A Matter of Time

An interesting – yet predicable evolution.

No, not related to St Patrick’s Day – related to online media distribution.

An important announcement was made by the New York Times today.  Something called "digital subscriptions" - paid access to digital content are happening now.  What was once free now requires a subscription to see.

http://www.nytimes.com/content/help/account/purchases/subscriptions-and-purchases.html

I guess no matter what the type of media – the fact is that free only lasts for a certain limited amount of time.  Say hello to digital subscriptions.  The only real difference?  The word digital.

Even the shift from paper to online has its free limits.  Take this New York Times example.  Consumers will all end-up paying soon – once they have been hooked online - and that is very, very good news for the media companies.  Why?  The profit margins for delivering digital content online v. paper bundled and delivered in a truck are incomparable and truly extraordinary.

Finally an end to the age of dying newspapers that for more as long as I can remember had content and an ineffective means to distribute it.  Hope is on the horizon for these media companies – paid subscriptions are back.

As we enter the age of paid digital media think back to what we thought would always be free just because it was online, public and accessible.  The ultimate thought was that the eventual price for the same content delivered via a different type of media would be less.  And as for that dream – once again - dream on.

Funny how is it that things that go around – come right back around again.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you and crying in your beer over all of this media stuff is not permitted.