibilities that fall on directors,” Joe explained. “I’m also looking forward to the fresh perspectives and new disciplines that Richard and Pete will bring to our corporate governance --- especially with Richard’s strong financial background and Pete’s knowledge of commercial printing and community newspapers.”

The new directors will focus on the company’s strategic vision, financial goal-setting and performance, governance, management depth, compensation and performance.

INI is a normal for-profit company that is 100% owned by a non-profit holding company. No dividends are paid, so 100% of the company’s after-tax profits can be reinvested in the company’s journalistic mission.

The Members of the non-profit holding company --- currently Jim Binns, Bill Bishop, Mary Lou Fulton, Jerry Oliver and Tom Shaw (with one new Member being elected each year) --- pledge not to benefit financially from their involvement. The Members do not manage the company. They elect the board of directors and appoint the CEO; the directors in turn elect the other corporate officers.

VALLEY TO UPGRADE AND REPLACE PRESS

2008-02-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

Valley Newspapers, the printing division of Independent Newspapers, Inc., will be upgrading its north Phoenix printing operation in 2008 by installing a new state-of-the-art
press.

Valley Newspapers chose Goss International Corporation, Inc, of Dover, New Hampshire, to install a new 20-unit, 4 color-tower, Magnum press at the Deer Valley printing facility on 16th Lane in Phoenix. The new press will add additional color printing capacity and take printing quality to an even higher level.

“Our business plan and this marketplace calls for continued growth in the type of commercial printing services we provide,” said General Manager Steve Steinke. “Our current customers and others who have been inquiring about our capabilities want to know that we will be able to provide more and efficient color and sustain the level and quality of service they have come to expect from us. This next step will underscore that commitment.”

Steve Steinke, GM

A successful Phoenix business since the early 1970’s, Valley Newspapers moved to a new facility near Deer Valley Airport in 2001. At that time they also expanded their existing press line.

“Since making those improvements, we have grown our commercial printing business by double digits each year. It is now time for us to add to our capacity once again. This is just the next step in a series of marketplace improvements that we envision continuing well into the future,” Steinke said.

Valley Newspapers is home to the Arizona division of Independent Newspapers and serves dozens of small and medium-sized commercial publications throughout Arizona.

New 20-unit, 4 color-tower, Magnum press planned for the Deer Valley printing facility

“I’m proud and excited not only for those who work here and are committed to continuous improvement, but also for our Independent Newspaper counterparts and the commercial clients who have come to expect improvements and expansion of their publications as well,” Steinke said. “We look forward to adding many new clients as we expand our business, too.”

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Contact Steve Steinke at Valley Newspapers, 23043 N. 16th Lane, Phoenix, Arizona 85027, 623-445-2724

"Free Speech/ Free Ads" for local communities

2007-12-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

Newszap.com has a brand new look. The redesign is bolder and brighter!

The 80+ community homepages have always enjoyed heavy traffic from their local communities. Now visitors to the site find it easier to navigate and access local forums, photos, events, classifieds, community links, and more.

Each page welcomes visitors with a burst of stars that promise: “Free Speech” and “Free Ads”.

The vibrant new format takes social networking for the local citizenry to a whole new level. These town portals are a place where everyone can participate and have a voice, just as the First Amendment intended.

A “Free Speech with Civility” public forum is featured at the top of every community homepage. Users create their own topics, and local issues are often debated vigorously.

Visitors are invited to “Post Your News” or “Post Your Photos”. Photos typically uploaded are of high school sports contests, school activities, service club meetings, community festivals, and lots more.

Citizens are urged to “Post Your Public Event”, too. Each community homepage offers residents two calendar links. One is for finding and posting local community happenings, while the other encourages the listing of state/regional events.

Free classifieds permit the advertising of personal items at absolutely no charge. Free business, civic, school, sports, places of worship, and blogs & columnists links are part of a local links directory.

The community homepages have new display advertising sizes. In addition to newszap.com's traditional banner and tile ads, the pages provide half-banners and dominant rectangular ads, as well. These ads are linked to the local advertser's website and sold based on audited visitor “impressions” at the individual pages.

There’s also links for world and national news, stocks & travel guides, movies, TV listings, & entertainment information, white and yellow pages, maps and greeting cards, horoscopes & lottery results, even a page offering money saving coupons redeemable at local grocery stores.

Newszap.com's “new look” is exciting! Be sure to take a look at newszap.com.

Frostproof News Sold to Sun Coast Media

2007-11-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

By Tom Byrd
Florida Operations VP

INI announced this week that the Frostproof News has been sold to Sun Coast Media Group, a community newspaper publishing group based in Venice Fl.

The sale was effective November 1, although we are creating, editing, and printing the November 1st and 8th editions for them as part of the transition of ownership.

This was a difficult decision as we have invested a lot of time and energy through the years in Frostproof. It is a very nice community with a long history of a enjoying a community paper. Unfortunately, it has long been unprofitable for us. In many respects, Frostproof has been somewhat of an experimental division within INI, where we had an opportunity to see how far our economies of scale and turnkey processes could take us in serving a small community in a very small market with a local community representative working out of their home. The experiment worked on the editorial side, but was not as successful with advertising. Frostproof is located in Polk County well away from our other Florida operations, and it’s very small size (circ 1000) and distance made it impractical for much combination advertising to be sold. Our closest newspaper is our daily Okeechobee News and that was not a natural fit for shoppers, merchants, or readers in Frostproof and Okeechobee

The tolerable losses in Frostproof we had experienced in the past become intolerable during this year’s advertising downturn. In the meantime, neighboring papers in some other Polk County communities were acquired under the common ownership of Sun Coast Media Group, Inc. Sun Coast emerged as the logical owners for Frostproof, as they were clearly best positioned to create a sustainable economic model*. Discussions began this summer at their request, and culminated with a purchase agreement that closed the sale on November 1st.

The new owners are reputable community newspaper publishers with compatible values in many respects to INI. They are bringing our lone Frostproof employee Cindy Monk aboard their company, giving her full credit and benefits for her years of service. That is gratifying to know, as Cindy worked hard and put significant “sweat equity” into serving her community with a weekly product. While we are sorry to see the Frostproof News leave the INI fold, we can feel good that the community will continue to be served by publishers who believe in stewardship, future of community journalism, and treating people fairly.

As I stated in the announcement in this week’s paper, The Frostproof News has had a tradition of covering and serving this unique community for many years, but this ownership change will be in the best interest of all concerned. We can all be proud our company has stayed true to our mission of providing journalistic service to the citizens of Frostproof. Thanks to all on the INI team who helped produce the newspaper every week.

Finally, we are trying to make the transition as simple and as seamless as possible for both companies as well as the community. We are working in several departments to smoothly take Frostproof out of the workflow while not interrupting service for Frostproof customers. Obviously, however, this change has come rather quickly, so thank you in advance for your help as we move forward. If you have any questions or concerns about the transition and how it might impact your department, please let your department head know or contact me directly at tbyrd@gte.net .

Thanks,

Tom

Independent Newspapers of Florida. publishes community newspapers in Okeechobee (Okeechobee News), Clewiston (Clewiston News), LaBelle (Caloosa Belle), Immokalee (Immokalee Bulletin), Moorehaven (Glades County Democrat) and Western Palm Beach County (The Sun) . Sun Coast Media Group publishes the Charlotte Sun, North Port Sun, Englewood Sun, Desoto Sun, the Venice Gondolier, and also the Polk County Democrat, Lake Wales News, Fort Meade Leader and the Lake Placid Journal.

Newszap.com in place to complement,not replace, Independent’s newspapers

2007-09-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

By John S. Wolfe
Director of News Development

For about the last seven years, newspaper companies across the country have experimented with how to integrate the Internet in the dissemination of news, the evolution of advertising, and the perpetuation of a market position.

Many companies – large and small – took the approach of essentially putting all of their content online, for free. Not surprisingly, many customers – most with computers or access to one – realized they could get the news they wanted without having to fork over a subscription check every three or six months. (One government spokesman I know recently shared that he had done just that.)

The result has been annual double-digit erosion of many newspapers’ circulations, declines in advertising revenue, and laments about the entire industry’s future. No duh!

Independent, because of our size, decided years ago not to be on the “bleeding” edge of the Internet wave. It never made sense to us to suddenly give one’s products away without a realistic strategy for recouping advertising dollars.

While many companies stepped in line to join the lemmings approaching the cliff, we waited on the sidelines and observed.

Two years ago we made the conscious decision to not create “newspaper” websites for our products. Instead, we saw an opportunity that was a better fit to our company’s mission: to create “community” websites.

We would invite citizens to use the websites as local bulletin boards and offer every local organization and business a free link. We complemented that content with selected front-page stories from our newspapers.

Last year we expanded the offerings with the introduction of Post Your News forums, Post Your Public Event calendars, and Post Your Photos galleries.

The Post Your Opinion forums – giving citizens an online “voice,” crucial to our mission – struck a nerve. It’s been amazing to see vibrant discussions of public issues taking place every day in many of our communities.

The best and most timely news items, comments and photos could be “culled” for use in the newspaper.

Not surprisingly, the number of visits to the newszap websites has jumped in the last year. The number of monthly visitors to the newszap forums has doubled in the last 12 months. The number of registrants to the newszap forums has increased 33 percent in the last six months and the number of posts has consistently increased 5 percent each month.

The number of Post Your Photos users has doubled in the last six months and we now have more than 23,000 community photos online.

We have supplemented this content with selected items generated by the newspaper staffs. Some individuals have begun posting “issue” stories in the forums and daily blurbs in Post Your News to stoke interest in community issues. Comments posted by citizens may be used in the Sound Off and Speak Out columns or provide the staff member with ideas for follow-up stories.

A wide array of photo galleries from community festivals, athletic events and school activities have been created, multiplying the number of names and faces we can “publish” and, thus, touching more people.

Interestingly, many in the industry are coming around to this strategy. Numerous trade-magazine articles in the last six months have promoted ways for websites to engage citizen contributors – by soliciting their news items, their calendar events and their photos. Only a few, however, give more than lip service to the campaign; finding the reader-generated content on a newspaper website can be frustratingly difficult.

Our strategy is to continue to publish viable newspapers with unique, compelling content for a local audience, while offering something different and community-driven online. Each community website can be a hub for news, opinions, calendars, links, and photos.

In this way, the newszap.com websites can serve the community and augment the terrific content we publish in our newspapers. We can use the websites to share breaking news, solicit comments and insights from residents, and disseminate additional information, links and images.

Everyone can be a part of this effort to promote the newspapers and newszap.com!

Every office should have “Post Your …” newszap cards that can be shared with community contributors and contacts. Staff members who take photos can distribute “You’ve Been Zapped!” cards to the people they take photos of, to make them aware their photo will be online. We also have fliers that ask volunteers to participate in the Post Your Opinion forums.

We think the public issues forums are our most unique feature, providing a place for individuals to share their opinions anonymously on local issues. By promoting “Free Speech (with Civility),” we believe newszap.com has the potential to be one of the country’s leading opinion websites.

We will be continuously changing the websites, adding enhancements, improving the design and functionality and encouraging more citizen involvement.

If you have ideas about ways we can continue to make newszap.com stand out, please drop me a line at jwolfe@newszap.com. I’d love hear from you!

Purpose and a cause embraced can turn customers into raving fans

2007-06-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

The book Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force by Ben McDonnell and Jackie Huba has been added to the Company Library as a highly recommended item. It can be ordered from the INI Toolbox on the network at initoolbox.com/library.htm

This book describes the ways a company and its employees can attract raving fans to their cause, who will spread the word about its products and services beyond the realm of traditional marketing. The secrets lie in how the company energizes its work force and its customers with a cause that can be easily embraced. The list of companies profiled includes Southwest Airlines, IBM, Build-A-Bear Workshop, and the Dallas Mavericks. The other lesson in the book: One person can influence thousands.

An excellent summary of the book by John Wolfe appears on the network at initoolbox.com/summaries/evangelists.htm

2007-2008 INI employee benefits plan & premium overview

2007-06-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

To our employees:

We are committed to offering our employees competitive benefits and we endorse a health plan that promotes healthy lifestyle choices. However, INI is in the same boat as the rest of the country, we're struggling to cope with seemingly out-of-control increases in health care costs.

We've recently finished the annual review of INI benefits. There is one change this coming year to the INI employee group benefits program. The lifetime coverage limit for participants will increase from $1 million to $2 million. All other deductibles and coverage terms remain the same however, please carefully read this summary of the benefits programs so you understand how it affects you or your dependents. The new Plan Year beginsAugust 1, 2007.

The basic participant premium for medical coverage will increase from $75 to $80 per pay period. We're able to offer a tobacco-free discount again this year. Participants who apply and qualify for this discount will pay $73 per pay period. We'll also continue to offer a healthy initiatives plan anda wellness/prevention component to the plan.

The prescription drug premium does not change this year. It remains $18.50per participant per pay period. The co-pays also remain the same at $5 forgeneric drugs, $25 for brand drugs and $45 for non-formulary drugs. New rules for some drugs were added last year and have helped keep costs down. As a way to reflect these savings, we're passing them along to employees in the form of no premium increase. Please carefully review the changes belowunder Prescription Drug Plan so you understand any changes that affect youor your dependents.

The dental coverage premium rises slightly from $12.50 to $12.75 per participant per pay period.

All regular fulltime employees are eligible for group benefits. Spouses may also qualify. Unmarried children (biological and adopted or placed in thehome for adoption) may also be eligible provided they are under the age of 19 and more than 50% dependent for support. (Court-ordered medical coveragemay also qualify for dependents not in the home). Unmarried children up toage 25 who are full-time students can be covered under the Medical Plan provided a Student Certification Form (available from Blue Cross) is submitted by August 1 each year. Newly hired INI employees who sign up forbenefits begin receiving them after 3 full calendar months of service.

There will be no change to the Long Term Disability premium or the premium for Supplemental Life insurance this year.

Enrolling or changing your coverage is easy. If you're already enrolled inINI's group benefits plan, and you don't want to make any coverage changes for you or your dependents, you won't need to do anything.

Open Enrollment for the 2007-2008 Plan Year begins July 9 for employees who qualify for coverage or want to change their current benefits. (Enrollmentends on July 21). The Plan Year starts August 1, 2007 and ends July 31,2008. To change your benefits or enroll during Open Enrollment log ontoCeridian Self Service at sourceselfservice2.ceridian.com/ independentnewspapers and click the Open Enrollment flag. It will take you to the Benefits section where you can make changes to your benefits or enroll. If you have problems with OpenEnrollment please contact inipayroll@newszap.com for help.

If you do not have access to a computer and you'd like to arrange to use acompany computer to handle your enrollment, please contactinipayroll@newszap.com or call 1-800-426-4192, or 302-741-8274 if callingfrom Delaware.

To see a complete review of INI's group benefits go to VIII. Benefit SummaryPlans in initoolbox. Below is the 2007-2008 Overview.

Medical and Prescription Drug Benefits Summary

(August 1, 2007 through July 31, 2008 Coverage Year)

Medical Plan

Independent Newspapers Inc. offers a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)Plan through Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Delaware. The PPO allows you to access care at a lower cost when using 'In Network' providers without obtaining a referral. When using an Out of Network provider, you will pay a higher portion of the costs, and you are responsible for charges in excess of the plan's allowable benefit.

Plan features and premiums:

-$2 million lifetime coverage. This means a covered participant has $2million in total lifetime coverage while on the plan. Until 2007 the totallifetime coverage was $1 million.

-100% Wellness Prevention coverage for approved checkups and tests. Somemilestone checkups and tests are considered by Blue Cross Blue Shield ofDelaware as important for maintaining good health and they are 100% covered.They include physicals, well-child visits, immunizations, gynecologicalexams, cholesterol and blood sugar testing, age milestone tests such as mammogram, colonoscopy and more. For complete coverage details visit http://www.bcbsde.com/ or call 1- 800-633-2563.

-Healthy Dividends. This Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware program rewards exercise, weight loss, and smoking cessation. This program is available toall who participate in the Medical Plan. The program offers reimbursement to those who take steps to quit smoking, exercise or lose weight through the plans offered under Healthy Dividends. Check the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware web site at bcbsde.com/customers/Customer_Product_HealthyDividends.asp or call 1-800-633-2563 for details.

-Tobacco-free Discount* is offered to any Medical Plan participant whoqualifies. To be eligible, you must attest that you (your dependents) andyour household have been tobacco-free for the past 12 months. (This meansthat no one uses tobacco products of any kind, including cigarettes, chewingtobacco, cigars, pipe tobacco etc.). If you qualify, you will pay a reduced premium for you and any dependents on the plan. The discounted participantrate will be $73 per person per pay period instead of this year's regularper participant premium of $80 per pay period.

*Employees who receive the Tobacco-Free Discount are REQUIRED to notify INIwithin 30 days if the tobacco status in their household changes. Providing untrue information about tobacco use in order to qualify for this discountcould result in lifetime suspension of medical benefits coverage for you andyour dependents.

Spousal coverage requirement. Please keep in mind that your spouse is noteligible for coverage under INI's plan if he or she is able to receivecoverage through another employer or provider. If you elect coverage for your spouse you'll need to confirm in the Enrollment form that your spouseis not eligible for medical coverage through any other plan. If your spouseis already enrolled in INI's medical plan and employer coverage DOES become available at some future date, you'll want to quickly choose that option toavoid loss of benefits for your spouse. (INI benefits will be cancelled when other employer coverage is available).

Deductibles, co-insurance, co-pays and maximum out of pocket limits. The chart below outlines coverage limits. In-Network coverage continues to bethe less expensive option.

Benefits

In-Network

Out-of-Network

Deductible
$500 Individual/$1000 Family
$600 Individual/$1200 Family

Out-of-Pocket Maximums
$1,500 Individual/$2,250 Family
$4,500 Individual/$6,750 Family

Coinsurance Level
85%
70%

Lifetime Maximum
$1,000,000

Physician Services
$20 co-pay per visit
70% after deductible

Physicals
100%
70% after deductible

Well-child Visits
100%
70% after deductible

Hospitalization*

Inpatient
85% after deductible
70% after deductible

Outpatient
85% after deductible
70% after deductible

Diagnostic Testing
85% after deductible
70% after deductible

Pregnancy & Maternity
85% after deductible
70% after deductible

Emergency Accident
$75.00 Co pay

Outpatient Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapies
85% after deductible
70% after deductible

Mental Health*

Inpatient85% after deductible
70% after deductible

Up to 31 days per year

Outpatient 85% after deductible

70% after deductible

Up to 30 visits per year

Substance Abuse*

Inpatient and Outpatient
85% after deductible
70% after deductible

Up to 31 days per year

*Pre-Certification required. When you seek care in network, your Preferred Provider will arrange for all necessary certifications. When you seek care out of network, you must arrange for your own certifications. If you fail to do so, benefits will be reduced by 50%.

This is a brief description of the medical program. Actual benefitpayments made in accordance with the master contract.

Prescription Drug Plan

The prescription plan is separate from your medical coverage. This means you must choose prescription coverage if you wish to have prescription benefits. The plan has a three-tier co-pay and a mail order feature foryour maintenance/long term medications.

Generic Drugs
$5 co pay

Preferred Brand Name Drugs
$25 co pay

Non-Preferred Brand Name Drugs

$45 co pay

The Plan has a mandatory generic drug requirement. If a generic drug is available but a brand name drug is dispensed, you will be required to pay the brand co pay plus the price difference between the brand and thegeneric.

Dental

The dental benefit is provided through Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Delaware. You may receive services from any licensed dentist in your area. Routineexams include cleanings and x-rays, and are recommended twice per year. All benefits are paid based on the BCBS of DE allowable charge.

Dental Benefit Chart

Benefit/Class

Coverage

Deductible
$50 Individual/$150 Family

Maximum
$1,000 per person per plan year

Preventive
100% - Deductible waived

Basic
80% after deductible is met

Major
50% after deductible is met

Basic Life & Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance

Independent Newspapers provides every regular fulltime employee with abasic life insurance benefit in the amount of $10,000. An additional Accidental Death & Dismemberment benefit for the same amount applies to a death resulting from an accident or certain injuries. These benefits are provided free to qualified employees.

Voluntary Life Insurance

Independent Newspapers offers qualified employees the option of purchasing additional life insurance in units of $10,000 to a maximum of $200,000.

New employees: All newly hired regular fulltime employees can buy additional coverage up to $100,000 as part of their initial benefits sign up. Newemployees who want to purchase coverage above that amount (up to a max. of$200,000) will need to satisfactorily complete the Evidence of Insurabilityform and approval process.

All other regular fulltime employees: Any qualified employee not alreadycovered can add life insurance during Open Enrollment. Any coveredemployee can buy additional coverage during Open Enrollment. In both cases, the same coverage limits (above) apply and coverage is contingent upon successful completion of the Evidence of Insurability form and approval process.

Spouses and dependents: Covered employees may also buy life insurancecoverage for a spouse. Coverage may be up to or equal to 50% of the amountof insurance purchased for the employee, rounded to the nearest $10,000.The Evidence of Insurability rules apply. Coverage for dependent childrenfrom 6 months to age 26 can be bought in the amount of $1,000, $2,000,$4,000, $5,000 or $10,000. Evidence of Insurability is not required fordependent child coverage.

Voluntary Long-Term Disability

This plan provides qualified employees (regular fulltime) with incomecontinuation protection should injury or illness extend beyond a 180 day'elimination' period. For disabilities that commence after 8/1/2004, thebenefit pays 60% of an employee's monthly base salary up to a maximum of$10,000 per month. Evidence of Insurability is required for any employeechoosing to sign up for this coverage during Open Enrollment.

Employee Contributions

The premium(s) for medical, dental, voluntary life and voluntary long-termdisability insurance is taken on a bi-weekly basis through payrolldeduction. The contribution amount is determined by the level of benefits selected.

Cost per Participant per Pay Period

Benefit

Cost

Medical
$80.00 per covered person (tobacco-free discount: $73.00 per coveredperson)

Prescription Drug
$18.50 per covered person

Dental
$12.75 per covered person

Basic Life & AD&D
Company-paid benefit

Voluntary Long-Term Disability
$0.275 per $100 of covered payroll per month

Voluntary Life Insurance
Age-banded rates

Key Benefits Contacts

DENTAL INSURANCE: Go to http://www.bcbsde.com/ to submit your questions about dentalbenefits or claims, or call Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware at 800-633-2563.

DISABILITY INSURANCE: Email inipayroll@newszap.com .DRUG BENEFITS: Go to http://www.expressscripts.com/ to view information about drug coverage or claims, or call Express Scriptsat 800-451-6245.

HEALTH INSURANCE: Go to http://www.bcbsde.com/ to submityour questions about health benefits or claims, or call Blue Cross BlueShield of Delaware at 800-633-2563.

LIFE INSURANCE: Email inipayroll@newszap.com.

401K PLAN: To check account balances, view selected funds and review moniesin these funds, access your 401k account information through the Internet,by going to www.jhpensions.com. Existing users should select 'sign in' and first time users should select 'register'. When asked for a contract number, enter 61386 and then follow sign in or sign up instructions. 401k participants can also call Manulife/John Hancock at800-395-1113. (rev. 3/05).

QUESTIONS ON 401K PLAN? Email Liberty Benefit's Pension Analyst atpensions@lbg1.com. Or, you can contact the Participant Service team atLincoln Benefits Group at (800) 826-7859.

CHANGE OF 401K DEFERRALS? Log onto Ceridian Self Service at sourceselfservice2. ceridian.com/independentnewspapers and select 401(K) Elections under Benefits.

IF ALL ELSE FAILS: Email inipayroll@newszap.com with your questions.

401k Plan match approved

2007-03-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

INI's board of directors has again this year approved an employer match for the company's 401k Plan. The board has agreed to match 50% of an employee's individual contribution up to a maximum of $500. This means eligible employees who defer a total of $1,000 from their wages into their 401k account during the fiscal year will receive the maximum $500 employer match. Those deferring less than the full $1,000 will still receive a 50% match of the total they contribute to their plan. The 401k plan represents a great way to reduce your taxes now and invest in your future. The new fiscal year begins July 1, 2007.

"We're pleased that INI has renewed the company's 401k match for another year," INI CEO Joe Smyth said. "Even though many companies are reducing or even eliminating their 401k matches, our board unanimously approved the $500 match in recognition of our people's tremendous efforts to keep INI healthy and thriving."

Click here for the Press Lines profile of INI’s 401k plan administrators, John Hancock Financial Services.

The company's board of directors --- Tammy Brittingham, Ed Dulin, Chris Engel, Joe Smyth and John Wolfe --- approved the match even at a time when many other companies are reducing benefits in an uncertain economy.

INI employees have deferred a total of $3,097,717.98 and INI has contributed $549,528.16 in employer matches since the plan began in 1995. More than 100 employees participate in the plan today. Money deferred into the plan is not taxed until it is permanently withdrawn from the plan. Many people begin receiving payments from their 401k Plan after retirement or in later years when their annual income may be lower, meaning lower taxes are paid on the deferred money as well as on the interest it has earned during the years it was invested. Any employee who has completed one year of service is eligible, provided he/she is at least 21 years old and has worked at least 1,000 hours. To join the 401k program email inipayroll@newszap.com.