Des Moines Register to start charging for Online usage

[AllBig12Drinker]

lol that is the worst idea I have heard.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlA9bNk3b5Q]Horrible, This Idea - YouTube[/ame]

[RhoadsRage]

This makes me laugh hysterically! Only reason I read it is because it's free, otherwise I'll just move on.

[Wesley]

Will not affect my day.

It will not be popular.

[Die4Cy]

24 hour TV and web news, along with craigslist have killed every known income stream for conventional newspapers.

I've always liked poring over the newspaper, since I was probably 8 years old, but culturally, we've changed. News companies that are going to be successful are going to have to change with it.

Why don't they offer subscriptions on an ipad they provide the customer and get away from the hard assets involved in daily printing. THat's where the major operational and depreciation costs all are.

[VeloClone]

When this goes into effect how much will I have to pay for the biweekly "The RAG Sucks" thread on CF?

[gogagig]

The money raised from subscriptions will be used to fund Witosky's alleged sting operation aimed at unearthing the darkest secrets in the Jacobson Building. All $32.40 raised.

[RhoadsRage]

Will they have a big peach screen for sports on Sundays?

[cysocool]

The money raised from subscriptions will be used to fund Witosky's alleged sting operation aimed at unearthing the darkest secrets in the Jacobson Building. All $32.40 raised.

Or will we get Tabloid Tom's investigative articles for free?

[chuckd4735]

The internet killed every known income stream for conventional newspapers.

FIFY

[brokenloginagain]

ever since cyclones.com started webcasting all the player/coach press conferences, the register became pointless. they don't have any beat reporters that do more than just show up for the usual stuff that everyone covers.

randy peterson wrote a nice article about royce white, but espn wrote that article 6 weeks ago. it was a nice feature but it was way to late. it was already "old content" in my view.

[Al_4_State]

I think that if a paper did what the Register did pre-Gannett, they could maybe make it now-a-days by having interesting writers that did stories of local interest, but now that they just regurgitate the AP, its pretty worthless.

I loved the Register when I was a kid. My dad had a subscription, and I read it every day. I learned a lot about what was going on in Iowa, which was an angle you didn't always get living right on the border and having your TV stations split between Iowa and Minnesota, and the Minnesota issues getting more coverage.

[longtimeclone]

I wonder how much they can charge readers to retain them. I don't see this being anymore than $5 a month.

[CycloneRulzzz]

Gannett Building Paywalls Around All Its Papers Except USA Today - Forbes

Big deal. Can't believe anyone actually goes to online version of the rag? I never do.

[cysocool]

Maybe they're doing paywall to make up for this loss in revenue?

How USA Today Slips $82 Million a Year Onto Your Hotel Bill


How USA Today Slips $82 Million a Year Onto Your Hotel Bill - Forbes

[Trice]

Gannett Building Paywalls Around All Its Papers Except USA Today - Forbes

People can mock the Register - and there's no question whatsoever that it is a shadow of the paper that it once was - but these limited paywalls seem to be gaining traction. The New York Times experimented with premium content years ago (Times Select) and it didn't do well. But awhile back they introduced the 20-articles-per-month paywall and from what I've read it's doing well. And, as others have noted, the Ames Tribune quietly did the same thing recently. I wondered if/when the Register would too.

I can't say I blame them, although I also can't say I'd pay for what the Register delivers right now. I get a copy of the Sunday paper from Kum and Go each week and I never cease to be shocked at how little original reporting is actually in there anymore.