Monday, July 13, 2009

Freedom paper in Texas to charge for online content

The Valley Morning Star in Harlingen, Texas, this week will be the first Freedom Communications newspaper to begin charging non-subscribers a fee to read its online edition.
The newspaper said that seven-day-a-week subscribers would get free access to the online edition, but that others would have to pay up to $3.95 per month.
“The days of giving content away, which costs money to create and for which we charge our print subscribers, I think, are just about over,” said Valley Morning Star Publisher Tyler Patton.
The newspaper will continue to make some of its features, including national news and the paper’s home page, free of charge on its Web site.
Patton said he expects other Freedom newspapers to follow suit.
Meantime, The New York Times said a survey of print subscribers is leading it to consider levying a $5 monthly fee for access to its Web site.
Bloomberg reported that The Times also asked if subscribers would be willing to pay a discounted fee of $2.50 to read content on the site.

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