BBC pulls plug on world8217;s oldest teletext service

Former prime minister John Major said Ceefax would be 8220;much missed8221;.

8220;At moments of high pressure 8212; with little time for detailed examination of the news 8212; Ceefax headlines offered an instant window on the world,8221; he said.

8220;From breaking global news to domestic sports news,Ceefax was speedy,accurate and indispensable,8221; he added. 8220;It can be proud of its record.8221;

The Plain English Campaign honoured the service with a lifetime achievement award for its 8220;clarity8221; and use of 8220;everyday words8221;.

Ceefax was launched on 23 September 1974 and promised BBC viewers the latest news headlines,sports scores,weather forecast and TV listings in the pre-internet era.

Its aim was to give viewers real-time access to the information coming into the BBC newsroom.

At its peak in the 1990s,the service boasted 20 million viewers who checked the service at least once a week.

It was particularly popular with sports fans,enabling them to keep tabs on the latest score in multiple fixtures.

Olympic hero Sebastian Coe said Ceefax had been 8220;an invaluable news service for every sports fan over the last 38 years.

8220;I have checked in on many a sports news story,track and field triumph and,of course,Chelsea results!8221;