Peachland News evolves to subscription service

Things are changing in the news world, for better or worse, depending on your point of view.

More and more online news sites are changing their business models to ones where visitors pay to read the news. It has been going on for some time now, but the change is accelerating.

Major newspapers in the United States and United Kingdom have put their work behind paywalls. It’s happened in Canada too, with the Globe and Mail, the Ottawa Citizen, the Vancouver Sun and the Vancouver Province following suit this week.

Closer to home, a good number of online sites run by Black Press, including sites from places like the Similkameen and Summerland, are now subscription only.

So it is with PeachlandNews.com. It is a decision that did not come easy and, no doubt, will be difficult for some to take. Frankly, it was a very difficult decision to make, but a necessary one.

Though the move to a subscription based online news service has been worked on for months, the change was not implemented until August 23.

Over the course of the next few days, sections of the website and many stories will only be accessible to registered subscribers. We anticipate the website will be fully set to the new system by Monday, August 27.

Some areas of the website will remain open to all. Stories that are considered life/safety, such as drinking water advisories or evacuations, will be free for the reading. Other areas will be open as well. Once all necessary changes are made, we’ll post a list of what requires a subscription or not.

Over the next few days, we will be working to put all sections and features of the website in their proper places where they will require proper authorizations. Several features may take longer and may not be available at all during this time.

I look forward to not only continuing to offer a great news and community information source for our followers in Peachland and throughout the Okanagan Valley, but adding new, exciting features to the website to enhance the experience for members.

I know not all of this website’s regular visitors will like this change. It is my hope that they, over time, come to understand.

– Dave Preston

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