RIP Teletext News

I remember the sad night - 31st of December 1992 when the original Teletext disappeared and was replaced by er.. Teletext.

The precursor to the Teletext we all know today was a system called ORACLE or "Optional Reception of Announcements by Coded Line Electronics".

They did the text service on the ITV franchise. Then after lobbying for the creation of a franchise for the text service on ITV and Channel 4, they found themselves outbid by their arch rivals Teletext Limited. Then we all got the internet.

I have fond memories of such hits as "Now and Next" a simple feature that allowed you to view what was going out on the TV channel you had the text button on and see what programmes where er...now and next.

There was the horoscopes complete with commodore style crude graphics for each star sign and who can forget "Bamboozle" on Teletext on 4 - the "interactive quiz" that allowed you to use the colour buttons if you had fast text.

In the words of ORACLE at midnight on new years eve 1992 "00.00 The End of Oracle, Now the Nightmare Begins".
They werent too keen on the people who stole their franchise.

God im such a geek.

If my Nan were still alive, this would be catastrophic news for her.

I swear she could find *anything* on Teletext, at a speed to rival old skool internet connections.

No it's an icon.

I think my Dad might actually have a heart attack about this, the Teletext was "hit internet" (and about as close to the net as he'll ever get)

Its just so outdated these days though. One of the things it used to be best for was cheap holidays. Now Google is a million times better.

Bascially for every use it had there is an equivilant or much better on the internet.

Sad times though

Yet BBC 2 still insists on having a half hour show on in the early hours called "Ceefax" during which is flashes pages from the BBC2 text service on screen whilst playing lift music. It's competition is "ITV nightscreen" that does pretty much the same but with fancy computer graphics a little like you get in hotels telling you which movies are on pay per view.

Boo, never again will I have to sit and wait for page 4 of 15 to flick back round again.

Neither will I be able to wake up on the couch at 4am to be comforted by soothing tunes and teletext news.