Five To Scrap Red Button Service

Five is understood to be on the verge of scrapping its red-button interactive TV service.

Five, owned by RTL Group, has decided to pull the service after realising that the technology is too expensive, according to a report in Media Week.

The removal of the service will mean that viewers will be unable to interact with certain Five programmes or advertisements via their remote control.

If Five does go ahead and shut down the service, it would follow Channel 4’s closure of its own red button service last year.

Channel 4 pulled out of interactive television last year in favour of digital text for services such as interactive advertising and additional video streams of shows.

C4 said that the money saved on red-button would be channelled into online services.

Five: 020 7550 5555 www.five.tv