With any luck this will put an end to the “will he, won’t he” chatter about WSJ.com ... WSJ reports that Rupert Murdoch told a panel in Davos that free access to the flagship Dow Jones (NYSE: NWS) site will be expanded but that the hybrid model will remain in place. The direct quote: “We are going to greatly expand and improve the free part of the Wall Street Journal online, but there will still be a strong offering (for subscribers) ... The really special things will still be a subscription service, and, sorry to tell you, probably more expensive.” (Emily Steel wrote that the comments came in response to a question.)

SEE ALSO: Much Ado About Murdoch’s ‘Change Of Heart’ Re Free WSJ.com

Departed WSJ publisher Gordon Crovitz and others have insisted all along that the hybrid model was working and that the best way to make the most money was to mix advertising and subscription dollars. Prior to the News Corp. takeover, the site was already on a trajectory to open more content but was also building more premium products.

Update: Just after we published this based on a blog post from Davos, WSJ sent out a breaking news item with the headline: “Wall Street Journal Web Site To Remain Subscription-Based.” The blog post headline was “Murdoch: WSJ.com Won’t Go Free” but, other than that, the same story. Apparently, sending it out like this is supposed to show it’s real news.