WSJ.com to drop fee

It's still not official, but News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch told shareholders in Australia today that he would prefer ad revenue over subscription fees. This isn't a big surprise; Murdoch has made noises about dropping the fee ever since News Corp. acquired Dow Jones (Well, almost acquired; the deal is supposed to go through this quarter). WSJ.com has been about the only successful paid site among major U.S. newspapers, generating $50 million or so in user fees. But Murdoch, who wants to make the Journal an even bigger global brand than it currently is, figures he can do better with advertising. (AP)