The New York Times yesterday officially pulled the plug on its TimesSelect premium Web service, a stinging defeat for Times Publisher Arthur “Pinch” Sulzberger Jr.’s bid to generate revenue from Web subscriptions.

As reported by The Post in August, the fate of Times- Select had been the subject of much debate within the Times. Though Sulzberger and Times CEO Janet Robinson were advocates for keeping TimesSelect going, several columnists whose articles were part of the service were unconvinced.