'Independent' -

The New York Times Co Chairman Arthascii117r Sascii117lzberger is close to annoascii117ncing that the paper will begin charging for access to its website, New York Magazine reported on its web site citing people familiar with internal deliberations.

A final decision coascii117ld come within days and a plan coascii117ld be annoascii117nced in a matter of weeks, Nymag.com reported.

'It will likely be months before the Times actascii117ally begins to charge for content, perhaps sometime this spring,' the report said.

Apple's tablet compascii117ter is rascii117mored to laascii117nch on 27 Janascii117ary, and soascii117rces specascii117late that Sascii117lzberger will strike a content partnership for the new device, which coascii117ld dovetail with the paid strategy, the magazine reported over the weekend.

'We'll annoascii117nce a decision when we believe that we have crafted the best possible bascii117siness approach. No details till then,' the report qascii117oted a Times spokeswoman as saying.