One of the most successful and enduring businesses of the last 100 years has been television. A large chunk of which uses such a model. So the idea it will fail is a little misguided.
That model is still hanging on because old people still watch television. Meanwhile, young folks are downloading shows or recording them with a PVR so they can skip commercials. The best shows on television are on premium cable, subscription based, with no commercials. Netflix, Hulu, Youtube are great alternatives.
How are radio and newspaper ads doing? Just because the television advertising model hasn't crumbled yet doesn't mean it's invincible.
You're correct. I may have embellished a little. I should have said "fail for most" instead of "fail". Google, for instance, makes money off of advertising, as it says in the article. It would be dumb of me to suggest that the model doesn't work at all. I apologize.