The British newspaper industry is on the verge of an historic schism, a fundamental split in beliefs that will set one part of the business on a collision course with the other. Far greater than the ideological differences that have traditionally set apart the great national titles, this divergence in opinion - over whether the written word should be a free commodity or one that is charged for - will set the news industry at each other's throats. The battle lines became clearer last week, as Rupert Murdoch's senior executives proclaimed from the ramparts, or at least from the luxury hotels of western Europe, their determination to erect a pay wall around the content of News Corp websites. James Harding, editor of The Times, stood up in the Radisson at Stansted airport to tell the Society of Editors conference that his site would begin charging in the spring, with subscription offers that included access for a single 24-hour period. A date had been set.
The British newspaper industry is on the verge of an historic schism, a fundamental split in beliefs that will set one part of the business on a collision course with the other.
Far greater than the ideological differences that have traditionally set apart the great national titles, this divergence in opinion - over whether the written word should be a free commodity or one that is charged for - will set the news industry at each other's throats.
The battle lines became clearer last week, as Rupert Murdoch's senior executives proclaimed from the ramparts, or at least from the luxury hotels of western Europe, their determination to erect a pay wall around the content of News Corp websites. James Harding, editor of The Times, stood up in the Radisson at Stansted airport to tell the Society of Editors conference that his site would begin charging in the spring, with subscription offers that included access for a single 24-hour period. A date had been set.
The BBC has today said it has "no intention" of charging for online news, in a declaration that is unlikely to please James Murdoch and his father Rupert as they prepare to start charging for News Corporation content on the internet.Sir Michael Lyons, the BBC Trust chairman, said the corporation has "no intention of diluting BBC commitment to universal access to free news online" as he outlined the areas director general Mark Thompson's ongoing strategic review will cover.
The BBC has today said it has "no intention" of charging for online news, in a declaration that is unlikely to please James Murdoch and his father Rupert as they prepare to start charging for News Corporation content on the internet.
Sir Michael Lyons, the BBC Trust chairman, said the corporation has "no intention of diluting BBC commitment to universal access to free news online" as he outlined the areas director general Mark Thompson's ongoing strategic review will cover.
Mr Murdoch said free news on the web provided by the BBC made it "incredibly difficult" for private news organisations to ask people to pay for their news. "It is essential for the future of independent digital journalism that a fair price can be charged for news to people who value it," he said.
"It is essential for the future of independent digital journalism that a fair price can be charged for news to people who value it," he said.
But you can choose not to pay it by not owning a TV, and still get the benefit of the BBC's web and radio output.
Apparently part of Darth Rupert's plan is to get money from Microsoft, which is willing to pay content creators who put their wares on sale via Bing.
Which seem like a double fail to me - one of those brilliant corporate dotcom ideas that only highly paid but fundamentally clueless executives could think up, and which will lead to billions in losses a few years down the line.
Or by owning one and not living in the U.K. (or in any other country with a compulsory license fee). I'm glad the U.S. doesn't have such a fee, or they'd try to get it from expats as well....
Couldn't happen to a nicer couple than News Corp and Microsoft. Talk about two birds with one stone! As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
