Murdoch flags charges for online news

[Swagman]

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Murdoch flags charges for online newsMiriam Steffens
May 7, 2009 - 12:03PM
Rupert Murdoch has flagged an aggressive push to start charging readers for News Corp's newspapers online over the next year, seeking to put an end to the company's profit erosion as advertising dollars shift to the internet.

"There is no doubt that the traditional newspaper model has to change, even though the present situation I think has been greatly exaggerated by the current recession,'' Mr Murdoch told analysts on a conference call this morning, announcing a 97% earnings slump at News Corp's newspapers and information services for the third quarter.

snip

British reports revealed this week that News Corp's Times and Sunday Times combined lost almost 1 million pounds a week in the year to June 2008, even before the downturn started to bite.

Read more: http://business.smh.com.au/business/murdoch-flags-charges-for-online-news-20090507-aw0y.html

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"....Sunday Times combined lost almost 1 million pounds a week" "......a 97% earnings slump "

Murdoch : " situation I think has been greatly exaggerated " ?????

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of a-holes. Keith did a segment on this

tonight. Looks like Fox News Channel is bleeding money as well. It'll be interesting to see where they make cuts. I think it's ironic justice that Rupert spent billions in an attempt to control the media & the message, and it may be coming back to bite him in the arse. Same with Clear Channel.

:rofl:

[lbrtbell]

9. Next time I'm on YouTube

And some moronic Bill O'Reilly Kool-Aid drinkers start trolling the Keith Olbermann videos with their boasts about ratings, I'm going to point out these heartwarming statistics about Rupert Murdoch losing all this cash on his hatemongering "media" outlets. :rofl:

[Amonester]

2. bwah... that repugnant monster is about to ask for bailouts...

who's gonna pay for their absolute horseshit?

[Downwinder]

4. How will a nonprofit status affect their leveraged financing? n/t

[Joe Bacon]

3. Keep losing money, SCREWPERT!

Lets keep the pressure up on boycotting any company that advertises with Screwpert! Drive Screwpert into bankruptcy!

[greiner3]

5. "start charging readers for News Corp's newspapers online;"

Damn, this means 10-20% of my discretionary spending will now go to this monster. And this comes just after World Weekly News goes under. DOH!

[kaygore]

6. Why pay for his lies and manipulations!

[CreekDog]

7. I'm sorry but even when they're free I don't feel that Murdoch's papers give me my money's worth

:eyes:

[jmondine]

8. What's it worth if I can't use it to wipe my butt?

[madmusic]

10. Fire Roger Ailes and quit being a mouthpiece and mindless clone

Maybe then a profit could be possible.

[tanyev]

11. I think he is greatly overestimating how badly people want to read his rags.

[bemildred]

12. So he's going to pay us to read his tripe? nt

[marions ghost]

13. Dear Rupert

You might have reached the downside of your Personal Pinnacle. You have given the best of what you had to give. You've screwed the public and the media world all that you humanly can. You've done pretty well for yourself, haven't you? Nobody can say otherwise. Why not just take this opportunity to retire with the loot? Go out to your deluxe Sheep & Alpaca Ranch out beyond the Black Stump and never be heard from again? The whole world would rejoice! Sound good? Do it!

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