Media executive/consultant Steve Yelvington has hovered around the discussion in recent weeks about whether news sites ought to restore/introduce charging for online content. He has decided to weigh in more vigorously with a post that is more of a warning of hurdles than a green (or even yellow) light to proceed.
In summary the challenges:
1. Bad history.
2. Traffic needs.
3. Breadth.
4. Effectiveness of the ad model.
5. Competition.
6. The lack of unique content.
7. Support costs.
8. Staff opposition.