Ready for AP satellite shut down?

Our paper switched over to AP webfeeds about 10 days ago. Still working out some bugs with our macros that format our agate.

Anyone not switched over yet?

 

yes we have. lots and lots of bugs. plus, we don't get the feeds from our own state half of the time, but from lots of other states.

and the agate doesn't update nearly as often. which, when you are designing three papers on tight early deadlines, really blows.

lastly, a lot of times, we get the stories BEFORE the APNewsNow briefs. that's helpful.

 

I've heard from the AP that the switch will come later. They're not even close to converting all of its members yet.

We've been converted. The stupid feeds suck for reasons previously mentioned.

 

For us, everything comes in a lot faster. Satellite was an hour behind Exchange for baseball capsules and about 20-30 behind for standings.

From an AP advisory Spet. 19.

On Sept. 30, the primary distribution channel for delivery of the AP text, photo and graphics report to U.S. newspaper members will shift from satellite to Internet.

For the past 18 months, AP has been working with production teams at U.S. newspaper members to prepare for this important change. If you are a U.S. newspaper member, your newsroom's production staff should have completed or be nearing completion of this project.

The new Internet-based delivery service is called AP WebFeeds. This technology, designed and managed by the AP, offers newspapers more control over the delivery of the AP report. It provides content in formats that serve both older editorial systems and new digital products.

In addition to WebFeeds, note that AP Exchange, our portal for editors and reporters, will continue to provide you with full access to the AP wires you receive. For members opting to receive election data via satellite, those services will continue to be supported on satellite through the end of this year.

Starting in October, with the exception of election data, AP will begin the process of decommissioning the legacy satellite network for U.S. newspaper members. Should you have any questions regarding this change in delivery, please consult with your newsroom's production staff or AP Customer Support at mailto:apcustomersupportap.orgapcustomersupport(ap)ap.org .

 

We start the webfeeds on Tuesday, our training consisted of the ME telling everyone on Friday about the changes. Also, we start our new deadlines, a half hour earlier on Tuesday. Looking forward to it.

 

Glad to know management is great at communicating something that affects how we put to the paper together. Besides telling IT what's not working, not much training from our end.

 

Been off the satellite for a while. No major issues (or even minor ones) to report. Agate has been easier to deal with, that's for sure.

 

Not at our place. We'll get expanded and wide baseball boxes, but we don't always get the regular ones, which is what we're set up for.

 

I'll check with our techies on Monday, since we're also scheduled to get full sports wire back on Thursday, but does this mean everything comes via AP Exchange now?

 

This is unrelated:
Tribune papers have been ordered not to run AP--as an experiment if and when the contract is not renewed.

I know this is the case for news. Don't know how it applies to sports.

 

I guess I don't have to climb onto the roof and scrape ice and snow off the dish anymore to get stories.

 

I was talking about this with my ME the other day, and talked about the problems we might face.

He pointed in the direction of the factory in town that makes construction equipment. He joked, "That place is producing more and more backhoes every day, and one day one of those is going to cut the T1 line bringing the AP wire and the Internet into our place. Then we're screwed."