Saying it's time for journalists to "bury their 19th-century business model," L.A. Times publisher Eddy Hartenstein announced the paper would switch to "high definition digital newsprint" and charge extra for "premium" sections devoted to sports, movies and porn."We're junking our old subscription system," he said. "From now on, readers can choose one of several service packages, starting as low as $29.95 a month." A basic subscription will include headline news, comics, horoscope and Dear Abby. Premium content – such as sports, weather or a soon-to-debut Playboy section – will cost an extra $10.
Hartenstein, who helped mastermind DirecTV and recently came out of retirement to run The Times, said the Playboy section would be printed on "HD newsprint." For another $5 a month, readers can also rent LAT-Vo, a "digital news recorder" that stores up to two months of content. Critics said the "digital news recorder" was just a wicker basket that holds stacks of old newspapers.
Copyright © 2008 Roy Rivenburg