Newday.com Begins Online Charge

Beginning Wednesday, most of Newsday.com content will only be available to subscribers of Optimum Online, Newsday, or those willing to pay for it. Those who are not customers of Optimum Online or the newspaper - both owned by Bethpage -based Cablevision Systems Corp. - will have to pay a $5 weekly fee. However, nonpaying customers will have access to some of newsday.com’s information, including the home page, school closings, weather, obituaries, classified and entertainment listings. There also will be some limited access to Newsday stories. Newsday described the move as one that would create a “pioneering Web model,” combining the newspaper’s newsgathering services with Cablevision ‘s electronic distribution capabilities/ Newsday.com . More here .

Question: Do you see the day coming when online newspapers and magazines will routinely charge for their material?