P.M. BRIEFING : AP Using Electronic Darkrooms

The Associated Press announced today that it is switching to electronic darkrooms as its basic photo receivers, accelerating the conversion of the nation’s newspapers to PhotoStream, AP’s picture-a-minute digital photo delivery highway.

In the third quarter of this year, the wire service will begin replacing LaserPhoto receivers at 950 newspapers that receive its photos with the AP Leaf Picture Desk, a microprocessor-based electronic darkroom developed by AP and Leaf Systems of Natick, Mass., said Louis D. Boccardi, AP president and general manager.

AP’s present LaserPhoto delivery system transmits black-and-white photos in nine minutes and color in 30 minutes. PhotoStream transmits black-and-white in less than one minute and color in less than three.