CINCINNATI TV STATION TO ERECT PAYWALL ON ITS WEBSITE

Despite the fact that newspapers have had a hit-or-miss history by erecting paywalls around their content (mostly miss), WCPO in Cincinnati announced on Thursday that it will become the first TV station in the country to do. The station is owned by the E.W. Scripps Co., which already has installed paywalls at many of its newspapers in 13 markets. The paywall will be limited to “premium” content, the company said, without indicating the extent of such content on the website. Some of it, the company said, will revolve around major businesses in Cincinnati, such as the Proctor & Gamble Co., the Kroger Co., Macy’s, and Scripps itself, which all have their corporate headquarters located in the city. Media analyst Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, told NetNewsCheck.com that consumers will simply have to get used to paywalls. “Charging for content is going to be more the norm as local media companies scramble to support the cost of newsrooms,” he said.