Report: New York Times Mulling Fees for Online Content

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 15, 2009 - 6:19am.

New York - The New York Times (NYSE: NYT) is considering two plans that would see readers charged for access to some of its online content, The New York Observer reported.

The two plans, outlined by executive editor Bill Keller at a staff meeting this week, include a "metered" system that would charge users only after they view a certain amount of content for free, and a "membership" model, similar to public broadcasting, where readers would make money pledges in return for promotional gifts or other incentives -- such as access to a Page One editorial meeting.

The paper hopes to decide on a model by the end of June, but the need to develop software could push implementation several months down the line.

The Observer reports that Keller remarked at the meeting that, in economic times like these, "you ask people to make sacrifices on pay, you consolidate sections, you sell your building and take out some loans, you sell ads on A-1, you raise the price of the newspaper."

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/i34es (NY Observer)

Published in DMW Daily, May 15, 2009

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tags: Advertising | Newspapers | Publishing | The New York Times |

Comments

Fees not new

Submitted by hellraiser (not verified) on May 15, 2009 - 4:07pm.

NY Times WAS all fee until circa 2003. By that time, their web ad sales were so low they were PAYING people to advertise with them. Eventually, they figured out that they do not make money on distribution any more. But they just can't let a bad idea die. BYE BYE WHORE TIMES!