periodicals Archives - News/Media Alliance

Alliance Comments on USPS Annual Compliance Report

Holly Lubart — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 14:48:44 +0000

The News/Media Alliance submitted comments on the United States Postal Service’s Annual Compliance Report for Fiscal Year 2023 on January 30. The report emphasizes our concerns on Periodicals mail costs, prices, and service. The USPS cites inflation as a cause of its cost increases; however, inflation in FY 2023 was about 4 percent, while Periodicals costs that exceeded inflation nearly doubled that amount. The report also showed that flats processing concerns have worsened with productivity falling. The Alliance also re-iterated that holding the Postal Service accountable for controlling costs through a mechanism with meaningful consequences is necessary.

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USPS Market Dominant Price Increases Take Effect on January 21

Holly Lubart — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 21:51:48 +0000

As a reminder, the Market Dominant Price Increases go into effect on January 21. View the USPS webinar, “Market Dominant Price Change” to learn more.

In the PRC order approving the rate hikes, it states “the Commission shares The News/Media Alliance’s concerns about Periodicals’ costs and continues to encourage the Postal Service to take steps to address them.”

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Alliances Files Comments on Rural Carrier Costs

Holly Lubart — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 21:41:43 +0000

The News/Media Alliance submitted comments on the Postal Service’s proposal to change the methodology for calculating rural carrier attributable costs. The Alliance supports the use of data from its news Rural Route Evaluated Compensation System, which should reduce Periodicals costs by approximately 1 cent per piece (3 percent).

The post Alliances Files Comments on Rural Carrier Costs appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

USPS Proposes Revisions to Rural Carrier Costing Methodology Resulting in Lower Periodicals Costs

Holly Lubart — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:07:48 +0000

The Postal Service requested that the PRC initiate a rulemaking proceeding to consider a change to rural carrier costing on November 21. The proposed revisions update the methodology for the calculation of rural carrier attributable costs to account for the new rural carrier route evaluation system. The proposal reduces unit Periodicals costs by ~1 cent per piece (3 percent). Comments are due January 18 and the Alliance plans to support the decrease in Periodicals costs.

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USPS Webinar for Members: Update on Newspaper Delivery & Pricing and Classification Service

Staff — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 16:25:25 +0000

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Free Webinar: Understanding Periodicals Lesson VI: Mail Preparation and Addressing

Staff — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 20:03:21 +0000

Through our partnership with the National Newspaper Association Foundation (NNAF), News/Media Alliance members* receive access to extensive postal-related resources, events and materials as well as webinars to train newspaper employees for best uses of the mail in a rapidly changing postal environment.

Thursday, Oct. 26, 3:00-4:00 p.m. EST

Description:

This session will cover address components, placement and more.

Register

Who Should Attend?

Publishers
Circulation managers
Printers
Compliance officers
Office managers

NNA member login required to participate. If you have not yet registered for an NNA account, click here to register.

A Newspaper Mail School is available, where employees can receive a certification to become proficient in dealing with United States Postal Service. Members who wish to earn the Newspaper Mail Master certificates may enroll in the certification program for a modest fee. The levels of attainment will be Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. Members will earn certificates for each level upon successful completion of an exam for that level. There is no limit to how many times an enrollee may take the exams.

Volume 1 recordings:

The previous recordings and presentations from the Understanding Periodicals series are available to Alliance members. (NNA login required. If you have not yet registered for an NNA account, click here to register.)

Session 1: Understanding Periodicals

Session 2: Managing a Permit and How DO you find the answers you need?

Session 3: Things You Forgot — Or Maybe Never Knew — About Periodicals

Session 4: Using Your Permit To Generate Revenue

Session 5: All Things Mail Entry

Session 6: Proper Mail Preparation & Addressing

Volume 2 recordings:

Session 1: The Overview

Session 2: Basic Qualifications and Research

Session 3: Things You Never Knew

Session 4: Privileges to Help Publishers

Session 5: Everything Mail Entry

About the NNA Foundation Max Health Postal Institute:

NNA’s Max Heath Postal Institute hosts webinars to train newspaper employees on best uses of the mail in a rapidly changing postal environment. A Newspaper Mail School is also available, where employees can receive a certification to become proficient in dealing with United States Postal Service. Members who wish to earn the Newspaper Mail Master certificates may enroll in the certification program for a modest fee. The levels of attainment will be Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. Members will earn certificates for each level upon successful completion of an exam for that level. There is no limit to how many times an enrollee may take the exams.

View all Postal Rate posts

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January 2024 Market Dominant Price Change Filing Webinar

Staff — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 19:56:07 +0000

Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 12:00pm – 1:00pm (EST)

The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes on October 6, to take effect January 21, 2024. Sharon Owens, Vice President, Pricing & Costing will lead a webinar to provide an overview of the January Market Dominant Price Change filing on Thursday, October 12th at 12:00 pm (EST).

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions during the webinar via the chat box. However, if you would like to submit your questions before the webinar, you can send them to IndustryFeedback@usps.gov.

Please note: If you are unable to attend the webinar, the presentation will be recorded and posted on PostalPro.

Join Zoom Meeting:
Phone one-tap: US: +15033361236,,1614729459#,,,,*298639# or +1952-229-5070,,1614729459#,,,,*298639#
Meeting URL: https://usps.zoomgov.com/j/1614729459?pwd=NU5hT0VxQkJDZVRTU2lsc0dHNlF6QT09
Meeting ID: 161 472 9459
Passcode: 298639

Join by Telephone:
For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location.

Dial:
US: +1 503 336 1236 or +1 952-229-5070 or +1 650-581-7094 or +1 855-860-4313 or +1 678 317 3330
Meeting ID: 161 472 9459
Passcode: 298639

Join from an H.323/SIP room system
H.323: sip.zoomgov.com
Meeting ID: 161 472 9459
Passcode: 298639
SIP: 1614729459@sip.zoomgov.com
Passcode: 298639

View all Postal Rate posts

The post January 2024 Market Dominant Price Change Filing Webinar appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

USPS Files January Rate Increases

Holly Lubart — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 17:36:23 +0000

The United States Postal Service filed notice of price changes to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) on October 6, which are scheduled to take effect January 21, 2024. The average increase is 7.3% for within county mail and 1.5% for outside county mail. In its filing, USPS said that its’ strategy for Periodicals price changes is “to maximize use of cap space on Outside County Piece prices, after resolving workshare discount compliance” and to increase Within County prices “to meet workshare passthrough requirements”. A spreadsheet detailing the increases for periodicals and marketing mail is attached. The Postal Accountability and Enhance Act (PAEA), passed in 2006, introduced a price cap on market dominant products. Price increases for each class of market dominant mail is limited by the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Year-to-date, the Postal Service has a $7 billion loss despite continued rate increases and remains behind in progress on the Delivering for America plan. The PRC will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect; however, it is unlikely to change what has been proposed since the PRC review is limited to verifying that the increase does not exceed the CPI cap. The Alliance is working on numerous avenues to address the rate increases.

The post USPS Files January Rate Increases appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

Alliance Comments on USPS Performance Incentive Mechanism and Flats Plan

Holly Lubart — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 13:23:39 +0000

The News/Media Alliance and the National Newspaper Association sent comments to the Postal Regulatory Commission on September 15 addressing the possibility of a Performance Incentive Mechanism (PIM) being applied to Periodicals class mail. The comments state that if a PIM is applicable, it should remove an additional 2 percent surcharge unless the Postal Service achieves 95 percent on-time performance for Periodicals.

The Alliance also submitted a letter on September 15 to the USPS on the draft Flats plan, which was a requirement of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. The Alliance is encouraged that the Postal Service is seeking industry input; however, we state that the plan should include more clear and verifiable metrics, a focus on lower costs, and further examination of all cost centers that have led to flats processing issues.

The post Alliance Comments on USPS Performance Incentive Mechanism and Flats Plan appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

Recording Available! Webinar: Understanding Periodicals Vol 2 Session 5: Everything Mail Entry

Staff — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 14:48:31 +0000

Description:

In this session, originally recorded on August 10, 2023, Interlink’s CEO, Brad Hill, shares how mail entry works today and what will be different in the near future.

This is the first part of the program that earns credit toward Gold Certification.

Who Should Attend?