Love 'em or hate 'em, Murdoch's grand proposal to erect paywalls around properties from the New York Post to the Times of London is a watershed event for the media.
As Murdoch forges ahead, competitors such as the New York Times drag their feet on charging for online content. The NYT’s proposed metered model is now supposed to debut next year because its execs say they want to get it right. That’s an eternity in Internet time.Rupe said News Corp. is in final discussions with publishers, device makers and technology companies to deliver an "innovative subscription model that will deliver content to consumers whenever, wherever they want it."
Murdoch envisions an online "windfall." He noted that the WSJ charges $4 a week for the Wall Street Journal on Apple's iPad and he imagines the price will creep up over the years without costing a penny in incremental expense.
Some critics believe Murdoch is an old-time newspaper man who is out of step in a digital world where the bulk of information is expected to be free. That may very well be the case, but at least Murdoch is trying to make an online go at it.
Give the audacious Aussie an "A" for effort. You know that "Pinch" Sulzberger, publisher of the New York Times, will secretly root for Murdoch's online success.
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