• by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, January 5, 2006

It's no secret that Google plans to monetize video search by charging users to view content. As far back as April, when Google solicited videos from consumers, the company asked uploaders to name their suggested pay-per-view price; additionally, last month Google Video head Jennifer Feikin publicly said that Google intended to sell viewing rights at some point in the future.

That point, apparently, is now.

Earlier this week, some clips appeared on Google Video with a text overlay that asked users to purchase the video to view it in its entirety. While those messages were removed by the end of the day Tuesday, their brief presence on the site indicated that Google's pay-per-content play is fast approaching.

Today's Wall Street Journal reports that Google co-founder Larry Page intends to provide more details this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Among other components, the Journal reports that CBS will provide content to Google for the initiative.

While Google hasn't confirmed this scenario, it certainly sounds plausible. Last September, after Google streamed UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris," CBS Digital president Larry Kramer said at MediaPost's OMMA conference that the network was considering selling its shows online.

And, before anyone wonders whether Google will make a profit with this model, consider the success of programs sold on iTunes for the video iPod. In just three weeks last October, more than 1 million people paid $1.99 per episode to download shows like "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives."