Ceefax - Technology, Pages from Ceefax

A UK alphanumeric teletext system operated by the BBC since 1974. It is broadcast on the BBC's two terrestrial channels and forms part of its News and Current Affairs Directorate. The name derives from ‘see facts’.

Ceefax (phonetic for "See Facts") is the BBC's teletext information service.

The system was announced in October 1972 and following test transmissions in 1973-1974 the Ceefax system went live on the 23 September 1974 with thirty pages. In March 1980 BBC2 then BBC1 began to transmit experimental teletext pages in-vision before programmes were transmitted, and by 1983 after when Channel 4 and S4C launched, pages from 4-Tel, ORACLE and even SBECTEL were transmitted in-vision before ITV finally transmitted ORACLE pages in-vision in 1987 before TV-am was transmitted.

Over the years the technology became the standard European teletext system and replaced other standards, for example the Antiope system in France.

In 1983, Ceefax started to broadcast programs (known as telesoftware) for the BBC Micro, a home computer from the BBC. (A similar idea was the French C Plus Direct satellite channel which used different, higher speed technology to broadcast PC software.)

Aside from small changes such as the introduction of coloured graphics (1976) and the four-page receivers with "Fasttext" shortcut buttons (early 1990s), the technology has remained the same since its introduction and now has a quite dated appearance.

Since 2006, the BBC has been promoting the reuse of the Ceefax page numbers on the Freeview and digital satellite BBCi Ceefax-replacement services.

Technology

Ceefax uses the World System Teletext standard (originally CEPT1).

Pages from Ceefax

Those without access to teletext-equipped sets can still view limited Ceefax content via the Pages from Ceefax slot on BBC One and Two.

The audio accompaniment for Pages from Ceefax broadcasts typically consists of some form of easy listening music (between 2000 and 2005 the music was typically sourced from music production libraries such as Funtastik, KPM or BMG Zomba - since 2006, the music is now sourced almost completley from Funtastik music, with a few tracks from Sunflower Music), muzak or sometimes a discontinuous tone.

Pages from Ceefax is normally only shown by the BBC in the absence of any other programming.

Since September 2005, there has normally been a gap in the schedule between 6am and 7am (or thereabouts) on BBC Two to accommodate Pages from Ceefax. The last BBC One network broadcast took place on 9 November 1997, although it is still occasionally shown on BBC One Scotland, normally to fill the gaps between opt-outs and The Sign Zone.

The limited set of rolling pages shown on Pages from Ceefax (referred to as a "newsreel") are also accessible at any time of day via Ceefax page 152 (BBC1 or BBC2) on any analogue teletext television.