NYT print, digital staff argue on price

The New York Times is embroiled in an internal battle over what to charge for iPad books, sources at the newspaper said Tuesday night. Those who control the digital side of operations want to charge just $10 a month, but SAI hears that print managers want to charge between $20 to $30 for the same content. Traditionalists at the Times are allegedly worried that existing customers will cancel their print editions if the iBookstore price is lower.

Which side has gained the upper hand isn't immediately clear but may lean towards those running print, as its Media Group head Scott Heekin-Canedy is said to argue in favor of the higher prices. Print circulation currently dictates the cost of a subscription on Amazon's Kindle store and has already been criticized for its high prices.

The arguments for the costlier pricing may be difficult. As cost overhead for digital doesn't require presses or physical distribution, it can charge less while still making significant profit. Up until a partial pay-to-read system goes live in 2011, online users also have complete access to the same articles on the web for free and would be unlikely to opt in without competitive rates.

The Times' chief rival, the Wall Street Journal, is already set to charge for access to its content from within its iPhone app as well as on the web and has historically trained its subscribers to pay, easing many of its own potential internal disputes.

By Electronista Staff