Download this report as an MP3 sound file.

For broadcast on CBS Radio Network stations April 30-May 1, 2005:

In the picture.

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries. 

The Postal Service is going to give personalized postage another try.

"There's a desire on the parts of both consumers and businesses to customize and personalize 
their message to their correspondents."
RUNS :09

U-S-P-S vice president Nicholas Barranca. 

Last year, Stamps-dot-com gave its Photo-Stamps a six-month trial. The public loved 'em, but 
the Postal Service had reservations -- including copyrights and, well, propriety. This time, 
the test is a little longer, and Stamps-dot-com won't be the only company testing 
personalized postage.

"They're the ones that are probably immediately positioned to move ahead, but there's a lot 
of interest from other providers in the PC postage area."
RUNS :08

Barranca notes that the few pictures that slipped through last time were pretty obscure. You 
wouldn't recognize ME from my high school yearbook photo -- what about Nicholas Barranca?

"They wouldn't recognize me now, no, but I'm not a notorious character."
RUNS :04

And that's Stamp Collecting this week. 

I'm Lloyd de Vries, CBS News. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{Longer Version}

Download this report as an MP3 sound file.

The Postal Service is going to give personalized postage another try.

"There's a desire on the parts of both consumers and businesses to customize and personalize 
their message to their correspondents."
RUNS :09

U-S-P-S vice president Nicholas Barranca says the rules are pretty much the same.

"The first test was 6 weeks and this test will run one year."
RUNS :03

Stamps-dot-com won't be the only company testing personalized postage this time.

"They're the ones that are probably immediately positioned to move ahead, but there's a lot 
of interest from other providers in the PC postage area."
RUNS :08

...including Pitney-Bowes. The public loved PhotoStamps, but the Postal Service had 
reservations -- including copyrights and, well, propriety. But now...

"We're fairly confident that the PC postage providers will demonstrate that they have a 
process that will control the images in a way that is consistent with the types of messages 
we want expressed on envelopes."
RUNS :12

Barranca notes that the few pictures that slipped through last time were pretty obscure. 
You wouldn't recognize ME from my high school yearbook photo -- what about Nicholas 
Barranca?

"They wouldn't recognize me, now, no, but I'm not a notorious character."
RUNS :04

Me, neither, I hope.

I'm Lloyd de Vries

----------------------------------------------------------
Go to Previous Report
Go to Next Report 

Go to Report Index