New York Times to drop paid online services

Many of us didn't believe it would work when the New York Times started charging for certain content while still providing some content for free, evidently we were right. New York Times to Stop Charging Web Fees.

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times said Monday it is scrapping a two-year-old program to charge fees for access to parts of its Web site, including op-ed columnists and archives dating back to 1987.

As of midnight Tuesday, the Times will discontinue its TimesSelect feature, which cost $49.95 per year or $7.95 by the month. Home delivery subscribers were able to sign up for free.

The move reflects a growing shift in thinking in the media industry, where it had once been thought that charging for access to some or all of a Web site was the best strategy for making money.