Sites in the
networkThis started off as a blog entry but that didn't lend to it being updated - so here it is in Stuff.
Below is a list of the key dates in the life of the BBC's interactive text services. This doesn't cover interactive TV programming, nor does it cover cable platforms (cos getting the dates is harder) but does cover digital terrestrial television (or DTT - what was known as OnDigital and is now known as Freeview) and digital satellite.
BBC Text service unleashed on the world on the DTT platform (date refers to the date that the software became available for OnDigital boxes, and hence the service was viewable by the public for the first time)
BBC Text launches on satellite on the BBC News 24, BBC Choice and BBC Knowledge channels.
BBC Text launches on satellite on BBC One and BBC Two
BBC i-Bar launches on satellite. The bar provides an invision overlay with brief news and sport headlines and programme related content.
BBC News multiscreen services launches on satellite. BBC Text is rebranded as BBCi. Both occur in the early hours of the morning.
BBC i-Bar launches on DTT.
Digital satellite service relaunched with a two tier service - a full service in fullscreen and a 'bridge' concept - a channel associated sidebar that replaced the services existing 'i-Bar' and displays programme content as well as a range of other BBCi content without leaving the programme you're watching.
DTT service relaunches with the bridge, CBeebies and new radio services with programme information.
BBC News multiscreen service launches on DTT with two streams.
DTT service gets a small redesign.
DTT service gets a major design overhaul and becomes faster in the process - read more in BBCi Zooms Along.
DSat service gets page numbers. Find out more in To Tweak or Not To Tweak
Telewest (now Virgin Media) DCable service sees the launch of the News Multiscreen service.
Page numbers arrive on the DTT service.
New look BBCi with new logo and entry point, launched on Telewest (now Virgin Media). See BBCi Rebrand Hits Telewest for more details.
New look BBCi with new logo and entry point, plus some extra content areas, launched on Sky. For more details, see BBCi Rebrand Goes Satellite.
New look BBCi with new logo and entry point, launched on Freeview. For more details, see There's No I in Team (BBCi Freeview rebrands).
New look BBCi service launched for NTL (now Virgin Media) customers, if they are served by the company's Langley network, and only for BBC One and BBC Two.
NTL (now Virgin Media) Langley customers get the BBCi service accessible by pressing red, from BBC Three, BBC Four, BBC News 24, CBBC and CBeebies for the first time ever!
NTL (now Virgin Media) customers in the Bromley region finally get the rebranded BBCi
BBC Parliament on Freeview goes fullscreen. The existing quarter screen BBC Parliament service (and its associated text service) remain for a short time after but are soon removed.
News Multiscreen on Freeview increased from 2 screens to 4. See 100% Increase In Video Choice! (a.k.a BBCi News Multiscreen on Freeview gets a bit bigger) for more information.
Ceefax turned off in Whitehaven
For those interested, the sources were Teletext Then and Now, the BBC Press Office, (the now defunct) Media Bullet and this very blog.