Would you pay to read news online?

I certainly would NOT pay to access information that is available for free elsewhere. But newspapers like Newsday seem to think that their readers would, and they’re paying dearly for that erroneous thought.

In October 2009 Newsday launched their website Newsday.com that could only be accessed by paid subscription at a rate of $5 per week or $260 per year. Reports state that the redesign and re-launch of the website cost some $4 million, and in the three months that the website has been online, they’ve gotten a paltry 35 subscribers. That’s just about $9,000 in subscription revenue.

The New York Times has plans to erect a pay wall on their website, just as Newsday did. Could the fate of Newsday.com be a sign of what The New York Times might expect?