ReKindling the Times

TechFlash reports: Back when Amazon.com unveiled its large-screen Kindle DX reader in May, Amazon announced that the New York Times, Boston Globe, and Washington Post would offer the device at a reduced price to readers who live outside home delivery areas and who sign up for long-term subscriptions on Kindle. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was joined on stage by New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger -- signaling the Times' apparent enthusiasm for the partnership. For months after that, though, nothing happened, leading some to speculate about a snag in the deal. But lo and behold, the Times is now rolling out the Kindle DX offer. The Columbia Journalism Review spotted a Times email offering a combined one-year Kindle subscription to the newspaper and a Kindle DX reader and cover for a $200 discount.

The total cost of the package is $499. Since the Kindle DX price tag is $489, people who take the Times up on the offer are essentially getting a one-year subscription for free. Amazon typically takes a hefty chunk of revenue for Kindle subscriptions, so this may not be a big sales boost for the Times, but may help bring some former subscribers back into the fold.

Amazon and the Times didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.