MediaCorp Teletext
{{Infobox television channel
| name = MediaCorp Teletext
| logo =
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| established =
| airdate =
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1983|08|01}}
| closed_date = {{End date and age|df=yes|2013|09|30}}
| picture_format =
| network = MediaCorp TV
| owner = MediaCorp
| parent =
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| country = Singapore
| language = English
| area =
| affiliates =
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| former_names = SBCText (1983-1993)
INtv (1993-2001)
| replaced =
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| sister_channels =
| timeshift_service =
| website = {{url|teletext.sg}}
| terr_serv_1 = MediaCorp -
Analogue (PAL-B)
| terr_chan_1 = {{plainlist|
- Channel 5
- Channel 8
- Channel NewsAsia
}}
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| online_serv_1 =
| online_chan_1 =
| 3gmobile serv 1 =
}}
MediaCorp Teletext was a Singaporean teletext information service provided by MediaCorp. It was carried on MediaCorp's Channel 5, Channel 8 and Channel NewsAsia. On top of the standard information carried by most teletext providers, it also carried information unique to Singapore, such as COE and ERP rates, announcements from selected ministries in Singapore and lottery results.
The service was also accessible over the Internet since 1999 until its shutdown in 2013.
History
The Singapore Broadcasting Corporation was studying the feasilbility of a teletext service as early as November 1982. Tenders were given to thirty television sets capable to receive such signals{{cite web |date=5 November 1982 |title=Plan to provide instant information on TV |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19821105-1.2.12.6?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=The Business Times |via=NewspaperSG}} By January, SBC was aiming at a possible 1 May launch date. Studies were conducted in the United Kingdom by SBC's news director Lim Kim Tian and since the inception of teletext services in the UK, the corporation (at the time RTS) was monitoring the growth of such services there. With Singapore using equipment similar to Europe, the teletext service was going to be similar to the ones deployed there, but with minor technical adjustments, the most notable being faster access (two to four times).{{cite web |date=6 January 1983 |title=Teletext service may be launched in May |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19830106-1.2.3?qt=teletext&q=Teletextqt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=The Business Times |page=1 |via=NewspaperSG}} By February, it was now scheduled for "June or July" and was set to be the first of its kind in Asia. British company Logica provided the equipment,{{cite web |date=19 February 1983 |title=Teletext switch-on by June or July |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19830219-1.2.5?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB)}}{{cite web |date=19 February 1983 |title=SBC teletext more advanced than UK's |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19830219-1.2.3?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB)}}{{cite web |date=19 February 1983 |title=Here's the news — at the press of a button |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19830219-1.2.35?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB)}} while the SBC Text staff were trained by Ceefax executive Graham Clayton for two weeks in May 1983. {{cite news |title=Putting the final touches to SBCTEXT |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19830523-1.2.125.6.2 |access-date=13 December 2023 |work=The Straits Times |date=23 May 1983}} The first television sets equipped with teletext were to be put on sale in April.{{cite web |date=27 February 1983 |title=Teletext comes to local stores in April |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19830227-1.2.106.13.5 |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB)}}
By mid-March, SBC Text was conducting test transmissions.{{cite web |date=19 March 1983 |title=Singapore Monitor, page 2 |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/page/singmonitor19830319-1.1.2 |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=Singapore Monitor (retrieved from NLB)}} It was used on both channels 5 and 8 from 7am to 11pm, with 100 sets of pages each, in the 100-199 range.{{cite web |date=19 March 1983 |title=SBCTEXT |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19830319-1.2.130.36?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB)}}
The definitive launch date for the service, 1 August 1983, was announced on 5 June.{{cite web |date=5 June 1983 |title=Teletext in 2 months |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19830605-1.2.32.1?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB)}} Technical concerns were raised, especially in the CBD area, of ghosting issues.{{cite web |date=5 June 1983 |title=SBCTEXT could cause ghosting |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singmonitor19830605-1.2.3.18?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB)}} On 17 June, SBCText began its trial run, from 3pm to 9pm.{{cite web |date=16 June 1983 |title=SBCTEXT could cause ghosting |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singmonitor19830616-2.2.7.1?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=Singapore Monitor (retrieved from NLB)}}
On 1 August 1983, the service launched.{{cite news | title = Teletext Times | publisher = The Straits Times | date = 1983-07-23 | url = http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19830723-1.2.52.aspx| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130903112348/http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19830723-1.2.52.aspx| url-status = dead| archive-date = 2013-09-03}} The new service saw mixed reactions, with Oskar von Kretschmann having a favourable viewpoint, following the introduction of the service at the Hilton International Hotel, but bankers and stock brokers saw a negative review, as the service was catering more to "the home market" and that the information was a few hours out-of-date.{{cite web |date=2 August 1983 |title=Bankers, stock brokers not excited about SBCText |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singmonitor19830802-1.2.5.15?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=Singapore Monitor (retrieved from NLB)}} By September, further complaints had included lack of instant information in general (compared to similar services in Hong Kong) and limited financial information, but other services were praised.{{cite web |date=18 September 1983 |title=As the text turns on TV... |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19830918-1.2.118.8.1?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=Singapore Monitor (retrieved from NLB)}} Some hotels didn't adopt the system upon its launch due to financial constraints.{{cite web |date=18 October 1983 |title=Cool reception to SBCText from hotels |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singmonitor19831018-1.2.6.8?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=Singapore Monitor (retrieved from NLB)}}
Due to "popular demand from businessmen", SBC announced that the service would start an hour earlier (at 6am) effective 1 February 1984.{{cite web |date=30 January 1984 |title=One more hour of SBC Text |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19840130-1.2.8?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=The Business Times (retrieved from NLB)}}
By October 1984, SBC announced plans to expand the service, whose user base has risen from 3,000 at the time of launch the previous year to 25,000. Still, this represented 5% of television sets in Singapore. The number of pages has increased from 100 to 300, enhancing information in certain sections.{{cite web |date=1 October 1984 |title=Expansion for SBCText with rising popularity |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singmonitor19841002-1.2.5.10?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=Singapore Monitor (retrieved from NLB)}}
The bus guide was removed in 1986 due to limited usage.{{cite web |date=12 July 1986 |title=Very few used 40-page SBCText bus guide |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19860712-1.2.59.1.3?qt=teletext&q=Teletext |access-date=13 August 2023 |website=The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB)}}
The service was renamed INtv on 18 January 1993. The simulcast on SBC 8 was not broadcast due to the technical update being carried that day. The new name also introduced the Newsreel function for news updates and Fastext shortcuts.{{cite web |date=17 January 1993 |title=New SBC teletext service |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19930117-1.2.30.4.5?qt=sbctext&q=SBCtext |access-date=13 August 2023 |website=The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB)}}{{cite web |date=18 January 1993 |title=Page 25 Advertisements Column 1 |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19930118-1.2.51.1?qt=intv&q=INtv |access-date=13 August 2023 |website=The Business Times (retrieved from NLB)}} The revamped service came on the same day Singapore Telecom launched the similar Teleview, whose staff was unaware of the SBCText rebrand. SBC said that it did not compete with Teleview, claiming that both services were different from each other.{{cite web |date=23 January 1993 |title=INtv vs Teleview: Early skirmish in an impending war? |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19930123-1.2.30.4 |access-date=23 June 2025 |website=The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB)}} Its service was halted temporarily on 10 December 1993 after the INtv data lines were wrongly cut. Most services were restored by the end of the day.{{cite web |date=20 December 1993 |title=INtv hitch caused by construction work |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19931220-1.2.59.3 |access-date=24 June 2025 |website=The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB)}} A PC version, Networked INtv, developed by the Network Technology Research Centre of Nanyang Technical University, was publicly released in January 1994.{{cite web |date=3 January 1994 |title=Let the PC monitor your shares |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19940103-1.2.19.4 |access-date=23 June 2025 |website=The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB)}}
It was later expanded to Channel News Asia when the channel was launched on 1 March 1999. From late September 2001, the service became available 24/7.{{cite news |title=TELETEXT ROUND THE CLOCK |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes20010924-1.2.97.3.3.3 |work=The Straits Times |date=24 September 2001}}
Teletext Classifieds was shut down on 1 September 2012.
On 3 September 2013, MediaCorp announced that the service will be discontinued from 30th of that month due to “declining usage”.{{cite news|title=Teletext to end service |publisher=Channel News Asia |date=2013-09-03 |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/teletext-to-end-service/800392.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007045941/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/teletext-to-end-service/800392.html |archive-date=7 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}
Content
Teletext was provided on three MediaCorp channels, with each channel specialising in specific types of information. Teletext on Channel 5 specialised in entertainment and lifestyle information, Classifieds on Channel 8 and business information on Channel News Asia.
| class="wikitable" | |
| Channel | Content (page series) |
|---|---|
| MediaCorp Channel 5 | * News (100s)
|
| MediaCorp Channel 8 | * Classifieds (closed on 1 September 2012) (160s, 200s, 300s and 500s)
|
| Channel NewsAsia | * News (100s)
|
= Teletext Online =
When the service was still online, the Teletext versions of all three channels were available for browsing via the Internet and features a nearly up-to-date version of the Teletext shown on television (delays might be up to 10 minutes). As with the Teletext on television, this service is now discontinued.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130312004722/http://www.teletext.sg/ Teletext Online]
{{Mediacorp}}
{{Teletext}}
Category:Defunct mass media in Singapore