> Update: 5:39pm: “It would have been nice if you pointed out that ABC is only giving out ONE HOUR free of ABC News Now, not forever after one commercial,” an e-mailer says. “ANN is still something you will have to pay for if you want it. ABC is being smart, they are letting their audience see ANN so they know what they are paying for if they choose to subscribe. What better way to draw in viewers. Kind of like what CNN did with Pipeline when it came out some weeks back.”

An e-mailer responds to this afternoon’s note that ABCNews.com is now offering free access to ABC News Now after viewing a commercial:

“Would it not be proper to point out that this is a pretty lame attempt to avoid admitting that the premium service Mr. Gershon promised would change the financial game for ABCNews.com did not?”

ABC first launched a “pay for play” model in August 2002. “Free video is out and revenue models are in at ABCNews.com,” Broadcasting & Cable reported. Bernard Gershon, senior vice president and general manager of the ABC News Digital Media Group, said at the time:

“I think that Internet users are becoming more understanding of the fact that, if they’re going to receive high-quality content or additional services like an expanded mailbox from their ISP, that they’re going to have to pay more for that. It’s very much like the cable-TV model.”