Freedom Communications, which owns more than 100 daily and weekly newspapers across the country — including the Alton Telegraph, has selected the Valley Morning Star in Harlingen, Texas as the first in the chain to charge non-subscribers for online access.

Freedom hopes to boost newspaper sales by offering subscribers free access.

An article in the Valley Morning Star quotes Publisher Tyler Patton:

• “It will allow greater value to our many loyal print-edition subscribers by not giving away the news to non-subscribers.”

• “The days of giving content away, which costs money to create and for which we charge our print subscribers, I think, are just over.”

• “It’s something that’s being looked at in this industry by virtually every newspaper company.”

• “We will be the first ones at Freedom to do this. But we certainly won’t be the last.”

The Valley Morning Star article says the charges will start Wednesday. Readers can pay for their online editions by credit card. Here’s the fee structure:

• Subscribers get free online access.

• Weekend subscribers will pay $3.16 per month for full online access.

• Sunday-only subscribers will pay $3.56 per month for an online edition in addition to the Sunday newspaper.

• Full online-only access will cost $3.95 per month.

• Daily online subscriptions are available for 75 cents.