That means stretching the boundaries of how newspapers have traditionally defined themselves, reaching deeply into their core activities and developing new products to benefit their customers, both readers and advertisers.

Already, The Inquirer and Daily News, together and separately, are testing new markets and delivering quality products to fit them. Especially noteworthy is Philly.com, the online service of the two newspapers, which, created in 1995, receives more than 25 million page views per month..

The daily content of both newspapers, as well as the archives of the two newspapers, is easily accessible to anyone with a computer and a modem at http://www.philly.com.

The secret to the service's success, however, goes well beyond merely being an electronic version of the traditional newspapers, or even an electronic newspaper library. Rather, the design of the service provides customers with a wealth of information such as classified advertising, restaurant and movie reviews, lifestyle information and practical services that all build upon the resources of the two award-winning newspapers.

In early 1997, PN acquired Marketplace Advertising, Ltd., a southern New Jersey publisher of real estate magazines and other periodicals and the operator of an online listing service.

It's traditional paper and ink newspapers are published on the company's state-of-the-art Goss Colorliner presses at its Schuylkill Printing Plant.