A Public Broadcaster's View of
`
`Teletext
`
`in the United States
`
`Hartford Gunn
`
`Senior Vice President and Manager
`KCET
`USA
`
`Gregory W. Harper
`Teletext Consultant
`USA
`
`a system that
`We cannot automatically assume that
`provides a valuable service in Europe will provide
`an equally valuable service in the U.S.
`The infor— M
`mation communication environments are different.
`
`Instead of a hardware-related‘text-broadcasting sys-
`tem,
`the U.S. should have a flexible data trans-
`mitting system that could be used with sophisticated
`decoders or even home computers.
`Some, perhaps most,
`of the content should be program-related.
`
`F
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`/U’¢<L
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`,.v
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`a
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`.
`
`is coming to the U.S. and coming
`teletext
`Broadcast
`snnn -— that much is certain.
`The enthusiasm we feel
`
`technology
`this important
`for the vast possibilities of
`is rapidly catching on all across the country. Broadcast-
`ers have a serious interest in it.
`CBS,
`for example,
`in association with Electronic Industries Annnviullon,
`has conducted experiments at its station XMGX in St.
`Louis that establish beyond doubt
`that teletext
`is
`feasible in the U.S. And, as we shall explain, KCET,
`the member station of
`lhe Public Broadcasting Service in
`Los Angeles, will soon be conducting some rather different
`experiments of its own.
`
`The question Amerivan bunadcasters and regulators
`must face now is how teletext will he applied in the
`U.S.
`The applications are virtually limitless. which
`ones are chosen will determine the future of
`the tech-
`
`into use, where, and by
`is put
`nology -- how quickly it
`whom.
`We have learned a great deal
`from observing how
`it has been applied elsewhere.
`We are learning more
`every day.
`Our conclusion, based on lhufir'uhuvfVJti0nS
`and on our own knowledge and research,
`is that
`the way
`teletext
`is applied in the U.S. ought
`to be —- must be
`-- different.
`
`the existing
`This conclusion reflects in part
`American information marketplace.
`Thanks to our efficient
`telephone system, Americans have avrsws to vast data bases
`through computer
`terminals. Many businesses and now some
`private individuals can call on data bases as general an
`Tvlecomputing Corporation of America's "The Source," a
`Prestel—like service using standard computer
`terminals or
`home computers, nr as complex as the one offered by
`"LEXIS," a computerized key-word file—search system used
`by attorneys to research legal cases.
`Even television is playing a role in the informa-
`lluu marketplace. Apart
`from the numerous channels broad-
`casting a wide variety of entertainmenl
`and news,
`a rela-
`tively new service, cable television, covering the nation
`by satellite,
`is growing rapidly. Largely because the
`.uUlu operators need to fill their excess cable space,
`they have have programmed full band-width video channels
`with scrolling text, each channel devoted to a different
`topic.
`For example, Channel C in New York carries program
`guide information. Another channel has up-tn—ihe—minute
`news from Reuters. Still another channel has stock market
`
`A fourth and fifth are programmed with competi-
`quotes.
`tive prices of consumer goods.
`A service called UPI News-
`Iime uses slow-scan television not only to bring audio
`reports on the day's happenings, but alsn to provide
`newspaper-quality pictures of the events.
`Ted Turner
`in Atlanta is ready to inaugurate what
`could be the ultimate in information delivery:
`a twenty-
`
`"
`
`'11‘.2.:
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`
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`.1‘
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`fnur—hour broadcast news program with news, weather, and
`sports from around the world and distributed across the
`U.S. via satellite. Naturally one cannot forget
`the radio
`with its round—the-clock news stations and all-day sports.
`Ihe regular telephone also gives access to the
`time, weather, stock market quotes, your daily horoscope,
`or even a joke to brighten your day.
`Americans are beseiged by tons of printed matter
`every day. Almost every organization,
`from the smallest
`church group to the largest corporation, sends out news-
`letters. Most professions have dozens of specialized
`journals addressing issues important only to that field.
`Hf course hobbyists are served by tremendous amounts of
`information,
`from how—to—do—it shows on cable television
`or videocassette to literally thousands of monthly
`magazines.
`lacking to the
`information is not
`As one can see,
`American consumer.
`Take, for example,
`the rotating full-
`page text of
`the cable system.
`Each page is on the Screen
`for twenty seconds:
`ten to write it on,
`ten lo read it.
`A twenty-page cycle would take about six-and—a-half
`minutes for the viewer to read if he wanted to read it
`all.
`lhis compares favorably with a teletext system with
`an average access time of fifteen seconds per page; but
`of course the advantage of teletext
`is that you can get
`the information when you request it and it doesn't
`take
`up a full band-width channel.
`We are not saying there's no advantage to teletext.
`But we are saying we cannot automatically assume that
`a
`system that provides a valuable service in Europe will
`provide an equally valuable service in the United States.
`Ihe information communication environment
`is different.
`
`You may be excused for wondering if we believe
`lhut broadcast teletext has any future at all
`in the
`U.S.
`We do.
`The idea of stretching the present rele-
`vision system to provide a new service is extremely
`attractive.
`The technology is there, and it will
`happen just as surely as broadcasting itself happened.
`what strikes us, when we consider the possibilities
`embodied in this idea,
`is that
`to broadcast a certain
`number of pa es over and over again in the verlical
`iulnrvu
`is a was e o
`spec rum.
`e are convinced that
`a carefully chosen American system must, and can, avoid
`this.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`And so what
`
`is the answer?
`
`How should teletext be
`
`applied in the U.S.? After long study and consideration,
`we believe that
`the best application is a mixture of
`general
`information for the viewer and program-related
`teletext —- a truly new service, and one that really
`puts the technology to work.
`
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`tunes
`the viewer
`with program-related trletext,
`_
`in not t
`
`The
`
`hroadcasts we will come to; but first note the immediate
`advantages of program-related telelexl:
`it adds something
`to the program,
`it uses the spectrum more efficiently_be-
`cause it is broadcasting something new with each new pro-
`gram (and in fact can use the spectrum far more efficient-
`ly than this, as we will show), and it is brand new to the
`U.S., not
`a variation on an existing service.
`Specifically, we can foresee a teletext system
`on KCET that would operate on three levels, all of which
`could operate simultaneously.
`Level
`1 would be a very
`small magazine of revolving pages, say In or 15.
`It
`would be broadcast constantly and would include the day's
`(or week's) program schedule, general
`information and
`local news, and other information about KCET.
`Level
`2 would be program-related notes.
`On
`possibilities here are both obvious and exciting.
`news broadcasts,
`the viewer would be able to read more
`details about subjects in which he had a particular in-
`Iorest.
`For example, we have had floods in California
`and the Federal government
`is going to offer aid.
`But
`what kind of aid?
`To whom? Where do you get
`the kind
`for you? What's the telephone number? All of
`this would
`be available.
`On opera broadcasts,
`the viewer could call
`up detailed program notes,
`just_as if he were watching in
`person.
`The possibilities for sports programs are also
`interesting.
`So great
`is the American sports fan's appe-
`tite for statistics that
`a Leletext service packed with
`statistics related In the event being broadcast would
`surely be an instant success.
`These are just three ex-
`amples of what could be done with Level 2, program-relat-
`~4 mules.
`It's clear that one could program interesting,
`useful notes for every program on the air.
`is viewer in-
`Level
`3 is the most
`intriguing.
`It
`form, viewers
`teraction with the program.
`In its simplest
`could be given a multiple-choice question, with each
`choice corresponding to a teletext page.
`when the viewer
`pushes the number representing the answer of his choice,
`he sees whether he was right and,
`if he was wrong, an ex-
`planation of why.
`Since only a few pages would need to
`be broadcast, and only at
`the precise moment
`in the pro-
`gram when they were nouded, access to any one of
`them
`would be virtually instantaneous.
`,V
`Another means of interaction is somewhat more com-
`plex and requires a more sophisticated decoder.
`Suppose,
`as an example,
`that your daughter is learning the word
`"smile" on the children's program Sesame Street, but
`she has not quite got it.
`She asks the set for help.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
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`I
`
`it pro-
`It not only spells the word lelteq by letter,
`the
`nounces it for her as well.
`Or
`imagine an episode of
`opular American public television ro
`m on Efie stock
`market ana American economy Wall Street Week on the sub-
`'ecE of How an investor should analyze his ortfolio.
`As
`
`tha
`
`so .ware downloaded at
`e e ex
`ecoder
`'
`
`e
`
`This assumes
`the user end.
`be connected not on
`o
`
`
` .
`
`ut also to the home computer -- and
`e evis on se.,
`. e
`why not? Why should we assume that
`the decoder will be
`built
`into the television set at all? ‘It may very well
`make sense to put it into the home computer
`instead, or
`even to put
`the computer into the television set, especi-
`ally with the type of infinitely flexible teletext we ad-
`vocate.
`
`Yet another possible means of interaction would
`involve software provided on cassettes through stores or
`by schools.
`The software would be activated by the tele-
`text signal. This way, viewers at different educational
`levels could use different software and thus interact with
`
`the same program in different ways, according to their age
`and ability.
`As public broadcasters, we would like to put spe-
`cial emphasis on the educational value of
`interaction.
`It
`is well known that children spend an enormous amount of
`time watching television -— hours every day, on average.
`On public television we have always tried at
`least to make
`it
`time well spent. But
`there is not much doubt that
`the
`big advances in education come when the child feels per-
`sonal
`involvement with the lesson —— when they interact.
`This,
`in our minds,
`is what makes the potential of Level
`3 so exciting.
`‘
`.This is the end we're working toward. But what
`the means of getting there? We have looked at every ex-
`isting teletext system that we know of and have been im-
`pressed by them all, and each one has its own advantages.
`we have been interested in those approaches that have been
`designed not sole y as a system or transmitting text, but
`rather as a data-transmittin a stem.
`In our minds the
`'
`
`is
`
`It should
`system should not be shackled by its hardware.
`not care what data are transmitted over it.
`The s stem we
`
`ass througn it.
`of data can
`involves
`The French have developed a system that
`some software processing at
`the user end. Because the
`user has a microprocessor with memory, it isn't necessary
`to send pages of text over and over again, but rather only
`once. After that,
`the broadcaster need send only updates
`of pages,
`leaving the rest of the time free for a wide
`range of additional services.
`A flexible and expandable
`
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`v
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`system will be the key.
`we
`think that
`the graphics in any U.S. system are
`very important.
`we are very encouraged by the progress of
`the Canadians in refining the graphics capability of tele-
`text.
`We are also encouraged by the capabilities of
`the
`It
`free-form French system, which they call teleecriture.
`allows a user to draw on a pad -- or write, scribble, dia-
`gram, chart, as he wishes -- and transmits these graphics
`accurately to the viewer.
`The advantages of this system
`are obvious.
`Our
`long-term goal, after all,
`is to communi-
`cate freely, not
`in pre-defined shapes but
`in any of the
`infinite ways that express what we want
`to express.
`We
`believe that
`the day will come when there will be a wide
`variety of input and output devices for the teletext ser-
`vice. Already being tested are devices such as electronic
`writing pads, full alphanumeric key boards, and even audio
`control.
`
`tele-
`Another important characteristic of any U.S.
`text system will be its ability to caption a program in
`multiple languages.
`We believe that
`the U.S.
`is rapidly
`approaching a bilingual status,
`the two languages being
`English and Spanish. Much of the southwest and some of
`the larger cities elsewhere are becoming increasingly bi-
`lingual. Further,
`there are also many hearing-impaired
`viewers who would benefit
`from captions.
`The Public
`Broadcasting Service was a pioneer in developing a clos-
`ed captioning system for the hearing impaired, and we are
`very proud of it.
`We
`think the next step is using tele-
`text. Captions in three or four different
`languages could
`be sent simultaneously, with the viewer selecting a lan-
`guage simply by selecting a teletext page number.
`The
`color of the caption could change to define who was speak-
`ing. With flexible graphics it would even be possible to
`create speech balloons on the screen of
`the type used in
`cartoons; and to go one step further, one could,
`through
`the use of teleecriture, write the words in the balloons
`in such a way as to express feelings.
`All
`these services are very interesting, but we
`lose sight of the issue of cost
`to the consumer.
`must not
`What we are looking for is a system that can start at'a
`low cost and easily expand to meet
`these and future needs.
`At
`the same time as we address the many options
`for broadcast teletext, it is essential that we recog-
`nize the broadcasting environment of the United States.
`There are special prgblems in our country because our
`It
`broadcasting system is much different
`from Europe's.
`developed.not as a government broadcasting system but as
`a private enterprise with limited government regulation.
`The broadcasting stations in a given locality are not on
`the same tower.
`They operate at different powers,
`from
`different heights and are aimed in many directions.
`Some
`are in the VHF band, others in the UHF band.
`Standards
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`
`for manufacturing receivers have been extremely broad.
`Our first step must
`therefore be to test the technical
`parameters of
`the various teletext systems in the U.S.
`At KCET, our efforts take three forms. First, we
`are conducting tests to find out which lines in the verti-
`cal
`interval are available to use for teletext. Because
`of different set manufacturers‘ designs,
`there is some un-
`certainty about this.
`Second, we are bringing together
`experts to find out what sort of educational uses teletext
`would have in actual practice.
`third, KCET will start a
`working, flexible, program related teletext system in Los
`Angeles in late l980.
`We will explore the link between
`present teletext decoders and the home computer.
`We hope
`to show that with a properly designed system one can
`broadcast tens of thousands of pages,
`taking full advan-
`tage of the technology, and not
`just one or
`two hundred.
`We will gather the response of the viewers and report it.
`Without proper care,
`teletext could become much
`like those single-function electronic games that were so
`popular a
`few years ago. Most of
`them have been thrown
`away by now, and for a good reason:
`the users got bored.
`Teletext
`in the U.S. must be infinitel
`flexible from the
`
`
`
`eginning; otherwise,
`i won't be around much Ion er than
`
`_
`
`’
`
`'
`
`e ieve that a system that places the emphasis
`c
`on the transmission o
`data instead of text
`a s s em that
`figs Efie eapafiility of
`refined graphics,
`that
`is easil
`ex-
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`most a
`ro riate
`o
`e communications nee s of the Uni ed
`._j—-1-__.
`tates.
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`PMC Exhibit 2060
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`Hartford Conn is the senior vice president and
`manager of KCEI,
`the member station of
`the Public Broad-
`casting Service in Los Angeles. Mr. Gunn has served in
`American public broadcasting for the past
`twenty—eight
`years.
`From l970 to 1976 he was the first President of
`the Public Broadcasting Service.
`For
`the twelve years
`previous to lhat he was
`the manager of NGBH,
`the PBS
`station in Boston. Mr. Gunn holds an MBA degree from
`Harvard (1951) as well as an A.B.
`from Harvard (l9h8)
`and a B.S.
`from the Merchant Marine Academy at King's
`Pain!
`(1948).
`He
`is a Lieutenant Commander (Ret.) in
`the U.S. Naval Reserve.
`
`Mr. Gunn joined KCET in l9BO to concentrate on
`its local station efforts.
`He will explore how KCEI
`might expand its services through the use of other tele-
`communications media.
`\
`
`Gregory [L Harper has been a producer of tele-
`vision documentaries for HGBH in Boston and of syndi-
`cated television game shows in the U.S.
`He has been
`conducting research on teletext for the past
`two years,
`specializing in its educational uses and in the prob-
`lems of teletext
`interfaces with computers.
`He
`is an
`active participant
`in the Electronic Industries Associ—
`ation's Commitlee on Ieletext, acting as liaison with
`the international standards organizations.
`Mr. Harper
`is now a consultant on teletext.
`
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`'DT_ALdG('R)File 248:P'IRA ' “
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`(C) 1996 Pira International. All rts. reserv.
`
`O
`
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`
`Pira Abstract Numbers: 12-80-03536
`Pira Acc. Num.: 3463536
`00070475
`Title: A PUBLIC BROADCASTER’S VIEW OF TELEITEXT IN THE UNITED STATES
`
`Authors: Gunn H; Har er G W ~’
`Source:
`e
`26-28 Mar 1980 in London 1980
`
`lication Year: 1980
`,
`//Document Typ .
`’ Language: unspecified
`?
`
`
`
`(PM 6575 (part)
`
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`PMC Exhibit 2060
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