Last year there were rumors that two publications that Rupert Murdoch owned in the UK, The Times of London and The Sunday Times — separate operations, but who share a website and a common owner — would begin experimenting with a different sort of business model, which actually didn’t sound too bad. Rather than charging for news, the rumor was that it would involve a “membership club,” where people would be purchasing access to additional benefits — which actually sounded like a CwF+RtB kind of plan. Of course, there weren’t many details, and we wondered what the benefits would be, and if they’d be enough to make it worthwhile.
Unfortunately, the details look like the rumor was wrong, or the plans changed entirely, because now it looks like both publications are going with your standard everyday super expensive paywall. Starting in June, both publications will begin charging a whopping £1 per day or £2 per week for access — which is actually pretty steep, especially in a market where there’s an awful lot of competition. On a yearly basis, it’s only a bit less than what Newsday is charging for its website — which has been a colossal failure.
Good luck, Rupert, because it seems like you’re going to need it. On the other hand, this might explain why the Times Online is already trying to block companies from sending them visitors. It’s as if they don’t want anyone to know they exist online.
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