Galleries without ads? They have those already - they're called PaySites
And stop comparing apples to oranges:
TV without cable gets you 6 channels? Cable gets you 300? If you turned on the TV without cable & got 300 stations, then of course, why pay?
Local radio has 30 stations? (if that) XM has 150? (as well as Opie & Anthony) If there were commercial free statuon on local radio, then there'd be no need for XM.
Free newspapers are basically "free" because of the amount of ads or they are just starting up - or they are nothing but ads (Auto Trader & whatnot) Buffalo News has ads, yet it charges, has timely news & is just the best thing there is around here. If there was a feree version of the Buffalo News as well as a paid version that had the same articles, which one would your read?
JoeBlow.com charging $5 a month for access to galleries & sites that you, me, Ampland, The Hun, etc. offer for free? Come On!
Love ya