Sun-Times Media online sites to begin metered pay plan

It's about time,but it may be to late. This should have been done years ago....

Sun-Times Media online sites to begin metered pay plan

Quote :

The Chicago Sun-Times and its sister publications in the suburbs will start charging for online access, joining the ranks of newspapers looking for new online revenue sources.

Access to web sites controlled by Sun-Times Media LLC will be governed by a “metered” pay plan starting Thursday. Web site users will get 20 free page views at any Sun-Times-affiliated site every 30 days, and will be required to buy an online subscription for additional access.

“We think the time is long overdue for us to begin charging for our content,” said Jeremy Halbreich, Sun-Times Media chairman. “It is certainly award-winning content and we need to find new ways to support it.”

Online subscriptions will be $1.99 per four weeks for home-delivery customers. Digital-only subscribers will be charged $6.99 every four weeks, or they can pay $77.87 for yearlong access.

Subscribers to any of 40 newspapers that are part of Sun-Times Media will qualify for the $1.99 rate, regardless of which paper they want to access.

So you're willing to pay for trash, Chicago NEWS that is better written, investigated and reported with WatchDogs that made a difference in exposing stuff and doesn't charge?

Whomever thought up this plan for the Sun-Times online subscription must have hit a bong the day he announced it.

I wouldn't pay a one dollar year for access to them, or their suburban newspapers.

Eventually, I admit the media will be charging for real news, that is expected. But I will have a choice then between a rag and a bird cage liner or serious news. I'd gladly pay for the serious news.


Know what? The Post-Tribune announces,, presents news on a timely basis, and no one comments like they do the rag, NWITimes. Eventually people will have to pay the Post-Trib for news from Hammond, which is much more in-depth, and hell, a day or two ahead.

But until then, nada. I wouldn't pay for scum bags writing there. Richard Roaper who I went to school with who doesn't know what the hell to write since he isn't paid to review movies (he was a pansy in H.S.). Jesse Jackson who writes articles as if Martin Luther King never changed things and that "HE's still entitled!" Mary Muffin Mitchell, who can't write one damn article except maybe once a year without mentioning RACE. David Roader who will never tell you he had older parents, had to mow the lawn once a week with a hand-rotary-blade, no gas mower when he wasn't allowed outside the whole summer to socialize, but only to use the manual motor which took two days.

Michael Sneed the good columnist is ok, but life in the city with that gal who tried to take Kup's place is no match. Stella is her name, right?

Forget it. I can get my news on cable if I find nothing worth subscribing to. Chicago papers are well, stupid, although the Chicago Tribune has gotten better now, worth the buck. Or is it 75 cents?

Can''t keep up with the effects of bankruptcies. I think they went up to 75 cents. Mike Royko and Studs would be making a fortune just writing their own newspapers and stating facts and I'd pay #2.00 for their 2 cents.

Bye, Sun-times. Do NOT answer NWITimes survey. Ignoring them will keep the cost down - free online. If you answer, they'll tell the bankruptcy Judge, look how many people signed on for our useless, and borrowed news!

UrRight wrote:

Chicago papers are well, stupid, although the Chicago Tribune has gotten better now, worth the buck. Or is it 75 cents?

The Tribune just Doubled their subscription rates and there is now a class action lawsuit filed against them for just going ahead and charging subscribers without notifying them. Stay tuned as this plays out.