In Australia the 7 Network’s Austext teletext service is to shut down at the end of September, with only Supertext subtitles/Closed captioning continuing to be transmitted. (I wonder if they’ll move them from the current page 801 to the default 100, to make them easier to use?)
Over in the UK, ITV’s Teletext service is to shut down in January 2010.
The BBC’s Ceefax will last until analogue TV is switched off in 2012.
Hardly surprising really. I’m sure demand for text-based news and other information has plummetted since the widespread adoption of the Web. In fact I’m surprised teletext has lasted this long — I struggle to think of anybody I know who uses it.
I do! Sometimes getting off your arse and going to the PC is harder for checking the weather than pressing Teletext-3-4-5
I am really sad to read that Austext will be closed in a matter of weeks. I do not understand the decision as the service still has great potential despite the emergence of the internet. Look at New Zealands TVNZ Teletext Service, a great model which Austext/SevenTel/SevenText once was. Oh I remember the rural pages, the kids pages, lightning tracker, finance share quotes and indices, the world clock and the Australian Airlines and BCC cinema feeds, not to mention the special services of a direct feed from Bathurst 1000 and the seat-by-seat results from the Australian Electoral Commission. When Christmas Day come around each year, all the pages carried the simple message “Merry Christmas from the Staff at Austext..No Updates for Today”. Even Grundig video recorders come on to the Australian market which were programmed from the Austext TV program guides (for all networks back then). I believe that the reconfiguration of Austext (two years ago) brought about the closure of the BTQ operation then with the service automated out of ATN7 Sydney from a direct feed from Yahoo7 and the weather bureau. At that time, the “Austext girls” in Brisbane were no more gone went the greeting pages, on this day in history, TAB, jokes etc etc. Seven’s decision to axe Teletext is disappointing but I guess we saw it coming. Having been a viewer for twenty years and also seen the demise of the CTC7’s Teletext Service, the day has finally come no more 100 index page to greet us.RIP Austext. Surely Seven could have kept this service operating!!!!!
I think it’s a shame. I found the quick news and weather updates really useful…not to mention the horoscopes! Lol.
Its sad that it is gone like what are they thinking shutting it
off it was so easy i still remember Sydney weather 333 so sad its gone i hope maybe another network will have this too.:(