Murdoch preps The Australian as a paid app for the iPad

David Flynn
12 April 2010, 9:59 PM


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The Australian newspaper looks set to launch a subscription-based iPad edition alongside the device’s local release, marking News Ltd’s first local foray into paid content.


Publishers have been talking up the iPad as a savour for digital publishing, and now one of them – Rupert Murdoch, no less – is making a move into putting paid content onto Apple’s touchscreen tablet in time for its Aussie debut.

A report in today’s issue of The Australian confirms that the paper will be available through a dedicated app “to coincide with the launch of the device, or as near as we can do it, in Australia” according to Grant Holloway, managing editor online for The Australian.

The paper’s deputy chief executive Nick Leeder had said the app would probably be charged as a monthly subscription, noting that “we are very likely to charge and will choose to carry advertising”.

News Ltd’s Wall Street Journal already offers an iPad edition which is free to download but requires a monthly subscription of US$17.30 (A$18.55)

Rupert Murdoch was among the first publishers to be wooed by Steve Jobs in the period leading up to the iPad’s launch and he sees the iPad as a cornerstone of online publishing in the post-Web era, moving away from the concept that content must be free and embracing paywalls and other cost-recovery models.

While Apple has not announced the iPad’s local release date, Saturday April 24th has been tipped by several sources.


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Dan Warne (Regular user):

I'd pay money for an iPad version of the SMH -- I enjoy reading the printed version of it, except I never buy it because I don't find the size of the newspaper very manageable, and I also don't particularly like the amount of paper that builds up that I have to dispose of. I wouldn't pay money for The Australian though -- the Australian IT section is probably the only good part and that's online anyway. The rest of it is right wing rubbish.

12 April 2010, 10:01 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

djsflynn (APC staff):

I'm amazed the SMH has ~still~ not released an iPhone app (I mean a proper newspaper app, not their Good Food Guide apps) - they've got an iPhone-friendly version of the site, but that's it, and I really hope they have an iPad edition up their sleeves.

12 April 2010, 10:19 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Regular user):

We pay for the paper and the content with a print version... One would hope the price is lower on a digital version since you have to supply a fair portion of the media yourself.

12 April 2010, 11:42 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Dan Warne (Regular user):

Ah, but the paper doesn't cost very much - it's the distribution that costs a comparitively large amount. And the distribution to an iPad also costs money unfortunately.

13 April 2010, 6:55 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Nikolaz (New user):

While this discussion is ringed with people calling for free content, and 'how dare you, Mr Murdoch' what most people forget is that news does cost money to produce. I want more news from my information superhighway - not the same news repackaged 500 times. I want integrity ahead of post it now and correct it later mentality. I want dedicated staff working to gather and distrbute this news - and that needs a revenue stream. That said....Mr Murdoch has put himself on notice as the provider of that news - so invest in newsgathering and give us news we can trust and use.

13 April 2010, 6:53 AM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Phil S (New user):

I think the question is, what sort of advertisements will be in the app that we pay for. I know their are ads in the physical newspaper now, but they seem less annoying that the flash based ones from banks that repeat themselves every 5 seconds. I know there won't be flash ads in an iPad app, but i get the feeling that Mr Murdoch won't be happy providing an ad Free service.

I for one expect him to be greedy and try and include the 7 or so ads he has per article on his websites now...And that will no doubt prove to be a mistake.

13 April 2010, 10:07 AM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Dan Warne (Regular user):

Ad revenue pays the vast majority of media revenues, so you can be sure there will be plenty of ads in iPad versions.

13 April 2010, 6:58 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Aubrey (New user):

This will be really interesting. While I actually dislike both Apple marketing and News limited "news", I'll be watching this development keenly. Seeing the Old Media trying to enter the new world while their traditional cash cows starve to death is fascinating stuff. I certainly still use the mainstream press for actual news - but so much of what News Ltd actually dishes up is opinion and spin. When I want opinion, I get it separately from a range of vendors. I suspect I'll probably end up with a cheap news feed from AAP or the BBC and supplement that with paid or free analysis and comment.

I must admit that I don't really understand why I need a vendor specific app for a news feed. I guess that's an Apple thing, is it?

13 April 2010, 11:34 AM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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