Teletext helps hard of hearing

Television New Zealand has begun experimental transmission aimed at introducing a new service which will improve viewing enjoyment for the hard of hearing.

Called Teletext, it is intended for daily transmission by next year.

The service, which is free to the viewer, will be of particular benefit to the disabled through the specialised information it will provide, says Mr Colin Hindson of Television NZ’s publicity department.

Teletext takes up an unused section of the signal to transmit detailed information which is displayed on home receivers in written and graphic form. It requires a decoder attached to the television set to enable display of the information.

Several hundred pages of detailed information can be made available and rapidly selected by the viewer. The information ranges from frequently updated news and weather, both national and regional, to travel and consumer and social services data, says Mr Hindson.

Teletext is increasingly used in the United Kingdom to provide captioning of programmes for hard-of-hearing viewers. Both BBC and ITV are stepping up the range and quantity of programmes they are making available in this way.

The choice to watch captioned or uncaptioned programmes remains with the viewer.