NEW YORK — The New York Times says it will charge readers for full access to its website starting in 2011, a risky move aimed at increasing online revenue without driving away advertisers that want the biggest possible audience.
The potential pitfalls have made most other major newspapers hesitant to take a similar step. But after months of deliberation, The Times said Wednesday it will use a metered system, allowing free access to a certain number of articles each month and then charging users for additional content. The Times did not disclose how many articles would be available for free each month or what it would charge to read more.
Subscribers to the print version of The Times would still have free access to the website.
The Times charged for its website in 1996 but attracted only about 4,000 subscribers.
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. Advertisers generally pay more for higher Web traffic.
