Business News

Billings Gazette to move to online subscription plan

Posted: Jul 31, 2011 10:55 PM by Jerry Makoff - KTVQ Online Producer
Updated: Jul 31, 2011 10:55 PM

BILLINGS - The consumer loves to read news online. The Internet has become a great medium for news delivery. With news websites and social media like Facebook and Twitter, the news now comes to you -- on your computer, phone, or tablet, you now know what is happening when it happens.

But would you pay to get the news on the web? Many newspapers are struggling and are exploring ways to make money after seeing a fall in revenue. Now the Billings Gazette and other Lee Newspapers in Montana are following suit. The Gazette announced Sunday that the time has come for them to introduce a subscription plan for their digital customers. The time for total free news content on the Gazette website is over.

The plan, starting Aug. 1, will be a metered system that will keep track of how many times a reader clicks on a news story, the reader is allowed 20 pages of content free during any 30 day period.

The Billings Gazette and several other papers in Montana like the Helena Independent Record and the Missoulian are owned by Lee Enterprises. The company was warned by the NYSE earlier in July that if it doesn't make some positive changes it will be delisted from the stock exchange after a six-month warning period. The delisting trigger was set after Lee stock traded below one dollar per share for a 30-day period. Mary Junck, Lee chairman and chief executive officer, said Lee will provide the NYSE with an outline of its plans to return to compliance, beginning with steps to refinance its $1.0 billion of debt before maturity in April 2012. The NYSE determination has no impact on Lee's debt agreements.

News-hounds have long been able to consume as much news as they want online for free. KTVQ and Montana's News Station's websites across the state will continue to offer all of our digital media for free.

Breaking, local, state, and national news that matters the most to you, all free. We have the most advanced weather system with live radar, all free.

With the new KTVQ Android/iPhone App, it's now a lot easier to take free continuous news coverage with you. To download it, just go to the Market on your phone and search for KTVQ.

Once you have it installed, you'll get news headlines from ktvq.com, sports scores, weather updates, and video including On Demand STORMTracker Weather Forecasts all optimized for viewing on your smart phone, all free.

Don't have an Android or iphone? Don't worry; you can access KTVQ through our mobile site at www.ktvq.com/mobile. We also provide coverage on our Facebook page and our Twitter feed. Both of those are accessible for free through your regular computer browser and on most smart phones.

And finally, if you want notification when breaking news happens in our area or when severe weather is approaching, you can sign up for the new free KTVQ Text Alerts. It's very simple to sign up; just text Q2News to 95730.

Thanks for making ktvq.com your source for Free Continuous News Coverage.

We want your feedback... please tell us what you want or what we can do better online. Email me at jmakoff@ktvq.com