Sbectel
Encyclopedia
Sbectel (ˈspɛktɛl) is the name of S4C
's former ancillary teletext
service. It was named after the Welsh language
S4C programme magazine called Sbec (Welsh for 'peek') which was originally a pull-out of the TV Times
in the ITV Wales
area.
and English
. The service is separate from the auxiliary and separately-licensed teletext service also available on the channel. Sbectel also provides subtitles for S4C's programmes on page 888 in English and page 889 in Welsh.
, the auxiliary teletext provider on Channel 4, in the 1980s. Sbectel occupied pages 410-499 within the page space.
When ORACLE lost its licence and was replaced by Teletext Ltd.
in 1993, Sbectel moved to its own page space on pages 300-399 and became directly run by S4C
.
In 2003, Sbectel moved to pages 400-499 (which replaced pages 300-399 as S4C's page space). This was due to Channel 4
(the equivalent of S4C in the United Kingdom
outside Wales
) closing their Sbectel equivalent, FourText
(formerly 4-Tel), and launching a new teletext service in conjunction with Teletext Ltd, Teletext on 4
, on pages 400-499.
In September 2007 the bilingual digital text service available on S4C Digidol was launched only to Freeview viewers in Wales.
When the first area in Wales (most of South West Wales) completed its Digital Switchover on 9 September 2009, 'Sbectel' also ceased.
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
's former ancillary teletext
Teletext
Teletext is a television information retrieval service developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. It offers a range of text-based information, typically including national, international and sporting news, weather and TV schedules...
service. It was named after the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
S4C programme magazine called Sbec (Welsh for 'peek') which was originally a pull-out of the TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
in the ITV Wales
HTV
HTV, now legally known as ITV Wales & West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England, which operated from studios in Cardiff and Bristol. The company provided commercial television for the dual-region 'Wales and West' franchise, which it won from TWW in 1968...
area.
Content
Sbectel provides listings and information about S4C's programmes, such as previews of programmes and further information related to the programmes. Pages are provided in both WelshWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The service is separate from the auxiliary and separately-licensed teletext service also available on the channel. Sbectel also provides subtitles for S4C's programmes on page 888 in English and page 889 in Welsh.
History / Future
Sbectel was first run in conjunction with ORACLEORACLE (teletext)
ORACLE was a commercial teletext service first broadcast on ITV in 1974 and later on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, finally ending on both channels at 23:59 GMT on 31 December 1992....
, the auxiliary teletext provider on Channel 4, in the 1980s. Sbectel occupied pages 410-499 within the page space.
When ORACLE lost its licence and was replaced by Teletext Ltd.
Teletext Ltd.
Teletext Ltd was the provider of teletext and digital interactive services for ITV, Channel 4 and Five in the United Kingdom.-Origins:Teletext Ltd started providing teletext services for ITV and Channel 4 on 1 January 1993, replacing the previous Oracle service which had lost the franchise...
in 1993, Sbectel moved to its own page space on pages 300-399 and became directly run by S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
.
In 2003, Sbectel moved to pages 400-499 (which replaced pages 300-399 as S4C's page space). This was due to Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
(the equivalent of S4C in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
outside Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
) closing their Sbectel equivalent, FourText
FourText
FourText was the British Channel 4's ancillary teletext service from 1982 until 2003.-Content:FourText provided listings and information about Channel 4's programmes, such as previews of programmes and further information related to the programmes...
(formerly 4-Tel), and launching a new teletext service in conjunction with Teletext Ltd, Teletext on 4
Teletext on 4
Teletext on 4 has been the name of two different text and teletext services on Channel 4 and S4C in the United Kingdom.-First incarnation:When Teletext Ltd. first launched in 1993, its service on Channel 4 and S4C was called 'Teletext on 4'...
, on pages 400-499.
In September 2007 the bilingual digital text service available on S4C Digidol was launched only to Freeview viewers in Wales.
When the first area in Wales (most of South West Wales) completed its Digital Switchover on 9 September 2009, 'Sbectel' also ceased.