NY Times to charge fee for online content in '11

The New York Times says it will charge non-print subscribers for full access to its Web site starting in 2011.

The Associated Press terms the decision "a risky move aimed at drawing more revenue online without driving away advertisers that want the biggest possible audience."

The AP said the Times said will allow free access to a certain number of articles and charge users for additional content. Print subscribers would continue to have free access to the Times' website.

The Times charged for access to its Web site in 1996 but attracted only about 4,000 subscribers, the AP reported. Another experiment called Times Select, which required a $50 annual subscription to read Times columnists, drew 221,000 customers but was scrapped in 2007 because it dented ad sales, AP reported.

Click on the headline for the AP article.