ITV and Teletext launch digital Teletext on ITV

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Wednesday 15 June 2005

ITV, the biggest commercial TV network in the UK,and Teletext Ltd, the world’s leading commercial text service provider, have announced the launch of Teletext on ITV across the ITV family of channels in digital homes.

The service will launch on Monday 20th June, allowing viewers on Sky and Freeview to enter Teletext by pressing the ‘text’ button on the remote control via any ITV programme. The service is an important part of Teletext’s strategy to grow its digital audience by making its services universally and easily accessible. Teletext is now able to offer its advertisers access to the majority of digital viewers in the UK.

Digital Teletext on ITV gives viewers an enhanced experience in a digital environment. The launch further develops and strengthens ITV’s digital channels and offers viewers with a familiar and consistent, text-based information service when they switch to digital.

Teletext has been available to ITV1 viewers in analogue homes for the last 12 years, regularly attracting weekly audience viewers of 14 million*.The analogue service will continue until switch-off. The new digital service will feature the most popular content at both national and regional level including news, sport, weather, travel and lottery results, plus entertainment news and features, and content supporting ITV programmes. For motor racing and football fans the launch will also introduce new and exclusive sections on Formula 1 and the Champions’ League.

In addition, full regional content including news, weather and travel news will be available to all viewers. The service will also provide easy access to Teletext Holidays and the new Teletext Cars service. Teletext will break more of its own exclusive sport and entertainment stories on the digital Teletext on ITVservice.

The new digital text provides enhanced benefits for viewers with full colour pages, easy-to-read fonts, faster, easier navigation with more control, plus the ability to view programmes in quarter screen format whilst scrolling through content.

ITV is marketing the new service via its family of channels.Digital Teletext on ITV will extend and complement existing ITV digital services such as 24:7 and its interactive offering.

Jane Marshall, Interactive Controller, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch ofdigital Teletext on ITV. It is great news for our viewers as we can now offer them access to the leading text provider on any platform they choose”.

Mike Stewart, MD of Teletext Ltd, said: “The digitalTeletext on ITV service is now accessible, via the text button on the remote control, to viewers watching ITV programmes on any platform. This creates a more consistent and familiar service, with the benefit of a more appealing, enhanced digital format. From a commercial point of view, Teletext can now offer a stronger proposition to advertisers across all platforms”.

For more information, please contact:

Kathryn Milne, PR Manager, Teletext Ltd
T. 0870 731 3567 or kathrynm@teletext.co.uk

Or

Emma Harvey, PR Manager – Multichannel and Interactive, ITV Broadcasting
T. 020 7843 8338 or emma.harvey@itv.com