News Limited is to start charging for online access to its news websites "sometime next year" with details to be announced closer to the launch.
While details of payment models are yet to be finalised, News Limited director of corporate affairs Stephen Browning said: "At this stage, we think a Wall Street Journal style model – with a mix of free and subscription content - is probably the best model for our websites".
News Limited currently operates a paid-for subscriptions model for the iPad apps for its newspapers The Australian, The Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun.
Browning added that the roll-out would be accompanied by a significant marketing campaign, under the direction of recently hired marketing director for paid-content Anthony Hearne.
Browning also said News Ltd was not planning to deny Google access to its content, once it sits behind a pay-wall: "If we do settle on a WSJ style model, then finding our content through search and social media will be very important. We will announce more details of how we will work with those channels closer to the date," he said.
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