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'Boston Globe' Ditching Paywall For Metered Subscription System

Another day, another announcement from Team Henry at the Boston Globe.

Earlier this week, Boston Globe Media unveiled a new website called BetaBoston targeted at the region's thriving tech and start-up communities. Now the Globe has decided to get rid of the annoying paywall on its online edition that was instituted in 2011 by former owner The New York Times. Over the past two years, the paywall had become so encompassing that it often blocked readers who reached the site through social media.

But that doesn't mean that new publisher John Henry, who also owns the Boston Red Sox, plans to give away all the Globe's goods for free.

Under a new metered system, readers will be able to read up to ten online stories for free during a 30-day rolling period. After that, you have to subscribe. The Globe will also allow readers who are steered to stories though social media or online searches to read them for free.

Boston Globe Media said the move is aimed at luring more readers to the BostonGlobe.com Web site, which should boost traffic for advertisers.

And more ad traffic means happier advertisers, and happier advertisers means more ads, and more ads means more revenue --  and so it goes.

Meanwhile, Henry has talked about growing readership and revenue through the launch of several new niche Web sites. With BetaBoston already out of the box, Boston media junkies will be keenly watching for the launch of a rumored second site that will provide news for the world's massive English-speaking Catholic population. With Pope Francis' popularity reaching rock star status, the new Catholic site could prove to be a solid double -- and maybe even a triple or home run -- for John Henry. 

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