Teletext is to switch off its news and information service on analogue and digital TV and focus on its online travel offering in January 2010.
The Teletext Holidays channel on Freeview and the company’s websites – teletextholidays.co.uk, thisistravel.co.uk and villarenters.co.uk – will continue to operate as usual.
Owner Associated Newspapers had orginally planned to close the service in 2010, but brought it forward following indications from regulator Ofcom that it would not back state intervention to support the continuation of a public commercial Teletext service after 2014.
Teletext group managing director Mike Stewart said: “The removal of loss-making TV activities will allow investment in these businesses to accelerate.”
He said the websites account for 40% of the company’s revenue and show “excellent growth potential”.
“We investigated and researched every means to keep the news service going, but in the end we couldn’t find a viable option,” said Stewart.
He confirmed there will a reduction in staffing levels and consultations are under way. About 70 staff are at risk of redundancy.