Ireland’s public broadcaster RTE has confirmed the closure of its teletext service Aertel on Thursday 12 October.
The move was initially put forward in its Strategy 2024 report, published in 2019, since when RTE has diverted resources previously allocated to the Aertel service towards the improvement of RTÉ’s online services such as RTE.ie, RTÉ Player, the RTÉ News app and the RTÉ Radio Player app.
As of the introduction of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, RTE is no longer legally required to provide a Teletext service.
It a statement, RTE said the decision had been based on three main factors:
The availability of all Aertel content – and more – across RTÉ’s television, radio and online services, including the RTÉ News and RTÉ Radio Player apps, and on other online platforms and media.
Increased audience demand for RTÉ programming and content online and through apps and smart speakers.
Lack of support technology available for Aertel, a limited legacy text service. Many technical components in the Aertel systems are no longer supported by the manufacturer, with further elements losing support later this year. The technology required to deliver the Aertel service has limited availability and is not supported on many newer TVs or set top boxes.
