21BTX Screen Newspaper

1977Another innovation that Axel Springer enthusiastically drove forward: Bildschirmtext (BTX), developed by Deutsche Post, was a precursor to the internet. Using a terminal and modem, content could be uploaded and accessed – the screen-based newspaper was born. In 1977, it was promoted with phrases such as “newspaper of the future”, “newspapers via screen” and “the electronic newspaper”. While the technology achieved a breakthrough in France as Minitel, it remained a niche product in Germany. People preferred the videotext services that television broadcasters were introducing at the same time.