Times websites to charge from June
The Times and Sunday Times newspapers will start charging to access their websites in June, says Rebekah Brooks (left), chief executive of Rupert Murdoch's News International (NI).
The two titles will each have their own website from early May, unlike the current situation in which one site - Times Online - covers both papers. Users will pay £1 for a day's access and £2 for a week's subscription. The new sites will be available on a free trial to registered users. Payment will allow users to access both sites.
The move fulfils Rupert Murdoch's promise to start charging for his company's internet content, and will be closely scrutinised.
According to the BBC news website, Brooks said it was "a crucial step towards making the business of news an economically exciting proposition".
NI's decision is seen by many as a high risk strategy, particularly because of the widespread availability of free content on the internet. Speaking at last year's Edinburgh Television Festival, James Murdoch - the chair of News Corporation, the UK company that actually owns the Times titles - attacked the BBC's provision of "free" news on its websites. "It is essential for the future of independent digital journalism that a fair price can be charged for news to people who value it," he said.
Ms Brooks said that the NI announcement was "just the start. The Times and The Sunday Times are the first of our four titles in the UK to move to this new approach. We will continue to develop our digital products and to invest and innovate for our customers."
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