Broadcast mag looks to paid-for web content

NEWS TV industry bible Produxion.com is the latest dot-com to try charging its users in an effort to wring revenues from its internet efforts - all be it by the back door. The site, which is owned by weekly paper publication Broadcast, is to change its URL to www.broadcastnow.com, and free access to the site is to be limited. Users wanting to get full access to the site will have to sign up to the paper-based publication. For the privilege of receiving all the extra internet-only content, the yearly subscription is to rise £30, from £99 to £129. The publishers of Broadcast said subscribers will get daily news bulletins, access to the archive, and a full email round-up of industry news in the nationals every morning. Without a subscription, users will only be able to access news headlines, an events diary and search for media jobs. However, subscribers aren't going to be given the choice of whether they want to subscribe soley to the web service, or just the paper-based service. Alison Ronald, marketing manager for Broadcast magazine, said the move signalled a new lease of life for the website. "We wanted to be able to improve the content on the site. We're not alone in starting to charge for what is, after all, valuable content." 2001 was the year when the cash-for-content debate really hotted up. Are you ready to pay?