Hulu latest News Corp service to look at introducing charges

by Staff, revolutionmagazine.com 23-Oct-09, 14:30

NEW YORK - News Corporation's mission to end free media has extended to onlineTV service Hulu, which is likely to start charging users from next year - just in time for its arrival in the UK.

Chase Carey, deputy chairman of News Corp, told an industry conference that although there is no formal timeline for the introduction of charges, they could be introduced as soon as 2010.

Carey said: "It's time to start getting paid for broadcast content online."

News Corp is one of the companies behind Hulu, along with NBC Universal, the Walt Disney Company and others. It was set up to be a free service, funded by advertising and tackling the problem of TV companies losing money because of illegally downloaded programmes.

Chairman Rupert Murdoch has, however, signified that free is now out and paid-for is in. Primarily he has been looking at ways of making his online newspapers profitable but the free ethic is clearly out of favour, with loss making afternoon freesheet thelondonpaper closing last month.

Hulu has become vastly popular in the US and news that it plans to start charging was met with dismay from users who are used to getting content for free.

Hulu shows programmes from a vast array of broadcasters and production companies including National Geographic, MTV, PBS, Paramount and ABC. It is in talks with ITV and Channel 4 about the possibility of a UK launch.