OC Register will start charging people to read online

[Brent Maguire]

I don't have a problem with then doing this but I most certainly won't be paying for this. I can get better information from here.

[stormngt]

I subscribe to the LA Times and its only $18 a month.  Not $2 a day!

 

I have no problem with paying a subscription for online newspapers.  I am surprised they didn't start doing it sooner.  The internet has been forcing newspapers out of business, this maybe one way they can survive.

Yep, they do, but I just don't think their coverage is worth $2 a day. I also thought others should be advised.

[monkeywithahalo]

I don't have a problem with them charging for content. I happily pay for places with great, unique content. Hell, I deliberately pay the monthly price at Baseball Prospectus instead of the cheaper annual price because I want to support them more. But $38 a month or whatever for the digital edition of the OCR? Hell no!

 

Why in the world did they make it all or nothing with such an expensive price? The only thing I read the OCR for is the Angels coverage. If they just charged $5 a month to view just the sport section, I'd sign up for it. Maybe I am alone in that because, frankly, their coverage is not great. Fletcher is a good beat reporter, but at the end of the day, he is just doing stories that the other beat guys are doing. Mike DiG at LA Times and Alden on the Angels site provide all the same info. That would mean I'd actually be paying for hacks like Jeff Miller and Mark Whicker, which actually makes me rethink whether or not I'd pay that $5 I suggested.

 

I just don't see the all-or-nothing pricing model working.

[Coachbulldog]

BTW, I applaud these newspapers for doing this.  We can discuss whether we like (fill in the blank OC Register writer), but it is asinine to put sweat into a product and give it away for free.

 

Agree. I subscribe to the online version of three newspapers and have no problem paying to read the content that costs these publications a lot of money to research/cover, write, and publish.

[Angels Never Die]

I can't wait for newspapers to die.

[gotbeer]

I can't wait for newspapers to die.

 

 

Then what will you read when you take a deuce?

[ettin]

Then what will you read when you take a deuce?

Playboy?

[bdavis621]

My bill just went up $20. So long O.C. Register. Don't need it anymore anyways.

[Inside Pitch]

Steve Bisheff was the primary reason I stopped getting the Register way back when, so I've grown accustomed to not reading their work.   I'd still read it at the office when I was based out of Irvine, loved Sam Miller and was happy when he joined BB Prospectus.  Jeff Fletcher's posts here made me consider taking another look at the OCR but, I guess that ship has sailed now.

 

I do wish them well.  The OCR always reminds me of growing up in OC, and as others have stated, their coverage of local prep Sports was always very good.

[Brian Ilten]

BTW, I applaud these newspapers for doing this.  We can discuss whether we like (fill in the blank OC Register writer), but it is asinine to put sweat into a product and give it away for free.

 

 

Except when it is the best Angels fan website - then it is expected to be free.

[nando714]

Stupid move. I will not read anything by the register unless we have a paper laying around at work

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Has Fletcher weighed in on here?   I'm sure he has to tow the company line anyway since he's the new guy.  

 

I'd love to hear what Randy Youngman has to say.   But then again maybe he's bitter he was axed anyway.

[John Smith]

When will they start charging for their tweets?

[Troll Daddy]

I miss the days when the first thing you did in the morning ... was grab the newspaper and a cup of coffee.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

When will they start charging for their tweets?

I wondered this too.

 

They will piss people off to tweet something interesting and relevant only to have it paywalled.

[AngelsLakersFan]

It's the trend for all newspapers.  So no biggie.  But having a pure wall is going to hurt them in the longrun.

 

It certainly wasn't hurting them at the height of the industry.

[katie]

I miss the days when the first thing you did in the morning ... was grab the newspaper and a cup of coffee.

Tell me more stories about the old days, grandpa!

[Pinch Runner]

We have a couple of newspapers up here in Nor Cal trying the same thing. I get newspapers are loosing money, but the Internet has too many free avenues for this to work.

[Chuck]

Ah, never check that forum. Lol. Always just in here. Thanks for heads up

 

Merged! 

[Chuck]

I wondered this too.

 

They will piss people off to tweet something interesting and relevant only to have it paywalled.

 

I'm not sure they can even do that. 

 

I guess that would mean the stuff Fletcher tweets nowadays will be limited? 

[Blarg]

I miss the days when the first thing you did in the morning ... was grab the newspaper and a cup of coffee.

I usually grab the wife and leave the paper and coffee for later.

 

Checking their FAQ the subscription price is $7 a week or $2 for 24 hours. If you choose the weekly subscription they bill once every 5 weeks which comes to $35. I am still not interested at that price but it is $1 per day for the digital content as a subscriber.

 

 

http://www2.ocregister.com/faq/#q3

[Hubs]

I'd like to see the local newspapers get together and offer folks a small monthly fee to read their papers collectively. I'd pay that. I never read an actual newspaper, but that's partly because its cost went up and up and up and so did the ad content. 

 

This paywall model is not going to work. $2 a day for non-subscribers is $60 a month. Who is going to pay $60 a month? Did they have an online only subscription that I didn't see?

 

I don't want the actual paper, just would like to read an Angels article now and again. Yet, a lot of their stuff comes from AP anyway.

[Coachbulldog]

I miss the days when the first thing you did in the morning ... was grab the newspaper and a cup of coffee.

 

That is still my first thing in the morning routine.

[Ballpark Nachos]

The Register has been a joke for a while.  It is always behind the LA Times, the OC Weekly etc when it comes to breaking newsworthy stories.  Absent the work of one or two reporters (Whiting for one), the stories are usually uniformative and cumulative of other news agencies.  I can't imagine that this will be a good move in the long run. 

[2002_halos_II]

I usually grab the wife and leave the paper and coffee for later.

 

Checking their FAQ the subscription price is $7 a week or $2 for 24 hours. If you choose the weekly subscription they bill once every 5 weeks which comes to $35. I am still not interested at that price but it is $1 per day for the digital content as a subscriber.

 

 

http://www2.ocregister.com/faq/#q3

I was a subscriber (daily) for years and always got a discount. When that "discount' period ended, I just requested the same price and I got it:)