Bah, humbug!

The New York Times announced yesterday that it would offer a new subscription-based service on its Web site, charging users an annual fee to read its Op-Ed and news columnists, as the newspaper seeks ways to capitalize on the site's popularity. Most material on the Web site, NYTimes.com, will remain free to users, The Times said, but columnists from The Times and The International Herald Tribune will be available only to users who sign up for TimesSelect, which will cost $49.95 a year. The service will also include access to The Times's online archives, as well as other features.

Can't say I like this much. The Times is my favorite paper to read and I particularly read the Op-Ed and news columnists. We'll see how this works out - hope they decide after the readers flee, that this was a bad mistake. But then again, they want to make money, so there you have it. Guess I'll get my Opinion fix elsewhere.