Telegraph plans web charge

Britain's Daily Telegraph is planning to follow the Times and start charging readers to use its website in the new year.

It emerged last night that the newspaper's parent company, Telegraph Media Group, had been working on a plan to boost profits by putting some of its online content behind a paywall next year.

A spokeswoman for TMG refused to confirm the rumours yesterday, saying: "Absolutely no decisions have been made on the introduction of a paid-content model.

"Like all publishers, TMG continually evaluates the developments in the digital sector."

However, insiders said the plans had been in the works "for some time", although it is understood that the Telegraph is unlikely to follow the Times by charging for all of its web content.

Dan Cryan, an analyst from Screen Digest, said: "Newspaper companies are faced with declining traditional circulation and the online advertising just isn't making up the difference.

"It is leading publishers to examine a series of other models, most notably paywalls."

The Telegraph's plans come only months after Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation made the Times and the Sunday Times websites subscription-only.

- Independent