Okla. Daily Erects Paywall to Draw Subscribers in and Keep Bison Out

Image via WikipediaOklahoma's second-largest circulating newspaper, The Tulsa World, next week will institute a metered payment paywall, the paper reported today.

Those already receiving the print version will have unlimited access to the daily's digital platforms, including tulsaworld.com and the paper's mobile, iPad, iPhone and Blackberry applications. Non-subscribers will be able to browse section index home pages such as sports, business, news and obituaries for free.

However, once non-subscribers have reached 10 pay views in a 30-day period, they will be asked to subscribe, from a variety of options.  For $14.99 a month, viewers can receive a 1-year digital subscription, whereas a 6-month subscription runs $15.99 a month and a 30-day subscription, $16.99 a month.  In contrast, a combined print and digital  7-days-a-week subscription costs $20 a month. Those who decline a digital subscription after reaching their 10 page-view maximum have to wait until the end of a 30-day period before having access to another 10 page views on the Website.

The Tulsa World, based in the nation's 61st largest media market, has been owned by the Lorton family since 1917. Other daily newspapers, such as the Dallas Morning News, have opted for a metered system to restrict the number of free views of locally produced articles before imposing a fee.