Several media CEOs believe they can create a profitable business model by charging for online content. A recent survey was aimed at finding out if those CEOs are right.

The Forrester Research survey, which polled 4,000 U.S. consumers, asked: “If the Web sites for the newspapers, magazines, and other online content you regularly read were no longer free, how would you prefer to pay for that content?” The results:

• 80% would no longer access those sites if they had to pay
• 8% would want an all-access subscription for everything on the site
• 8% would want a subscription that includes print, Web and access to info from mobile devices, and
• 3% would prefer to pay a flat rate for every article they read.

This is obviously a major knock for the 60% of C-level media execs who are considering charging for online content, according to a recent American Press Institute Survey.

But it may be good news for C-level execs whose employees are allowed an annual budget for business-related subscriptions. Determining whether the sites for some of these publications provide free access to articles could be an easy way to streamline your subscription budget without depriving employees of helpful resources.

But the real question is, should media companies be able to charge for online content? And, if so, what’s the key to developing a business model where consumers would pay for that content?

Source: “New Forrester Report: Consumers Weigh In On Paying For Content,” by Sarah Rottman Epps, 11/16/09