US News Channels to Charge Cable and Satellite Subscribers

It is no secret that online newspapers, like the NY Times, Sunday Times, and Washington Post  are making plans to charge their online readers.  Flying under the radar, however, is a plan by a coalition of US’ largest News Channels, including Fox News, CNN and MSNBC to begin charging viewers who have cable and satellite subscriptions.

Under the plan, each cable and satellite subscriber will be given a “paying box” that will be plugged to the subscriber’s TV.  The paying box will keep track of the shows being watched and charged viewers  per shows.

Contacted about the paying box, Fibeilsen, the company that makes the box, would not comment except to say that the paying box will come in different colors to match the color of a person’s house.

People who are not cable or satellite subscribers will be given  “Non-Paying Boxes” to ensure that they don’t get billed. All they will have to pay, however, is a small monthly fee for keeping the non-paying boxes.

As to the paying boxes, when asked how much that they will charge satellite and Cable customers, a news official, aware of the plan, told us that   “the payment will…