MediaGuardian.co.uk understands that most of the affected journalists work at the company’s centre in Howden, in east Yorkshire.

The job cuts affect the news and sport production departments. Journalists take copy from PA reporters and publish it directly to the web or TV for Teletext.

“Following the announcement by the Daily Mail and General Trust regarding the cessation of services which the Press Association supply to Teletext, the company will be entering a period of collective consultation with affected staff in news and sport production,” a PA spokeswoman said.

“A restructure of these departments is proposed that, if implemented, would see a loss of up to 50 posts. However, the company will continue to focus on new opportunities in the market and we will use our very best efforts to minimise job losses.”

PA supplies regional and national news, sport, finance, entertainment, weather TV and event listings to Teletext but, so far, cuts only affect its news and sport production divisions.

“We are still reviewing the effect that the contract will have on other areas of the business,” the PA spokeswoman said.

Teletext will disappear from TV screens in January after 17 years, a victim of declining profits and the internet.

When Teletext launched in 1993 it replaced the ITV-run Oracle, which started in 1974 and provided news, sport and weather information, as well as TV schedules. The BBC has run a similar Ceefax service since 1974.

Teletext’s TV news and information operation has been making a loss for three years. Revenue had fallen 50 percent since 2003.