Slippery slope

And so it begins. Selling BBC News. Munro and others simply can't see that this makes a universal UK licence fee harder to defend. 

Beginning today, some visitors will be asked to pay $49.99/year for access to news articles, feature stories, the live stream of BBC News channel and short-form video. In the coming months, we will include documentary series and films and podcasts without advertising, plus other exclusive features and newsletters. 

This type of dynamic pay model is used by many media organisations, allowing casual consumers to explore some BBC content and offering more engaged audiences the opportunity to pay for unlimited access to all our content.  

Visitors who choose not to pay will still have access to select global breaking news stories, BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service radio livestreams, BBC World Service Languages sites, and some free newsletters and podcasts.