Boston Globe publisher Christopher M. Mayer announced today that the company will launch a new paid-subscription website, BostonGlobe.com during the second half of 2011.
The site will offer content in the Globe's daily print edition.
Boston.com will remain free.
This is definitely an interesting strategy and if everything goes according to plan revenue wise, it's a direction that other newspapers could follow suit in.
A lot of papers are currently pursing the online subscription fee, however this is a little bit different, since Boston.com and The Boston Globe are technically separate, but right now used as one site to promote all of its news and stories (exactly like The Republican in Springfield, Mass. and its online home MassLive.com).
"Our research shows that Boston.com currently attracts several different types of users. Some are readers whose main interest is breaking news and things to do, while others want access to the entirety of The Boston Globe,” Mayer said. “These two distinct sites will allow us to serve both types of readers with maximum effectiveness, while continuing to provide advertisers the large engaged audience they have come to expect from Boston.com.”
The New York Times, which owns the Globe, plans to charge readers of NYTimes.com next year as well.
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette, which is also owned by the Times Company started charging a fee for readers last month on its site, Telegram.com.
Sooner or later, we knew this would be coming.
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