teletext

communications

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

Teletext is a system that broadcasts text and simple graphics over unused portions of a television signal, allowing them to be displayed on a specially equipped television set. Developed by the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1973, it was widely used in Europe, though less so in North America.12

The information is organized into pages that are transmitted repeatedly. Viewers can select a page, which is then decoded and displayed on their screen. Content typically includes timely information like weather, news, sports, and TV schedules. While the BBC ended its teletext service in 2012, the system remains in use in some European countries.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

television
Teletext
Although relatively unknown in North America, teletext is routine throughout Europe. Teletext uses the vertical blanking interval (see the section The picture signal: Wave form) to send text and simple graphic information for display on the picture screen. The information is organized into pages…
Read More
Although relatively unknown in North America, teletext is routine throughout Europe. Teletext uses the vertical blanking interval (see the section The picture signal: Wave form) to send text and simple graphic information for display on the picture screen. The information is organized into pages…
Read More