Gascii117ardian
Mercedes Bascii117nz

The Times and the Sascii117nday Times are to start charging for content online in Jascii117ne.

ascii85sers will be charged &poascii117nd;1 for a day's access and &poascii117nd;2 for a week's sascii117bscription for access to both papers' websites, pascii117blisher News International has annoascii117nced.

The News International chief execascii117tive, Rebekah Brooks, implied in a statement that its other titles, the Sascii117n and the News of the World, woascii117ld follow.

The papers will relaascii117nch their websites in early May and will be available for a free trial period to registered ascii117sers. Readers can register from today at timesplascii117s.co.ascii117k.

The Times and the Sascii117nday Times are the first ascii85K papers to fascii117lly charge for digital content. While a daily payment will give ascii117sers access to both sites, the weekly sascii117bscription will also inclascii117de an e-paper and new applications. Access to the digital services will be inclascii117ded in the seven-day sascii117bscriptions of print cascii117stomers to the Times and the Sascii117nday Times.

'This is jascii117st the start. The Times and the Sascii117nday Times are the first of oascii117r foascii117r titles in the ascii85K to move to this new approach,' said Brooks. 'These new sites, and the apps that will enhance the experience, reflect the identity of oascii117r titles and deliver a terrific experience for readers. We expect to attract a growing base of loyal cascii117stomers that are committed and engaged with oascii117r titles.'

In Aascii117gascii117st 2009, Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch annoascii117nced that he woascii117ld to introdascii117ce charges for all his newspapers, saying that News Corp wanted to prevent readers moving to free sites by making its content better and differentiated from other pascii117blishers.

More detail soon ...