The nation’s largest newspaper publisher, Gannett Co., says it’s going to begin charging for online content of its more than 80 newspapers—except for USA Today—by the end of the year, Forbes reports. The model will be similar to the metered system adopted by The New York Times a year ago, in which online readers are able to view a limited number of pages for free each month. That quota will be between five and 15 articles, depending on the paper, says Bob Dickey, president of community publishing for Gannett. Six Gannett papers already have a digital pay regimen in place. Gannett projects its new paid content initiative will contribute to a 25% increase in annual subscription revenue companywide, which will swell earnings by an estimated $100 million per year. Gannett also plans to return $1.3 billion to shareholders over the next three years through a $300 million shares buyback and a 150% increase in its dividend, to 20 cents per share per quarter.
All Gannett papers except ‘USA Today’ going to online pay format
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