—Harding meant 24-hour access to the Times Online site, and not to a snapshot digital replica edition of the morning paper - something The Times already charges £2.50 for.

—Longer-term subscriptions will also be available, but that’s as was always expected (today’s news was really only about the day pass addition).

—Both access models will come along with a relaunch for Times Online this coming spring, a News International spokesperson confirmed to paidContent:UK.

—And the spokesperson again confirmed The Sunday Times will once again get a separate website - though that launch, and associated charges, will come after the springtime Times Online reboot.

We had heard that The Sunday Times was considering putting piecemeal parts of its content - ie. star columnists - behind the wall, but not necessarily the whole thing. But the 24-hour and subscription access models don’t necessarily preclude this strategy either.

Most interesting is how Times Newspapers can effectively operate a Times Online website network that will be devoid of any Sunday content.