At Hulu, 'free' may soon turn into 'fee'

Hulu soared to popularity by offering free online viewing of popular TV shows. Now that free ride may soon end.

The Internet video site is weighing plans to charge users to watch episodes of "30 Rock," "Modern Family" and "House." The move would mark a sharp change of course for the venture, which was launched nearly two years ago by a consortium of studios to distribute without charge TV shows and movies over the Internet. The site has spent months studying how to strike a balance between what people expect to watch free online and what they would be willing to pay for.