FourText
Encyclopedia
FourText was the British
Channel 4
's ancillary teletext
service from 1982 until 2003.
, the auxiliary teletext provider for Channel 4, in the 1980s. 4-Tel occupied pages 410-499 within ORACLE's page space.
When ORACLE lost its licence and was replaced by Teletext Ltd in 1993, 4-Tel moved to its own page space on pages 300-399. Channel 4 enlisted Intelfax to run the service.
In 2002, 4-Tel was renamed FourText. In addition, FourText also launched on digital television.
In 2003, Channel 4 ended their contract with Intelfax and contracted out the service to Teletext Ltd. The new service was named Teletext on 4
and operated on pages 400-499 (which replaced pages 300-399 as Channel 4's page space).
, with either a tone or music playing in the background. The pages were only broadcast on weekdays until C4 began breakfast-time broadcasting in April 1989. It ceased to be broadcast altogether in January 1997, when Channel 4 began broadcasting 24 hours.
Like Pages from Ceefax, On View was originally transmitted as part of the standard teletext feed but made visible to all using an in-vision teletext generator. Viewers with teletext sets could watch 4-Tel on View at any time, by selecting page 466 of 4-Tel. In October 1985, On View moved to page 459, but was not usually available once Channel 4 had begun programmes.
In early 1986, 4-Tel adopted a new method of production for On View, introducing animated graphics to link the usual information pages. The animations were produced using a Magic RITE box and viewable only "in vision"; ordinary teletext sets could not (and still cannot) reproduce them. The animated version of On View did not have a page header, although a page header did briefly appear in late 1987.
From 1983 to 1989, 4-Tel On View was transmitted on weekdays in fifteen-minute bursts, alternating with Oracle On View and the ETP-1
test card. These transmissions were originally broadcast in the afternoon (between 1pm and 4.15pm) as Channel 4 didn't start broadcasting until late afternoon. 4-Tel was broadcast between :00 and :15 past the hour with Oracle on View from :30 to :45. The testcard was shown at all other times. During the second half of the 1980s, Channel 4 gradually increased its transmission hours and in-vision teletext broadcasts moved to increasingly early slots. The first expansion of broadcast hours took place in September 1984, and teletext broadcasts moved to between 10am and 1.45pm with the following schedule - 4-Tel was shown from :00 to :15 and from :30 to :45, the Oracle on View slot was :15 to :30 and the ETP testcard radiated in the final fifteen minutes of each hour and continuously from 1.45 until the first programme which started at around 2.30pm. In September 1987 ITV Schools
switched to Channel 4 and teletext was only broadcast during the morning due to Channel 4 starting transmissions at 9.30am during the term time and 12noon during the school holidays. Teletext pages were shown from 8am until 9.27am during the school term and between 8am and 11.45am when schools programmes were not being broadcast. The broadcast schedule followed the same sequence as had been established in 1984. In April 1989, Channel 4 introduced breakfast television leaving On View relegated to one 40-minute slot at 5:20am. Oracle On View disappeared entirely at this point.
4-Tel On View made what many thought was its last appearance on 31 December 1992, following the change of teletext franchise from ORACLE
to Teletext Ltd. After a six-month hiatus, 4-Tel On View returned in July 1993. It would now be shown exclusively during Channel 4's closedown periods, because the ETP1 test card had been discontinued at the end of 1992.
ITV's Nightscreen
once followed a similar format, but the teletext pages have now been replaced with a more modern form of multimedia and video playback technology.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's ancillary teletext
Teletext
Teletext is a television information retrieval service developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. It offers a range of text-based information, typically including national, international and sporting news, weather and TV schedules...
service from 1982 until 2003.
Content
FourText provided listings and information about Channel 4's programmes, such as previews of programmes and further information related to the programmes. The service was separate from the auxiliary and separately-licensed teletext service also available on the channel. FourText also provided subtitles for Channel 4 programmes on page 888.History
FourText, originally called 4-Tel, was first run in conjunction with ORACLEORACLE (teletext)
ORACLE was a commercial teletext service first broadcast on ITV in 1974 and later on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, finally ending on both channels at 23:59 GMT on 31 December 1992....
, the auxiliary teletext provider for Channel 4, in the 1980s. 4-Tel occupied pages 410-499 within ORACLE's page space.
When ORACLE lost its licence and was replaced by Teletext Ltd in 1993, 4-Tel moved to its own page space on pages 300-399. Channel 4 enlisted Intelfax to run the service.
In 2002, 4-Tel was renamed FourText. In addition, FourText also launched on digital television.
In 2003, Channel 4 ended their contract with Intelfax and contracted out the service to Teletext Ltd. The new service was named Teletext on 4
Teletext on 4
Teletext on 4 has been the name of two different text and teletext services on Channel 4 and S4C in the United Kingdom.-First incarnation:When Teletext Ltd. first launched in 1993, its service on Channel 4 and S4C was called 'Teletext on 4'...
and operated on pages 400-499 (which replaced pages 300-399 as Channel 4's page space).
4-Tel On View
4-Tel On View was a similar concept to Pages from Ceefax, providing Channel 4 with a selection of pages from 4-Tel, for broadcast before the day's programming began. It served as something of a substitute test cardTest card
A test card, also known as a test pattern in North America and Australia, is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast...
, with either a tone or music playing in the background. The pages were only broadcast on weekdays until C4 began breakfast-time broadcasting in April 1989. It ceased to be broadcast altogether in January 1997, when Channel 4 began broadcasting 24 hours.
Like Pages from Ceefax, On View was originally transmitted as part of the standard teletext feed but made visible to all using an in-vision teletext generator. Viewers with teletext sets could watch 4-Tel on View at any time, by selecting page 466 of 4-Tel. In October 1985, On View moved to page 459, but was not usually available once Channel 4 had begun programmes.
In early 1986, 4-Tel adopted a new method of production for On View, introducing animated graphics to link the usual information pages. The animations were produced using a Magic RITE box and viewable only "in vision"; ordinary teletext sets could not (and still cannot) reproduce them. The animated version of On View did not have a page header, although a page header did briefly appear in late 1987.
From 1983 to 1989, 4-Tel On View was transmitted on weekdays in fifteen-minute bursts, alternating with Oracle On View and the ETP-1
ETP-1
ETP-1 was a test card designed and used by the Independent Broadcasting Authority . After test transmissions from the IBA's Engineering Regional Operations Centre in Croydon from 1978 it was phased in on ITV over a period starting from 1979, replacing Test Card F...
test card. These transmissions were originally broadcast in the afternoon (between 1pm and 4.15pm) as Channel 4 didn't start broadcasting until late afternoon. 4-Tel was broadcast between :00 and :15 past the hour with Oracle on View from :30 to :45. The testcard was shown at all other times. During the second half of the 1980s, Channel 4 gradually increased its transmission hours and in-vision teletext broadcasts moved to increasingly early slots. The first expansion of broadcast hours took place in September 1984, and teletext broadcasts moved to between 10am and 1.45pm with the following schedule - 4-Tel was shown from :00 to :15 and from :30 to :45, the Oracle on View slot was :15 to :30 and the ETP testcard radiated in the final fifteen minutes of each hour and continuously from 1.45 until the first programme which started at around 2.30pm. In September 1987 ITV Schools
ITV Schools
ITV Schools was the educational television service set up in 1957 by the Independent Broadcasting Authority, broadcasting learning programmes for children ages 5 to 18 across ITV-affiliated stations...
switched to Channel 4 and teletext was only broadcast during the morning due to Channel 4 starting transmissions at 9.30am during the term time and 12noon during the school holidays. Teletext pages were shown from 8am until 9.27am during the school term and between 8am and 11.45am when schools programmes were not being broadcast. The broadcast schedule followed the same sequence as had been established in 1984. In April 1989, Channel 4 introduced breakfast television leaving On View relegated to one 40-minute slot at 5:20am. Oracle On View disappeared entirely at this point.
4-Tel On View made what many thought was its last appearance on 31 December 1992, following the change of teletext franchise from ORACLE
ORACLE (teletext)
ORACLE was a commercial teletext service first broadcast on ITV in 1974 and later on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, finally ending on both channels at 23:59 GMT on 31 December 1992....
to Teletext Ltd. After a six-month hiatus, 4-Tel On View returned in July 1993. It would now be shown exclusively during Channel 4's closedown periods, because the ETP1 test card had been discontinued at the end of 1992.
ITV's Nightscreen
ITV Nightscreen
ITV Nightscreen is a scheduled programme on the United Kingdom's ITV television network, consisting of a sequence of animated pages of information about ITV's upcoming programmes, features and special events, with an easy listening music soundtrack. The programme is used to fill the station's...
once followed a similar format, but the teletext pages have now been replaced with a more modern form of multimedia and video playback technology.