I agree. The problem is that the things I would pay for -- no one else would. I'm the type of person who would rather pay extra for television with no commercials at all. (I actually don't watch TV, but that's just an example).
One thing I'm wondering is: what if Instagram had charged $0.99 for their app? Would it be where it is now? I would certainly pay, but I'm not sure everyone else would. Or even Youtube. Would Youtube have succeeded if they charged for access?