Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald To Charge For Online Subscriptions

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Fans of the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald who like to read it for free online with their morning cup of coffee will soon have to pay for the privilege.

The McClatchy Co., which owns the two publications, has already instituted digital subscription packages at some of its other publications including The Sacramento Bee, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Georgia.

For those who have home subscriptions, nothing will change. When it comes time for their renewal, they will be rolled into the print plus digital package.

There will also be a digital-only option which will include a mobile app. For those who don't want to pay, the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald will make a limited number of stories on their websites available for free.

McClatchy President and CEO Pat Talamantes mentioned the digital subscriptions last month in a statement in which he said the company planned to roll out the program in other markets in November.

"In 2013, we believe the new Plus program could add more than $20 million depending on a number of factors, including how quickly we complete our company-wide rollout," Talamantes said in the statement.

McClatchy reported profits of $5.1 million for the quarter ending Sept. 23, down from $9.4 million during the same time last year. Revenues dropped 4.2 percent to $287.5 million.

CBS4 is a news partner of The Miami Herald.