iTunes Subscription Feature Delayed, ‘The Daily’ Pushed Back
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Is Apple having problems with its upcoming iTunes subscription service? News Corp’s long rumored exclusive iPad only publication ‘The Daily’ was expected to be officially launched on January 19, during an event hosted by both News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch and Apple SEO Steve Jobs, but according to All Things Digital, the event has been pushed back to an indefinite date.
The delay is reportedly related to last minute changes in iTunes, and its upcoming recurring billing feature. The recurring billing feature will allow users to subscribe to publications and/or regularly published content through iTunes, to allow them to automatically receive new content on a regular basis, such as a daily newspaper.
Apple allegedly asked News Corp. to wait an additional couple of weeks, as the feature is not deemed mature yet. Note that this is the second time Apple and News Corp. delay the launch of ‘The Daily’, as the digital publication was initially expected to be released as early as November 2010.
The iPad only publication will be the first for any major media company and continues News Corp’s strong investment in the burgeoning tablet space.
Last year, Rupert Murdoch, said the iPad was a “game changer” for the media industry and rumors quickly began spreading that the company was planning an iPad only publication. The Daily will not have any print or online editions but will instead be exclusively available on the Apple iPad.
The project has been underway for several months and reportedly already has a staff of 100 people working on content and design for the first issue. The staff, according to Forbes, has been releasing mock issues on a regular basis to a list of 1,000 “privileged” readers as the team readies the publication’s launch.
