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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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7

Murdoch: I'll Charge for News Sites Within Year

New York Post , London Times may join Journal behind pay wall

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(Newser) – If you think you can get your newspaper online for free, you can just think again, says News Corp honcho Rupert Murdoch, who plans to charge for access to his papers' websites "within the next 12 months" in an attempt to fix a "malfunctioning" business model. Murdoch is encouraged by the performance of the Wall Street Journal's website and wants to see it extended to other News Corp properties, which include the New York Post and the London Times. "The current days of the Internet will soon be over," he said.

News Corp's profits slumped this quarter on plummeting ad revenues, the Guardian reports, and its newspaper division barely broke even—year-over-year quarterly revenue went into freefall from $216 million to $7 million. But Murdoch said that the media industry was on an upswing: "I'm not an economist and we all know economists were created to make weather forecasters look good. But it is increasingly clear the worst is over."

Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corporation, said he expects his newspapers to begin charging for online access within a year.
Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corporation, said he expects his newspapers to begin charging for online access within a year.   (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File)
Robert Thomson, managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, attends a morning meeting of news editors on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008 in New York.
Robert Thomson, managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, attends a morning meeting of news editors on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008 in New York.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
In this photo illustration, British national newspapers The Sun and The Times are shown in London on Friday, May 4, 2007.
In this photo illustration, British national newspapers The Sun and The Times are shown in London on Friday, May 4, 2007.   (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
The New York Post and The Wall Street Journal, two newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.
The New York Post and The Wall Street Journal, two newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Rupert Murdoch gestures while speaking during a media conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday Jan. 28, 2009.
Rupert Murdoch gestures while speaking during a media conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday Jan. 28, 2009.   (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
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7 comments
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nick
May 7, 09 6:40 AM CDT
Rupert: You'll lose your ass, charging for your crappy, slanted news, But, as they say, it couldn't happen to a more deserving guy. The Republican message that you continue to spew, has turned sour. Turn your enterprise over to your daughter. It is time for you to, just leave. Reply
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+4
Jojo
May 7, 09 6:56 AM CDT
What an idiot. The "fix" for the economy and failing newspapers is not going to be fixed by charging people for news. You think CNN.com and Fox.com are going to follow suit? You think there won't be a few who pay, and then copy/paste the information elsewhere for "every one else"? How did buying Myspace work for ya Rupert? Was #1 when you bought it and is now behind Facebook, and will probably eventually be behind Twitter? This is definitely a case in support of age discrimination, it's time to retire when you are in charge of multi-million dollars business and can't keep up with the current technology. You need to come up with something innovative, just like the founders of Google (still free) Facebook (still free) and (twitter) still free among thousands of others that are making millions. Reply
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+4
Thinker
May 7, 09 7:15 AM CDT
You old buzzard, your right-wing bs isn't going to work this time. Your audience, the dumbest of the dumb, won't pay for your news. Most probably don't know how to use a computer anyway. You are washed up and your "news" is not worth buying (why do you think you're losing money?) Buh bye. Reply
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0
vendetta
May 7, 09 9:15 AM CDT
Good, enjoy that last nail in the coffin of newspapers. Reply
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0
Yourself
May 7, 09 10:37 AM CDT
HAHA let me know how that one goes for you there Rupert! you know the rest of the media world is going to be following this one thinking to themselves "hey, lets let Rupert do it first in the ODD chance it works.." and they'll just watch him fail himself into oblivion. Which by the way, won't be a bad thing! No more need for FauxNews and horribly slanted media. Reply
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