Aertel to be switched off. Any memories?

freshpopcorn

It's been announced that Aertel will be switched off on Thursday 12th of October after 36 years.

I remember us getting a TV in the late 1990's and having Aertel. It was used for News, Checking Lotto Numbers, Cinema listings, TV Listings, Weather and maybe bus timetables. It was also switched off on Christmas Day.

We haven't used it in about 15 years I'd say.

I thought it closed down a few years ago.

Have you any memories of Aertel?

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/1002/1408582-rte-aertel/?fbclid=IwAR2oquDmp1U-ecFpr2z0oCERB4mgyrLW7NmmuObZG7Yzs7NvzfFGcl1pVY4

Strumms

Used it for news, sport, TV guide.

folks used to use it to get lotto numbers / results…

ohhh and any visitors / family flying in from abroad the flight arrivals on 571 I think was dead handy…

im surprised it’s taken this long for it to be canned. Can’t be cheap to operate/update….

Two blasts from the past there…

silly Keeping it going this long, loads of people 80+ are internet savvy these days, enough to look at news, sports, tv listings and so on.

Atlantic Dawn

Yes Dublin Airport flight information it was great in the pre mobile phone world for arrival and departure info. Nowadays you can track the flights with an app, takes all the fun out of it 😂.

Mena Mitty

Our neighbour who had no TV had us scalded for the Horseracing results most evenings for years. There was a time when I was so familiar with the Racecourse names here and the UK I could name them all.

One night my other half was watching snooker when our neighbour came in to get results. My OH could take no more and told him to go and buy his own fkn telly.

He never darkened our door or ever spoke to us again.

Pablo Escobar

Yes, celebrating a 94th minute winner for Cork City to make it 1-0 in an away game long before Livescore. Then a few seconds later the result flipped. It turned out it was an OG. It got the name Errortel for a reason.

Padre_Pio

Dad used to check his shares every day on it

chancer007

Aertel: Horse Racing News: Barry Geraghty rides Exotic Dancer

Princess Calla

180 for the days films I think was my main one. Then obviously the rest of the tv listings.

I vaguely remember then putting up the college cao points listings so that consumed an evening or two in August .

riffmongous

444

221

171

103

888

blackbox

I'm surprised at this news. I thought it was gone years ago.

sbs2010

Me and a few buddies went to the pub one evening to watch a match. For some reason it wasn't on but they put on aertel and we followed the game on the scores page.

It was a good game, 3-2 or something like that :)

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187344#Comment_121187344

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187590#Comment_121187590

I think the only reason it was left on for so long was because RTE were legally obliged to carry a teletext service. That was removed in one of the recent media bills so they're free to close it now.

L1011

Ian Dempsey doing a bit on this and the main memory someone sent in was of Teletext on ITV (Bamboozled).

whisky_galore

Cue protests from some pensioner in her 80s from the backarse of Roscommon who still uses Aertel.

josip

My mother who is profoundly deaf used to rely heavily on it until recently. Having subtitles on some TV programmes was a complete game changer and it also gave her access to news throughout the day until the paper came home at 5 in the evening with yesterday's stale news.

RoTelly

For me it was page 369 for the TV ratings.

I would point out that this is part of RTÉ very clear 2024 stratgic plan.

So expect some more amazing changes at RTÉ!

Evolve

We will move RTE's biggest sporting moments to RTE One

We will increase investment in live TV moments and big events (e.g. RTE on Climate, Late Late Show Specials)

We will launch a kids on-demand and digital strategy

We will evolve the user experience of many of our digital services through mandatory sign in and personalisation

Enhance

We will enhance our content offering or, RTE Player, with longer windows, improving and investing in the technology, features and functionality

We will develop our live and on-demand RTE Player product, building towards a more integrated service offering video and audio

We will create new visualized radio studios

We will deliver podcasts for a wide variety tastes and interests

We will offer new RTE experiences and events - music, sport, lifestyle, culture, politics

We will increase the hours of quality Irish drama

Modify

The RTE Guide is for sale

RTE will close its current studio in Limerick in 2020; production of RTE lyric- fm will move to Cork and Dublin

RTE will continue to provide a mid-west news service in Limerick

We will close the digital Audio Broadcast network, as well as RTE's digital radio(RTE 2XM, RTE Pulse, RTE Gold, RTEjr Radio & RTE Radio 1 Extra)

RTE Aertel will cease

The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra will transfer to The National Concert Hall

We will develop a new integrated media centre in Donnybrook , investing in new digital infrastructure

Reduce

We need to reduce projected costs by 60 million over three years (2020-2023).

in addition to the reduction of 23% delivered between 2008 and 2018

We need to reduce the foes paid to our top contracted on-air personalities , by15%, in addition, to the 30+% cuts as agreed in previous years

We need to reduce staff costs we will consult with staff and unions 011 a number of initiatives, to including pay freeze, tiered pay reductions, review of benefits, and work practice reforms

The Executive Board will take a 10% reduction in pay; the Board of RTE will waive its fees

We need to achieve a staff headcount reduction of c. 200 in 2020

of the 22 I have bolded those that they achieved, you will note the last one was temporary.

This was published in 2019 of the 5 they achieved, 2 required government action AERTEL and the NSO, and one has been reversed. That's the second last one on the list.

Montage of Feck

I remember always checking 180 to see what's on despite their only being two channels, later three and then four!!!

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187680#Comment_121187680

No it'll be from some middle aged grump doing the "won't someone think of the old people" routine. Same as any time mention of buying a ticket online or paying with a card comes up.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187646#Comment_121187646

Now that brings back memories. Played that game so often.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187634#Comment_121187634

"Watched" a few Champions League games in pubs on Aertel back in the day. Essential if you were a not a Premier League centred soccer fan.

waterwelly

Not a personal memory but Irish Rugby players used find out if they were playing or dropped etc. when the team / squad was announced on Aertel.

AMKC

Oh many memory's. I used it for cinema listings, TV guide, bus timetables, news etc.

Have not used it in a decade at least. Don't even think I can get it on my current TV lol not that I want to anyway.

I remember reading on a page and it would change before you finished reading it so annoying so would have to go back.

Sometimes it would work great other times it would drive you absolutely nuts.

Will be missed no.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187680#Comment_121187680

I am with her, how much are RTÉ actually saving by dropping AERTEL, seems to me they didn't want to push the Digital version on to Sky so they ended up with 2 version an analogue one on Satellite (maybe on Cable also) which few on those platforms could acces and a Digital one on Saorview. They never promote it so why would it be used?

With their mismanagement RTÉ have saved a fiver on the program that probably grabs the news from RTÉ website and pushes it to AERTEL.

I look forward to the RTÉ Executives taking a 10% pay cut!

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187734#Comment_121187734

I remember going to 180 just to see what was on the other channels :) When TnaG and TV3 came along, they were at the bottom of the list for years.

Cluedo Monopoly

I thought it was gone years ago. It was a great service back in the day for checking sport scores.

JIdontknow

Aertel 221 (or was it 232?) for the football scores. Then you would miss the page and have to wait for it to loop back around. I am not sure what year it was but I remember checking aertel one Saturday afternoon in my grandparents house for football scores, and remember Aertel saying Mark Hughes got a bad gash. I cannot remember what match it was but must have been early 90's.

Edit - it was 1995 Vs Newcastle.

artanevilla

232 was the football scores as far as I can remember.

Panthro

Checking me prize bonds! (Never feicin win mind)

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187767#Comment_121187767

They should keep it going for the 17 people who use it so. I'm sure there were people who moaned when they stopped using telegrams and Morse code.

ednwireland

looking up the results when Mary coughlan lost her seat in sw donegal in 2011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187767#Comment_121187767

It’s out of date technology which is losing support faster than it can be updated. It’s okay for things to go away believe it or not.

JIdontknow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187847#Comment_121187847

You could be right. Was 221 for the fixtures / latest scores and 232 for the results - I can't remember now! Didn't they also put the irish goalscorers in green too. Hard to believe that was almost 30 years ago.

martingriff

Going to the soccer scores every 2 minutes to see a score update the days of 2 channels and no ahem box

Lewis_Benson

Hadn't used it since the early 90s I'd say.

Didn't even realise it was still active.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187882#Comment_121187882

Why not they are a public service broadcaster... how much are they saving... more than what they saved on the temporary cut on executives. I suppose we should be grateful that those executive (Dee Forbes, Breada O'Keeffee, Rory Conveny and Geraldine O'Learly) were fired. I support the 17 people in greater Longford still typing in 200 for sports results, over those 4!

Terrontress

In my opinion it was the precursor to the internet.

You could find out the news, scores, weather, tv guide right up to the minute.

Channel 4 used to have some good entertaining stuff on theirs as well, like Digitiser, a lot of which was fairly mental. I used to laugh and laugh at the nonsense that they would put on there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitiser

SilvaMuppet

Dang but its been a long time since i've used or needed it.

But pre internet being what it is now.... it was great for cinema listings and of course keeping up to date with the blood sport that is single transferable vote in our electoral process. (was great for keeping up with the counts and eliminations if you are a bit of an anorak for that kind of thing :) )

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187916#Comment_121187916

The Digital Version or the Analogue version? I assume the digital version will remain on available on most digital TV into the future. RTÉ choose not to role out Digital AERTEL on cable and on Satellite.

Look I could careless if AERTEL is drop or not but making it out to be a huge cost saving, without actually telling us what the cost was, seems a little disingenuous.

As I say this comes out of the 2024 Strategy, and one of the strategy was purely temporary. Closing or keeping AERTEL isn't going to save RTÉ and RTÉ pretending that digital AERTEL doesn't exist.

It seems to me that we should believe everything in an RTÉ strategy (a strategy that has now largely been disposed of) and that of an RTÉ press release.

Happy to be proven wrong on Digital AERTEL and the vast amounts of money RTÉ are going to save.

Riddle101

Anyone remember Bamboozle, The quiz that used to be on Channel 4s aertel page? Me and my sister used to be obsessed with it back in the day.

miamee

I had forgotten all about Aertel until they announced it was going. I remember it being used to see what was on which station, occasionally sports results, cinema listings and checking airport arrivals if someone needed to be picked up.

This was a great photo posted by Katie Hannon on Twitter

https://twitter.com/KatieGHannon/status/1709169303088414754?s=20

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187759#Comment_121187759

remember i 'watched' the celtic cup semi between leinster and munster in 2005 on aertel, dunno was it even on TV but if it was we definitely didnt have the channel if it was

Hippodrome Song Owl

Aertel was amazing in the days before we all had Internet access, but I assumed it was already closed. We never got a paper (parents refused to buy any once the Evening Press closed), so it was the only way to get certain information.

The news on 103, football 220, TV listing 180. It was essential for the cinema listings and reviews. Entertainment news with the latest celeb gossip, and a list of celeb birthdays for that day. The children's section was also great in its day with book reviews. 448 rings a bell, not sure what that was.

Package holidays used to be advertised too, and I remember scrolling through with interest, though my family never went abroad so it was totally irrelevant to me. They used to make little palm tree pics and the like appear on screen. Cutting edge it seemed at the time.

There was a lonely hearts section too with personal ads which I found fascinating as a young teen.

Also a huge Bamboozled fan here.

hoodie6029

I remember a computer news page and forum in the late 90’s (possibly). I wish I could remember how the comments got up there. Did people write in and Aertel type them up?

No outcry from the ‘Save Long Wave’ crowd (it was one person, wasn’t it?) on this thankfully. Aertel was probably too technically advanced for them to save.

Couldn’t use the argument of it as the only link to home of the poor Irish immigrant rotting in a Cricklewood bedsit to save it.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121190924#Comment_121190924

Post and latterly email in, and someone would have typed or copy/pasted (an email) in.

Save Long Wave was one radio anorak, they won't care about a TV thing.

Gregor Samsa

Anyone else ever find the secret p0rn pages?

ThePentagon

Aertel (and the other teletext services) were absolutely integral back in those pre-internet days. Favourites were the soccer pages (220+), music news and album reviews, tv films, and the young people's letter page (including the mysterious 'Karma Policewoman').

Incidentally I took a photo of the main news page on Aertel on Paddy's day 2020, during the early tempestuous days of Covid. I recall thinking the headlines had an "end-of-days" quality, which matched the bizarre atmosphere of the time ("Church Bells Ring in Unison" 😬)

j2

They should keep Aertel and get rid of RTE.

NewbridgeIR

Could still access it on my parents’ spare TV. Would occasionally check it when down there. Left my phone in my own house one weekend earlier this year so used it to check football scores.

Hopefully somebody records the last hour or so to see what the goodbye message is. I remember getting up to watch the farewell of Ceefax in 2013 and that testcard classic Bart by Ruby was the last track played.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121190924#Comment_121190924

Again I'd argue how much were the services costing RTÉ. I have no skin in the game on either. But what savings have they made. RTÉ own a field in Athlone with a building in Disuse and in need of maintains why sit on such land.

Interesting over the course of this no one has a photo of Digital Aertel RTÉ on from Saorview... has Saorview been a complete waste of time?

The way people are going on there are twenty people still running the ship at Aertel, when most of the news is an input from their website.

As I say I look forward to the 10% in Executive pay cuts that they are planning to take ... oh that just a temporary thing ... I look forward to the return of DAB shortly!

miamee

I'd argue it's not just about costs. If as they said, the technical support was no longer there then things were liable to break (if they haven't already) and they will be unable to get them fixed. You then have a failing service with no hope of it being updated or fixed. It's a bad look to have something falling to pieces bit by bit, unfit for purpose and frustrating for any users still using it. Instead of offering a broken service they are removing it and offering the same information/options elsewhere. It might not suit everyone for sure but you can't hold on to an old legacy service indefinitely until the last user of the service has dropped off.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121192765#Comment_121192765

"RTÉ siad..." where's the pinch of salt that I need to take?

They seem to be talking about the Analogue version of Aertel which they decided to keep alive on Satellite while deciding not to role out Digital Aertel on either satellite or cable.

I'd argue looking at what RTÉ have told us on a range of issues over the last number of years that their Press Releases and Strategies are largely meaningless.

Again this comes from strategy 2024... a strategy that was largely dead in the water when it was first announced in 2019.

Strange how they never had a press release for the U turn on the 10% cuts to executive pay that was part of that same strategy!

Shauna677

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187443#Comment_121187443

Yes that was amazing, twas like early version of Google

StreetLight

Remember Aertel Interactive? I tried it when they were offering Bus Éireann timetables as an experiment. You would use your landline phone to call a specific local number and the voice would then direct you to select an assigned page number on Aertel. You would then use your phone keypad to access the various pages of information from the on-screen prompts. It worked pretty well, but never really got past the experimental stage.