CorpComms Magazine

The Financial Times today announced the launch of a new online press cutting service enabling users to access digital images of FT articles as they appeared on the printed page.

After a period of consultation with customers and stakeholders, the broadsheet is consolidating its digital licensing and offering FT direct licence holders unlimited access to online content for a flat annual fee.

The move marks the end of the Newspaper Licensing Agency's role in authorising the distribution of FT journalism, though current NLA licence holders will continue to be able to access PDF images of FT clippings without the new direct licence until their NLA permit comes up for renewal.

The extension of the newspaper's direct licence will allow it to bypass controversial new charges from the NLA for online clippings. An FT statement said that the motivation behind the changes was 'to build direct relationships with customers and ensure pricing transparency and consistency'.

The press cuttings facility allow users to search for articles by author, date and section from all five print editions of the newspaper, set up alerts on specified search criteria and send headlines to colleagues and clients with annotated comments.

Caspar de Bono, managing director of B2B at the FT, said: 'Many of our 800 corporate customers have asked for the ability to search for FT newspaper articles. This new functionality is in direct response to their request. It is also being launched in advance of the NLA licensing changes: as of 1 July 2010, the NLA will cease issuing new licences for digital images or scanning of FT articles.

'We have worked closely with the NLA and Press Cutting Agencies to implement this change. The consultation process we started in February has provided us with detailed insight into how press cuttings are used by PR professionals.'

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