Keeping our eyes on your evolving needs

A monthly print publication is just not enough these days to cover the market to the fullest extent. You're going to see more online exclusives in the ABRN News Network and you're going to see more online programs feeding into our print news section.

Working in magazine publishing can be a lot like operating a collision repair facility where deadlines are concerned. In your shop, it's vital to complete repairs on time to keep costs down and to satisfy insurers and vehicle owners. For those of us in the magazine biz, failing to meet deadlines means our readers (aka, our customers) won't get information that may immediately impact their businesses. And, our advertisers won't get …

We have the good ideas, but not all the correct procedures.

Running a city might look complicated, but one way to simplify the picture is to imagine three groups.

First, there are the city officials and their consultants, going about the business of making day-to-day decisions and planning for the future. They set budgets for building and maintaining things, and for running programmes. Generally keeping things on track to meet policy objectives.

Then there are the political councillors and the people who advise them. They set policy to guide government planning, based on what they hear from citizens and government reports, and they approve or deny proposals put forward by civil servants. They haggle and compromise until they …

A tale of two portion pack coffee systems.(THE WAY I SEE IT)

Over the years, OCS operators have learned through trial and error an ultimatum: Provide quality and the market rewards you.

Products and delivery systems that fall short of this edict suffer the consequences.

In the past two years, a host of manual pod brewers came on the OCS market in an attempt to provide the benefits of single-cup with a more advantageous cost structure.

More than two years into the game, it's fair to make some observations.

PROPRIETARY PORTION PACK RULES

Single-cup continues to revolutionize coffee service, and "proprietary" portion pack systems are leading the charge.

Pod systems? Let's back up a …

ERNIE LONGEST-TENURED TV ANCHORMAN IN THE NATION, ERNIE TETRAULT IS DOING A SLOW FADE AT WRGB.(Show)

Byline: Steve Bornfeld Television/radio writer

So, Johnny Carson entertained a nation of insomniacs for 30 years.

A mere pup.

So, Walter Cronkite was America's uncle for just as long.

A network neophyte.

Neither can match the broadcast stamina of the Man from Watervliet.

"I've been in commercial broadcasting for 47 years, and it's so fresh in my memory," says 66-year-old Ernie Tetrault, who, in a volatile and shifting business, has remained an unshakeable constant at WRGB, Channel 6, informing several generations of local viewers.

"Things like being the announcer for Governor Dewey when he would do his State of the State address. He was such a marvelous host, so nice to this little kid who couldn't even set the microphone up."

The Siena College alumnus with the grandfatherly warmth has come a long way since then. His impressive career will be honored Friday at a "Celebrate Ernie" party at the Desmond hotel in Colonie.

Is he the longest-tenured anchorman in the nation, as WRGB likes to say? "We've been claiming that for three or four years, and no one has ever disputed it," Tetrault says, a trace of pride in his voice. "I don't think there's any question about it."

Friday's shindig is also a fund- raiser for the Empire State Aerosciences Museum. Tetrault, a licensed pilot, has a lifelong love of airplanes.

In keeping with a '50s theme (Tetrault began at WRGB in July 1951), there will be sets evoking such '50s conventions as a malt shop, an old-time diner and a drive-in movie.

A special half-hour edition of "NewsCenter 6" will originate from the party at 7:30 p.m.

And, no, Tetrault is not retiring - yet. "They made it worth my while to stay," Tetrault says, noting that he signed a new …

Doubts remain 20 years after Lockerbie

Much of the political fallout from the Lockerbie air disaster has been resolved, but doubts remain about who was behind the explosion 20 years ago Sunday in the skies above Scotland.

A cancer-stricken Libyan secret agent is in prison, the sole person convicted in the tragedy, but he has earned a second appeal by convincing judges that "a miscarriage of justice" may have occurred during his trial.

Some of the victims' families are still not convinced that Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, 56, is to blame for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which killed 259 people, mostly Americans, in the air, and 11 more on the ground. Al-Megrahi, convicted in …

SOCCER BITS

When the Cleveland Force drew 15,162 beating the Sting 7-5 inthe Richfield Coliseum Saturday night, it set a team record of339,477 for the season. The Force midfielder Kai Haaskivi Saturday night became the fourthplayer in MISL …

Dispute hinders hydrocarbon law passage.

Byline: SS (I)

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: An Iraqi parliamentarian on Wednesday said that the ongoing differences between the central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) hinder the passage of the oil and gas law.

"Differences remain between the central government and the KRG over the final version that will be submitted to the Parliament," MP Usama al-Nujeifi from the Iraqi National List (INL) told Aswat al-Iraq.

"The Parliament is waiting for an agreed upon version in order to make all necessary changes before a vote on the law," the parliamentarian noted.

Nujeifi noted that the differences are mainly over an equitable …