Emap to introduce online pay wall

Emap plans to start charging for all of its online content from as early as next week.

The business-to-business publisher plans to implement a paid-for model for all the sites within its Inform division, including Drapers, Screen and Construction News.

The company is expected to bundle web access into existing subscription packages, according to reports.

David Gilbertson, CEO of Emap, said: “We’ve had a free-to-air approach with our [websites] in the last 12 months and our view is that B2B success is based on distinctiveness and a highly targeted audience that will pay for that content. So we’re moving all our sites to a subscription-based model.”

Earlier this year, Rupert Murdoch announced plans to introduce paid-for access for content across News International sites, including The Sun and Times Online.

The Financial Times, which already has a hybrid charging model, also plans to introduce a pay-per-article fee.