ACMA: ABC and BBC may hamper Murdoch’s paid content model
A new report from the government’s ‘s media industry watchdog is sceptical about whether newspaper owners will be able to make similar profits online in the face of competition from non-commercial news providers such as the ABC and BBC.
The report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority – Changing business models in the Australian communications and media sectors: Challenges and response strategies – highlights the decline of newspaper readership.
Although it flags up the commercial possibilities of paid news applications such as iPad apps, ACMA questions whether consumers are willing to pay. It said: “In 2010, Rupert Murdoch announced that the introduction of the Apple iPad would also assist in the pay-per-view model, saying it was a device that would assist in the development of pay walls. Commentators have also highlighted that the strength of an application-only based news distribution model is that it will potentially enable greater control of the publication and distribution of news and other content.”
But the ACMA report goes on to say:
Went to place an “in memorium” notice in our local Murdoch the other day – the only paper in town.
The cost was 80% up on last year.
Yes. It is in Australia’s best interests that Rupert continues turning the profits due to him as a virtual monopoly.
>”the majority of adult internet users have not demonstrated a willingness to date to pay to access news online.”
And that is quite apart from the fact whether they would be prepared to pay to access Murdoch-created news online.
The Australian is certainly not the only newspaper that offers subscriptions to its online service, I can think of several Australian trade newspapers that have adapted/developed rather successful user pay models for online content in conjunction with their traditional print newspaper distribution.
And by Australian I mean The Australian Financial Review 😛
The day Murdoch paywalls his australian publications, the sooner the better.
The Australian, haven’t read such self interest trite.The Daily Terrorgraph, says it all really.
Bring it on, you Dirty Digger.
The problem with the News Limited is that offers absolutely nothing unique in the online space. Each of the ‘mastheads’ are nothing more than ABC content + gossip sites + a smattering of right wing nonsense e.g. Andrew Bolt.
And when push comes to shove users WILL find alternatives if they have to pay for it.
May hamper?
I used to read The Times in London – I deleted it from my favourites the day it went paid because it wasn’t THAT good.
I don’t understand why News did a separate site for The Sunday Times – I never visited it.
The BBC’s site, iPhone and iPad app is free, really good, and gives me all I need about UK news.
Unless Murdoch can pursuade the UK government to force the BBC to charge for content (unlikely as everyone already pays a licence fee) then his UK paywalls are unlikely to make much profit.
I wish the ABC would clean up its act. It’s getting difficult to tell the difference between it and the biased, trashy commercial media. Whatever happened the ABC Charter requiring it to provide a quality, politically-neutral alternative to the commercials? Did the Howard-stacked Board throw it in the incinerator?