We’ve had several emails on the subject of business news and share information on the BBC ‘Red Button’ Interactive service. Hopefully this page will help to answer some of the common questions we’ve received
Where’s the business news on BBC Interactive?
Ian Pitt asked us the following: “I use Ceefax all day to watch share prices, sport details etc. This gives me a comprehensive view for all the things I want. How will I be able to continue this once it becomes digital?”
To access the BBC Business News Text service, you will need a digital TV service such as Freeview, Sky, Virgin, BT Vision or Freesat.
To get to the service, tune to a BBC TV channel, such as BBC One, and press the Red button on your digital TV remote control. Then type in the number 200, and press enter. This will take you to the main Business News page, where you will find:
- Business News
- Share Prices
- Markets
- Foreign Exchange
- Loans and Hones
- Savings
- Premium Bonds
- Farm Prices
Share information on BBC Red Button
As above, you will need a digital TV services such as Freeview BT Vision, Sky, Freesat or Virgin. Tune to BBC One, press the Red button, and enter 220 as the page number. Here is a screenshot demonstrating what you should see for share prices:
At the time of writing, the service offers the top 350 share prices, as well as top shares and biggest winners and losers. The main Business index is on page 200.
The Old BBC Ceefax Service
As you’re probably aware, the old analogue Ceefax service is to be phased out by October 2012, when the UK Digital Switchover completes. Most parts of the UK have already lost the service, and the ITV equivalent Teletext, ceased some time back. For old time’s sake, here’s a reminder of what the old Ceefax business news looked like:
I don’t like the new service
You’re not alone. We’ve heard from several people not keen on the level of information offered by the BBC Interactive service, compared to the old Ceefax service.
As an example, here’s a email received from Trevor Fox: The BBC Teletext service is very poor compared with analogue Ceefax. I have seen many criticisms. Mine is the very reduced coverage of stock and shares. What is offered is virtually useless to any serious investor. The service has gone backwards. I would like to think that an effort could be made to bring it up to the Ceefax standard”
The best advice that we can offer, is to complain to the BBC. If enough people complain and make their voices heard, the BBC may be encouraged to make changes.
Here’s how you can let the BBC know your thoughts on the BBC Digital Text service:
- By email: digital.text@bbc.co.uk
- By post: BBC Information, P.O Box 1922, Darlington DL3 0UR
- By phone: 0730 010 0222
With the coming of digital we lost the majority of the financial pages, he chess and much else.
I don’t trust you any more, I only expect more American pap like America has got talent, Judge Judy
and more banal and frankly nasty genocidal Westerns, Sex in the City, Sadistic Prison dramas, peverted hi school stories . Fantasies about America won the war, There glorious atrocities against the peoples of the Far East. There is a lot of scope here for saving a lot of money.
Cutting out this would enable you to provide space for some home grown talent and worthwhile information.
Bob Saxton