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Saturday, July 3, 2010

postheadericon Online paywall experiment : The Times starts charging to read online content

"Welcome to The Times and The Sunday Times websites. Available exclusively by subscription. Access from only One Pound "


This is what comes up when you click on any link on The Times website to read online content.
Is this the beginning of the end of the era of free online news, I wonder, and who else is likely to start charging?

Rupert Murdoch has talked about this for some time and we knew it was coming. Charging readers for online content makes sense from a business perspective, but unless the content is exclusive, readers can simply go to other online sources.

In the meantime, there are reports that the Times' pay wall has resulted in 60 pct drop in traffic and that competitors' will benefit.



Another favourite online service, Hulu has introduced a $9.99 subscription fee to access online TV.


Is this the end of the era of free online content ?
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theopennewsroom
this is Vincent Murwira's blog, part of his research site www.theopennewsroom.com Skype: theopennewsroom Twitter: @theopennewsroom Mail:theopennewsroom@gmail.com
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" In the real world, the right thing never happens in the right place and the
right time. It is the job of journalists and historians to make it appear that
it has." Mark Twain