WOONSOCKET – When The Woonsocket Call press broke down two weeks ago, publisher Barry Mechanic contacted The Worcester Telegram & Gazette and arranged to have the Massachusetts newspaper take over daily printing operations on a temporary basis.
Now, Mechanic says, he’s mulling a plan to make the arrangement permanent.
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“The final decision is still a few weeks away,” the publisher says. “We’re still trying to find the most cost-effective solution. It’s not an indication that The Call is in financial trouble. We’re as strong as can be expected, and we’ll be around for a long time.”
The Worcester Telegram press is also rolling out several other papers owned by The Call’s parent company, Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers. The list includes The Pawtucket Times, the Kent County Daily Times, and Neighbors, a weekly publication. RISN, which is headquartered in Illinois, purchased a total of eight Ocean State newspapers from the Journal Register chain in 2007.
The Call press was bought in used condition from the New York Times and has required repairs in the past.
This time, executives are discussing whether fixing the machine will be worth the effort. “We’re looking at what we can get fixed and what makes the most sense,” Mechanic says. “My personal preference is to keep printing in Woonsocket.”
In the meantime, The Call’s four-man press crew are on temporary leave; their future with the company is uncertain.
