Teletext service to launch on ITV digital channels

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Monday 10 January 2005

Teletext, a 90% owned subsidiary of DMGT, has announced a 10-year deal with ITV to launch and operate commercial and editorial text services across all the ITV family of channels in digital homes.

The new service, which will be branded "Teletext on ITV", will be accessible on all digital platforms giving viewers in multi-channel homes direct access via the text button on their remote control.

The "Teletext on ITV" service will first launch on digital satellite and digital terrestrial during early summer 2005. The service will include news, sport, weather, travel, lottery results plus entertainment features including content relating to ITV programmes.

Teletext has been available on ITV1 to viewers in analogue homes for more than 10 years and still attracts over 14 million weekly viewers; this service will continue. However, the new digital text services will provide enhanced benefits with full colour pages, easy-to-read fonts, faster, easier navigation plus the ability to view programmes in quarter screen format whilst scrolling through content.

Mike Stewart, MD of Teletext Ltd said: "We know that viewers in multi-channel homes expect to access our services via the text button on their remote control. The launch of the familiar Teletext service on ITV will respond to this expectation and offer viewers a more appealing enhanced digital format."

The new text service will join Teletext's existing services on Sky and Freeview.

Enquiries to:

Kathryn Williamson, Head of PR, Teletext, 0870 731 3553
Peter Williams, Finance Director, DMGT, 020 7938 6631