View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Publishers
  2. Digital Journalism
January 24, 2012updated 23 Aug 2022 7:22pm

Scottish daily’s website goes behind partial paywall

By Press Gazette

One of Scotland's oldest regional newspapers, the Greenock Telegraph, has gone behind a partial paywall.

While some part of the site remains free to access, users must now pay to access the majority of news and sports stories.

Readers will be charged an initial £2.99 a month to subscribe (later rising to £3.99) to the site, or £3.99 a month plus a free copy of the daily newspaper for one month.

Publishers Clyde and Forth Media said subscribers will get access to exclusive online-only content and competitions.

The news comes a week after the publishers of Britain's best-selling regional newspaper, Wolverhampton's Express & Star, scrapped its paywall after only nine months.

The paper has instead launched a range of digital newspaper apps for the iPad and iPhone.

'A phenomenal number of people, more than 30,000 and increasing every day, have already signed up to enjoy our terrific site, and many of those readers have told us how much they enjoy it,'said editor Anne Caine.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

'We hope that they will see the very modest charge we are making for our terrific content as exceptional value for money.

'This is a very bold and groundbreaking step for a group the size of Clyde and Forth Media to take, but we are confident we are offering readers a fantastic site that delivers all they need in terms of local news – throughout the day."

The print edition of the Monday-Saturday paper, which costs 40p, has an average daily circulation of 14,342 (down 5.6 per cent year on year), according to its latest ABC figures.

In December, Newsquest announced that its Scottish titles the Herald and Sunday Herald had today introduced an FT-style metered paywall model.

The Glasgow-based titlea offer readers up to 10 articles a month for free, but those who want to access more articles are asked to pay £2.99 a month.

In 2010, Johnston Press scrapped paywall experiments on two its Scottish weekly titles, Selkirk-based the Southern Reporter and the Carrick Gazette, after less than six months.

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network