Sarah Palin Channel going offline after a year; Palin says she'll make her content free

Sarah Palin's foray into a subscriber-based online channel, where she could connect directly to viewers without a media filter, is shutting down.

The Sarah Palin Channel launched last July, with membership rates of $9.95 a month or $99.95 annually. Starting Aug. 1, Palin says she's making her content free on Facebook and her political action committee website.

In a recent video announcement, Palin said that with a presidential election coming up, she wants to make sure her voice and others are heard by the widest possible audience. She told subscribers she looked forward to continuing to hear their ideas and sharing her own.

The channel was part of the TAPP video platform. A spokesman for the public relations firm representing TAPP said the company doesn't disclose subscription numbers and wishes Palin well.