Reuters reports that Rupert Murdoch, whose company News Corp is in the process of acquiring the Wall Street Journal, is making preliminary plans to stop charging users to access content on the newspaper's website:

He reiterated his proposal to make the Wall Street Journal's Web site free, rejecting criticism that it would hurt the newspaper. Analysts have said a free wsj.com could be a risky move as the site is a rare Internet property that has managed to attract paying customers.

Murdoch said making the site, which currently charges a annual subscription fee of $99, freely available online would help boost viewership and revenue globally.

"Will you lose $50 million to $100 million in revenue? I don't think so," Murdoch said. "If the site is good, you'll get much more."

One has to assume that the success or failure of new free archives on the New York Times website will play a role in Murdoch's decision. The Times began offering a large portion of its premium archive content at no cost last night at midnight.

[Reuters] Murdoch makes case for free WSJ online