NEWS CORP MAY NOT CHARGE FOR ONLINE CONTENT THIS FIN. YR: CEO

News Corporation (ASX:NWS) chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch says the media group might not start charging readers this financial year to access content on the Australian company's newspaper websites.

Mr Murdoch said the goal of having users pay for content on the media company's newspaper websites by the end of this financial year may not be met.

"We are working all very, very hard at it but I wouldn't promise that we are going to meet that date," Mr Murdoch said during a conference call with journalists on Thursday (AEDT).

"It's a work in progress and there is a huge amount of work going on, not just with our sites but with other people."

Asked about the delay, Mr Murdoch said he was "not prepared to comment on that at all".

News Corp, which owns local newspapers such as The Australian, The Herald Sun and The Daily Telegraph, had flagged in August plans to charge users of the group's newspaper websites.

Other newspapers in News Corp's global stable include the New York Post, the UK's The Sun and The Times.

News Corp also owns the The Wall Street Journal, which charges users for some online content.

The Wall Street Journal, bought by News Corp in 2007, has the largest circulation of any newspaper in the US and WSJ.com has more than one million paid subscribers.

News Corp reported an 11 per cent rise in first quarter net income to US$571 million.

First quarter consolidated operating income, or earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), was up nine per cent.

But the company's newspapers and information services segment reported a US$109 million fall in first quarter operating income.

Mr Murdoch said the outlook for the group was encouraging.

"As we look ahead I am seeing some encouraging trends in most of our businesses," Mr Murdoch said.

(AAP) rw

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