First thoughts on the Telegram kinda-sorta paywall

T & G plans paid website

• It would be nice (dreamer that I am) that this increased revenue stream would allow the Telegram to improve local content and not just stem the losses associated with producing the same stuff.
• People will choose to do without the news if the perceived value isn't there. As I've often noted couple of smaller dailies, the Athol Daily News and Gardner News, charge a ridiculously high price for their content. As much as I want to keep up with the goings-on in the north county, $80-100/year is more than I'm willing to pay.  
• In a typical newspaper, the advertising pays for the content and the price at the newsstand or paid for home delivery pays for just that - delivery. It's fair to expect newspapers to be able to recoup production costs on web versions, but web content delivery is an order of magnitude less expensive than print production. (It might be even be less.) As a result, prices for web delivery should be that much less expensive than print versions.
  
• This threshold-payment system is a reasonable compromise for the casual reader, as is the offer of free access for print subscribers. 
• Keeping obituaries and local blogs (ahem) free is a good thing. I suspect that there are a lot of web readers who used to live in the Worcester area or who are part-time residents (snowbirds) who rely on the obits as an important connection to the area.