Pacific Paywall: LA Times Online Adds Subscription Fee in March

Image via WikipediaBeginning March 5, visitors to the Los Angeles Times online edition can only read 15 free articles a month before having to pony up for a subscription.

After a special introductory four-week subscription rate of 99 cents, online readers will be asked to pay $1.99 a week to read the Times' daily and Sunday edition, the paper announced last Friday. Subscribers to the print version of the daily can access the online edition free of charge. Digital-only viewing cost $3.99 a week.

Besides erecting a paywall, the Times print version is consolidating its Food, Home and Health sections into a Saturday "Lifestyle" section.