News Corp's 'The Daily' iPad-exclusive publication delayed 'for weeks'

Earlier this week, Forbes reported that Apple and Murdoch's media conglomerate were prepping for a Jan. 19 launch of the new publication. Additional rumors suggested that Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs would share the stage with Murdoch at the event, which will reportedly take place at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

However, Peter Kafka of MediaMemo reported Thursday that next week's planned announcement has been moved back, according to sources familiar with the companies' plans. Kafka's sources told him the plans have been tabled "for weeks, not months."

Kafka's blog is part of the All Things Digital website, which is owned by News Corp.

Though News Corp. executives have been showing off a working version of The Daily's iPad app, a new subscription feature that Apple is building into iTunes is apparently the cause of the delay, the report noted.

A News Corp. PR representative contacted by Kafka confirmed the delay, but gave no further details.

Rumors of an Apple-developed subscription feature for newspapers and publications on the iPad have gained steam in recent months. Publishers initially held off on bringing their content to the iPad because Apple refused to allow subscription plans, a vital part of publishers' business models.

People magazine eventually broke the impasse in August of last year by offering subscribers free access to its iPad application.

After initial interest peaked, magazine purchases on the iPad have slowed as of late. The first iPad edition of Wired, which debuted in May, sold more than 100,000 copies, while the October and November issues sold just 22,000 and 23,000 respectively, according to one report.