The Roanoke Times in Virginia began installing its Mainstream, comprising 48 printing couples on six towers, in March and went into live production at the end of October.

However, last week the newspaper ran a full-page apology to its readership about problems that had led to thousands of poorly printed newspapers going straight into recycling bins.

Roanoke Times press project director Chip Harris told PrintWeek that Heidelberg and Siemens personnel had been working diligently to solve the problems.
A lot of the glitches have disappeared. We are on the way to being where we need to be, said Harris.

A Heidelberg spokesman said: The complexities of a newspaper press cant be compared to sheetfed kit.

Last week PrintWeek told how Heidelbergs first Mainstream client, Dansk AvisTryk, was in legal action with the German manufacturer over the press performance.

Trade rumours suggested that Heidelberg was poised to make an announcement about the future of its Web Systems and Digital divisions this week, after PrintWeek went to press.

Heidelberg has been in talks with Goss about the Web Systems division, while Kodak, its partner in the NexPress venture, has bought Scitex Digital Printing (see p14) to increase its commercial printing presence.