Today's Media Show on Radio 4 featured critic David Quantick pondering the future, and past, of Teletext. Following Teletext's redundancies announcement last week, Qauntick's nostalgic report questioned whether the service will become a thing of the past when digital switchover occurs.
Teletext has given the masses instant access, albeit when the pages loaded and you could find the 'hold' button', to news and sporting headlines as well as cheap holidays and weather reports. Quantick deftly argued that those without broadband, Sky or Freeview will be most affected if Teletext disappears. A sign of the times we think.
Whilst I undestrand Quantick's points and fears, personally speaking I have found that digital teletext has given it a new lease of life - in my household at least.
The ability to quickly check anything from football scores to travel without firing up the laptop is usfeul and where you previously would have to wait patiently for the pages on analogue teletext to roll around - or worse still it landed you on page 17 of 24, when you really wanted to see the cinema times on page 16 - you are in total control.
Teletext has become basic internet access and whilst we all miss those lovely blocky graphics, the changes are for the better and it still has a place.
Posted by: scott somerville | February 19, 2009 at 08:18 AM