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The BBC is to axe its Red Button teletext service, the last remnant of the old Ceefax, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal. When Ceefax closed in 2012 as part of the digital switchover process, its news, sport and weather stories continued to be accessible via the red button

The extra channels on the Red Button for Wimbledon etc will continue

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/0 ... -plotting/

I often use this to get a sport scores , news , 5 day weather forecast ,etc.

Stuff maybe online but what about the many elderly people who are not online? The Govt. forces the BBC to pay for the free 75+ TV licence so they say it will be restricted to those on Pension Credit. But many pensioners are just over the limit for Pension Credit or have not applied for it for various reasons. They cannot afford the TV licence and the cost of being online. And they are not going to be computer literate either. So the some of the poorest in the country will be faced with losing something they use daily.

It was good while it lasted.

Wrong to axe something many without an internet connection love.

blythburgh wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 17 2019 10:50am

Wrong to axe something many without an internet connection love.

How many?

The BBC news report doesn't mention numbers. According to ONS data, over 90% of the population are recent internet users. Do you think that there are many who are too tech-averse to get online but still tech-savvy enough to use the red button?

pabenny wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 17 2019 11:21am

How many?

The BBC news report doesn't mention numbers. According to ONS data, over 90% of the population are recent internet users. Do you think that there are many who are too tech-averse to get online but still tech-savvy enough to use the red button?

Of all households in Great Britain, 93% had access to the internet in 2019. This was a rise of 3 percentage points from 2018 and an increase of 23 percentage points in the last decade.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulation ... duals/2019

So 70% of the UK has had internet access for ten years or more. That's not recent.

Anyways, I had no idea there was a red button teletext service. Can't see that it has any purpose in 2019.

Constantine wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 17 2019 2:28pm

Of all households in Great Britain, 93% had access to the internet in 2019. This was a rise of 3 percentage points from 2018 and an increase of 23 percentage points in the last decade.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulation ... duals/2019

So 70% of the UK has had internet access for ten years or more. That's not recent.

Anyways, I had no idea there was a red button teletext service. Can't see that it has any purpose in 2019.

Having access to the internet and having the internet at home are 2 different things.

Constantine wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 17 2019 2:28pm

pabenny wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 17 2019 11:21am

How many?

The BBC news report doesn't mention numbers. According to ONS data, over 90% of the population are recent internet users. Do you think that there are many who are too tech-averse to get online but still tech-savvy enough to use the red button?

Of all households in Great Britain, 93% had access to the internet in 2019. This was a rise of 3 percentage points from 2018 and an increase of 23 percentage points in the last decade.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulation ... duals/2019

So 70% of the UK has had internet access for ten years or more. That's not recent.

Anyways, I had no idea there was a red button teletext service. Can't see that it has any purpose in 2019.

Have you ever noticed the text button on your tv remote and hit it? If you did you will find a wealth of information on news (not just headlines but broken down into sections) sport, weather etc.

And 7% who do not have access (maybe more if you count access at home only) are going to be the poorest in society. The pensioners, those on benefit who choose to have a pay as you go phone as that is the best way they can manage their money. These are the ones with no internet access and will be the big loser from this move. We have internet access at home but I still use the text service on the Beeb most days. Do not use my phone often enough to warrant paying monthly fee, not always sitting with laptop on my knees. So cannot use the internet to check on news or sport etc. Could use 'im indoors mobile to get the info but that is his phone so do not use it unless I ask for permission and then only to phone the only person I know who does not have a landline

blythburgh wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 18 2019 10:34am

And 7% who do not have access (maybe more if you count access at home only) are going to be the poorest in society.

Nonsense. A near-neighbour of mine will be 90 shortly. His house is worth in excess of £1m and he has a generous workplace pension. He does not have internet access.