BBC to Switch off Red Button Text in 2020

[6Foot2]

Link: BBC to switch off red button text in 2020 [bBC News]

 

The BBC is to switch off the news and sport text services on the TV red button early next year.

 

The decision spells the end of reading headlines, football scores, weather, travel news and more on TV sets, 45 years after the launch of Ceefax.

 

Red button text launched in 1999, taking over as Ceefax was phased out.

 

TVs will still be able to access other red button services, like picking a stage to watch at Glastonbury or a court to watch at Wimbledon.

 

"From early 2020, viewers will no longer be able to access text-based BBC News and BBC Sport content by pressing red," a BBC spokesperson said.

 

"It's always a difficult decision to reduce services, and we don't take decisions like this lightly, but we have taken it because we have to balance the resources needed to maintain and develop this service with the need to update our systems to give people even better internet-based services.

 

"Viewers can still access this information on the BBC website, BBC News and Sport mobile apps - as well as 24-hour news on the BBC News Channel."

[XiJ]

I was going say they’ll bring back ceefax after brexit - but I’d love that!

[unixman_again]

The red button text is a poor relation to CeeFax. Every story has to fit into two pages. Sometimes it spills onto three with one word. The BBC take the text straight from the website. There was a story a couple of days ago about the Peaky Blinders Festival that was held in Brum, complete with pictures! There were pictures back in the CeeFax days.

[LeMarchand]

Good news for those of us with elderlies who "press the red button" and then can't get back from that screen.

[6Foot2]

Link: BBC suspends red button text switch-off [bBC News]

[LeMarchand]

Link: BBC suspends red button text switch-off [bBC News]

 

NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How does it affect blind people? Genuine question - it must do, hence the petition, but how does not being able to see something affect a blind person? Or does it read stuff out? (I only see it when Dad has got stuck on the screen).

 

As for elderly people, surely the only time they press the button is either my mistake or because they follow the on-screen message? Then they can't work out how to exit.

[3s-gtech]

It won't help, it'll still bring up the red button menu even after the switch off as things like alternative services will still be on there.

[Lonix]

Soon the BBC will just be one channel with very little else to offer, all live sports will vanish and just be full of country file shows. At least it will have it's 100th reincarnation of Dr Who and Top Gear.

 

While cable continues to enhance it's quality & functions for the viewers, the BBC continues to revert back 30 years to cut costs.

[LeMarchand]

It won't help, it'll still bring up the red button menu even after the switch off as things like alternative services will still be on there.

 

Are you trying to ruin my day?

[3s-gtech]

I do seem to be trolling your posts a bit! Might I suggest you disassemble the elderly relative's remote control and cut the dimple off the back of the red button? Sorted.

[LeMarchand]

I do seem to be trolling your posts a bit! Might I suggest you disassemble the elderly relative's remote control and cut the dimple off the back of the red button? Sorted.

 

Thanks, might give that a go. We tried "simplified" remotes, but he still pressed the one red button he could see - the "off" button.