• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, January 29, 2010

The new metropolitan edition of The Wall Street Journal targeting New York City readers has been delayed by technical issues, according to its rival The New York Times, which first reported the news. The new WSJ edition, featuring additional news and other content focusing on the New York metro area, was originally scheduled to launch in April, but may have to be pushed back if owner News Corp. can't reach a deal to temporarily outsource some of its operations.

The planned metro edition was timed to launch after News Corp. finished consolidating printing operations for the WSJ with its tabloid sibling, the New York Post, by upgrading the Post's printing facility in the South Bronx.

However, the upgrades are taking longer than expected -- threatening to delay not only the new metro edition, but also the scheduled closing of the existing WSJ printing facility in South Brunswick, New Jersey.

To keep the process on track, News Corp. is exploring options that would allow it to outsource printing for as many as 125,000 daily copies of the Post for several months. Ironically, one possibility is the printing facility in College Point, Queens, owned by the New York Times Co., whose flagship newspaper will be the chief competition for the new WSJ metro edition. The Post's tabloid rival, the New York Daily News, has already rejected the idea of providing outsourced printing.

The WSJ metro edition will produce content specific to New York and surrounding areas with a staff of approximately three dozen, focusing on local politics and cultural news.