Other News Sources Wait to See if Robert Murdoch's Times Gamble Pays Off

The Times' decision to charge for online content could deter many of its readers, a new study shows.

Conducted by Entertainment Media Research and published by media law firm Wiggin, the survey found that 90 per cent of the site's audience could be lost.  Only nine per cent of those questioned said they would be willing to pay the £2 needed for a week of access, or £1 for just 24 hours of browsing.

However, the newspaper and its sister publication the Sunday Times believe the new paywall will lead to continuing success.  "We know that people will pay for The Times, because they do. This is just about making sure they do so on all our platforms," said Daniel Finkelstein, the executive editor of The Times.

Respondents to the survey said they would be more likely to pay for news content supplied by the BBC than any of the UK's major newspapers.

The competition from sites still offering free news access could also create further problems for the Times, the company suggested.

Users of the Times website had to pay the charges as of June 2010 when two new sites, thetimes.co.uk and sundaytimes.co.uk, were officially launched.