Britain: An official handbook > 1993
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BRITAIN 1993: AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
Teletext
The BBC and independent television each
operate a teletext service, offering constantly
updated information on a variety of subjects,
including news, sport, travel, local weather
conditions and entertainment. The teletext
system allows the television signal to carry
additional information which can be selected
and displayed as ‘pages’ of text and graphics
on receivers equipped with the necessary
decoders. Both Ceefax, the BBC’s service,
and Oracle, the independent television’s
service, have a subtitling facility on certain
programmes for people with hearing
difficulties. Both services are available
whenever the transmitters are on the air.
Nearly 40 per cent of households in Britain
have teletext sets and over 7 million people
turn to the service daily: more than most
daily newspapers. The Broadcasting Act 1990
introduced a new regulatory system for
licensing spare capacity within the television
signal. This allows more varied use of spare
capacity—data transfer, for instance—but the
position of teletext on commercial television
is safeguarded.
At the end of 1991 the ITC advertised
three teletext licences—a single public service
licence for teletext on Channels 3 and 4 (and
S4C) and two separate licences for
commercial additional services to subscription
or closed user groups. It awarded the main
teletext licence to UK Teletext Ltd, which
will replace Oracle from 1 January 1993, and
awarded one of the commercial additional
service licences to the only bidder, Data
Broadcasting International. The proposed
Channels 3 and 5 will be obliged to offer a
subtitling service for at least 50 per cent of
their programmes by 1998, with further
increases after that.
Cable Services
Cable services are delivered to consumers by
means of underground cables and are
normally paid for by subscription. Until 1991
the cable industry was regulated by the Cable
Authority, which was responsible for issuing
licences, supervising programme services and
promoting cable development. These
responsibilities are now carried out by the
Cable Division of the ITC. At the time of
the handover of responsibilities in 1991, the
Authority had awarded 135 new broadband
(multichannel) cable franchises, varying in
size from 121,000 homes to nearly 500,000.
‘Broadband cable’, the cable systems
currently being designed and built, can carry
between 30 and 45 television channels,
including terrestrial broadcasts, satellite
television, and channels delivered by
videotape. Cable systems usually carry a local
channel. Interactive services such as home
shopping, home banking, security and alarm
services, electronic mail and remote meter
readings are also possible. Franchises have
already been granted covering areas which
include two-thirds of all homes and nearly all
urban areas in Britain, around 14-5 million
households in total. Regulation is as light as
possible to encourage the development of a
wide range of services and facilities, and
flexible enough to adapt to changing
technology. The ITC is continuing the Cable
Authority’s practice of awarding only one
broadband cable franchise in any given area
so that the new franchisee is protected from
direct competition in the early stages. At
present over L3 million homes are able to
receive broadband cable services and there
are nearly 270,000 subscribers. Following a
review of telecommunications policy, cable
operators are now allowed to provide
telephony services, a factor which has
increased the rate of take-up of services.
Licences are granted, on a non¬
competitive basis, to programme services
which are likely to meet consumer protection
standards and are run by suitably qualified
people.
Broadcasting by Satellite
Direct broadcasting by satellite, by which
television pictures are transmitted directly by
satellite into people’s homes, has been
available throughout Britain since 1989. The
signals from satellite broadcasting are
receivable using specially designed aerials or
‘dishes’ and associated reception equipment.
Several British-based satellite television
channels have been set up to supply
432
Teletext
The BBC and independent television each
operate a teletext service, offering constantly
updated information on a variety of subjects,
including news, sport, travel, local weather
conditions and entertainment. The teletext
system allows the television signal to carry
additional information which can be selected
and displayed as ‘pages’ of text and graphics
on receivers equipped with the necessary
decoders. Both Ceefax, the BBC’s service,
and Oracle, the independent television’s
service, have a subtitling facility on certain
programmes for people with hearing
difficulties. Both services are available
whenever the transmitters are on the air.
Nearly 40 per cent of households in Britain
have teletext sets and over 7 million people
turn to the service daily: more than most
daily newspapers. The Broadcasting Act 1990
introduced a new regulatory system for
licensing spare capacity within the television
signal. This allows more varied use of spare
capacity—data transfer, for instance—but the
position of teletext on commercial television
is safeguarded.
At the end of 1991 the ITC advertised
three teletext licences—a single public service
licence for teletext on Channels 3 and 4 (and
S4C) and two separate licences for
commercial additional services to subscription
or closed user groups. It awarded the main
teletext licence to UK Teletext Ltd, which
will replace Oracle from 1 January 1993, and
awarded one of the commercial additional
service licences to the only bidder, Data
Broadcasting International. The proposed
Channels 3 and 5 will be obliged to offer a
subtitling service for at least 50 per cent of
their programmes by 1998, with further
increases after that.
Cable Services
Cable services are delivered to consumers by
means of underground cables and are
normally paid for by subscription. Until 1991
the cable industry was regulated by the Cable
Authority, which was responsible for issuing
licences, supervising programme services and
promoting cable development. These
responsibilities are now carried out by the
Cable Division of the ITC. At the time of
the handover of responsibilities in 1991, the
Authority had awarded 135 new broadband
(multichannel) cable franchises, varying in
size from 121,000 homes to nearly 500,000.
‘Broadband cable’, the cable systems
currently being designed and built, can carry
between 30 and 45 television channels,
including terrestrial broadcasts, satellite
television, and channels delivered by
videotape. Cable systems usually carry a local
channel. Interactive services such as home
shopping, home banking, security and alarm
services, electronic mail and remote meter
readings are also possible. Franchises have
already been granted covering areas which
include two-thirds of all homes and nearly all
urban areas in Britain, around 14-5 million
households in total. Regulation is as light as
possible to encourage the development of a
wide range of services and facilities, and
flexible enough to adapt to changing
technology. The ITC is continuing the Cable
Authority’s practice of awarding only one
broadband cable franchise in any given area
so that the new franchisee is protected from
direct competition in the early stages. At
present over L3 million homes are able to
receive broadband cable services and there
are nearly 270,000 subscribers. Following a
review of telecommunications policy, cable
operators are now allowed to provide
telephony services, a factor which has
increased the rate of take-up of services.
Licences are granted, on a non¬
competitive basis, to programme services
which are likely to meet consumer protection
standards and are run by suitably qualified
people.
Broadcasting by Satellite
Direct broadcasting by satellite, by which
television pictures are transmitted directly by
satellite into people’s homes, has been
available throughout Britain since 1989. The
signals from satellite broadcasting are
receivable using specially designed aerials or
‘dishes’ and associated reception equipment.
Several British-based satellite television
channels have been set up to supply
432
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| Britain and UK handbooks > Britain: An official handbook > 1993 > (470) |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/204743799 |
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| Description | 'Britain: An official handbook' was produced annually by the Central Office of Information from 1954-1998. There are 44 volumes available here to view. |
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| Shelfmark | GII.11 |
| Description | Three titles produced by the British Government from 1954-2005 describing 'how Britain worked'. They are: 'Britain: An official handbook' (1954-1998), 'Britain: The official yearbook of the United Kingdom' (1999-2001), and 'UK: The official yearbook of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' (2002-2005). These 50 reports provide an overview of Britain's economic, social and cultural affairs, its environment, international relations, and the systems of government. They give an impartial summary of government policies and initiatives, and explain how public services are organised. |
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