New York Times Pay Model Follows Widescreen Review's

March 18, 2011

As reported by Reuters, the New York Times will start charging for full access to its articles on phones, tablet computers and the Internet, in a bold plan that risks alienating readers of its popular news Web site. Readers who do not subscribe to New York Times Co's (NYT.N) namesake newspaper will be able to read 20 articles per month on the Web site for free, but will have to pay to read more, the company said on Thursday. Subscribers to the print edition will have full, free access to the Web site, NYTimes.com. The newspaper launched the pay model in Canada on Thursday and plans to roll it out in the United States and globally on March 28. Newspapers and magazines, who early on in the days of the Internet gave their content away free on their web sites, have struggled to retain readers and advertisers as more and more people get their news from the Internet FREE! The Times' pay model strategy is similar to that of Widescreen Review, which has never adopted the FREE model on its Web site, except for general news and teasers to full articles, complete issues and Blu-ray Disc data bases. Widescreen Review print subscribers receive full, free access to the content on its Web site. The publication's print issues are formulated in pdf format for download on phones, tablet computers and the Internet or as articles. "The pay model strategy now adopted by the New York Times," said Gary Reber, founder, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of Widescreen Review, "is the only model that really works and provides any chance for newspapers and magazines to operate sustainable businesses to provide their readers with quality content." The Wall Street Journal, once a newspaper targeted to financial professionals, also is on the forefront of charging for online news, even as it has broadened out to become more of a general newspaper under News Corp's Rupert Murdoch. The Journal is now the largest U.S. newspaper. The Times' new pay model allows casual readers to access the New York Times, unlike some other pay strategies such as News Corp's (NWSA.O) experiment with the Times of London. The British paper bars anyone who does not pay from reading its Web site, which has resulted in a 90 percent plunge in visitors. About 31.4 million individuals visited NYTimes.com in February, according to online research measurement firm comScore. Widescreen Review' visits are more limited and targeted to home theatre enthusiasts who average about 100,000 Web site visits per month. Widescreen Review has been publishing the magazine for 19 years and the Web site since 1995.

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