New York Times Co. buys Baseline

It's another small but telling example of old media trying to snap up an attractive new media company. Santa Monica-based Baseline Studio Systems has an impressive database that includes box-office numbers, cast and crew credits for thousands of films, plot summaries, celebrity bios, studio production schedules, and archived articles from the trades. Revenues come mostly from subscriptions, which the NYT Co. wants to continue. Purchase price was $35 million in cash. The Times is treading carefully into the subscription model, with its TimesSelect service that offers columns and archived material for $49.95. TimesSelect subscribers won't have access to Baseline.