Free news unfair?

You've probably noticed that that more and more U.S. media sites have begun charging for online content, or limiting access just to paid subscribers.

Would news consumers be better served if online media were dominated by a government monopoly that kept everything free? That's the question in England, where the BBC's online arm, BBCi, is being subjected to an official review to see whether it's undermining commercial rivals, the Independent reports.

The BBC's broadcast monopoly ended years ago, but critics say BBCi is building a new one online using a staff of 1,100 and resources that dwarf what for-profit ventures can muster:

The BBC's online content is free to users, which, commercial rivals argue, means that no other operator can charge for similar services. It has not had to cut back its internet expenditure following the collapse in the internet investment market, as the corporation is publicly funded. Its websites are considered to be of high quality.

As PaidContent notes, BBCi's efforts -- which include an ambitious plan to put all of its broadcast archives online, for free -- have raised quite a few hackles among commercial media companies.