Microsoft turns on fee-based Net radio
C|Net | at | by Mike
Microsoft charged ahead with plans to turn MSN's free content services into fee-based subscription services, and pledged more of the same later this year. The launch Monday night of MSN's Radio Plus service, reported earlier, is hardly the first of MSN's paid services. The Web portal already charges for its MSN 8 online service, with or without Internet access included; for versions of its Hotmail Web-based e-mail service with extra storage; for its "The Zone" gaming site; for online bill payment; and for greeting cards.
But Radio Plus marks a significant departure for MSN in that it is the first entertainment content to get a paid version. That's an indication of things to come, according to Microsoft.