SVT Text

SVT Text is the teletext service of Sveriges Television. It started broadcasting on 12 March 1979 as the first regular teletext service outside of the United Kingdom.

Content includes program listings, news, sports results, film reviews and more. At night, due to a drop in staff, the TT news agency is in charge of coverage. The service is also available online at SVT's website and as a mobile application, the last of which operated by a third party.

History

SVT Text opened on 12 March 1979 with the subtitling function; Torbjörn Jacobsson worked at the service from November 1980 (at which time there were only 18,000 teletext-capable sets in Sweden) until his retirement on 30 April 2017. Before the advent of digital technologies, an estimated three million viewers accessed the service daily; by 2014, it had fallen to two million; its online copy was among the most visited websites in Sweden.

On 4 March 2005, the service erroneously said for a few hours that Pope John Paul II died, weeks before he actually did. It was confirmed that the early obituary was due to his illness, which eases preparation for the event of the death of a personality.

Despite its popularity, some sections, as of 2017, were known for their lack of updates, and there is normally one person in charge of the news and sports sections. The most popular pages are the homepage (page 100) and the sports results service (page 377). As of 2018, it was the world's oldest active teletext service still in operation, with one out of six Swedes accessing it. In March 2019, it celebrated its fortieth anniversary.

In September 2022, SVT Text closed its business and stock market pages due to high licensing costs. Only the closing prices for each day are reported.

As of January 2024, there are still people trusting the service, as it is a source of straightforward information. Plans for its 45th anniversary were being made. Carl-Johan Svensson, a history teacher at the Jönköping University, made a book on the history of teletext for the occasion. Erik Aldaeus, who has been working since 2001, is surprised that the service still has its followers, in a time where push notifications are commonplace.

References

  1. ↑ Dan Edström (12 March 2014). "8 saker vi gjorde på text-tv på den tiden då text-tv var det enda vi kunde roa oss med". Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 28 October 2026.
  2. 1 2 Örjan Magnusson, Nu sluttar Mr. Text TV, SVT Nyheter, 30 April 2017, retrieved 28 October 2026, archived 3 May 2017
  3. ↑ "Text-tv:s app i topp". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). 2 February 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2026.
  4. 1 2 SVT:s text-TV fyller 35 år, SVT Nyheter, 12 March 2014, retrieved 28 October 2026
  5. ↑ Här tar SVT död på påven, Expressen, 4 March 2005, retrieved 28 October 2026, archived 9 May 2017
  6. 1 2 3 Vett och etikett kring vatten, livejazz och toppmöten över telefon (see 19 minutes 10 seconds in), Nordegren & Epstein i P1, Sveriges Radio, 2 May 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2026.
  7. 1 2 Röjd källa sätter ljus på tipshantering, servil SVT-sändning från Nobelbankett, personliga nyheter hos Mittmedia och text-TV som står sig (see 26 minutes and 50 seconds in), Medierna, Sveriges Radio, 8 December 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2026.
  8. ↑ "SVT Text fyller 40 år | Text TV Utvecklingsblogg". texttv.nu. Retrieved 28 October 2026.
  9. ↑ "Ekonomisidorna borttagna från text-tv". Dagens PS (in Swedish). 21 September 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2026.
  10. ↑ Miranda Bryant, Teletext lives on in Sweden thanks to nostalgia and trusted content, The Guardian, 11 January 2024, retrieved 29 October 2026
  11. ↑ Text-tv fyller 45 år – men hur länge kommer mediet att överleva?, TV4, 10 August 2024, retrieved 29 October 2026