Emap is taking a brave move forward in web publishing by charging readers for access to extra FHM content. FHM.com visitors will be charged £1 a month to access the magazine's High Street Honey's website, online coverage of its search for an unknown model to be a future cover star. The subscription section, which users can pay for via a mobile phone text message, will include a database of photos that didn't make it into the magazine.
"FHM prides itself on being in tune with what its readers want from the magazine month in month out," FHM publishing director James Carter told Media Guardian. "We are delighted with our High Street Honeys competition and look forward to launching High Street Honeys Uncut, which I'm sure is a proposition our readers will be happy to pay for".
High performance car magazine Max Power and stablemate Revs will also have pay to view websites.
When news stand magazines first went online everyone assumed some sort of subscription system would eventually kick in. But the dot.com bubble burst before many publishers dared withdraw free services - those that survived have since opted for an advertising / e-commerce funded model - though some argue long term quality online content will require some sort of subscription system.