function startTicker() {
    // Define run time values    
    theCurrentStory     = -1;
    theCurrentLength    = 0;
    
    // Locate base objects    
    if (document.getElementById) {   
        theImageObject      = document.getElementById('imageAnchor');
        theTickerObject     = document.getElementById('tickerAnchor');
        theTextObject       = document.getElementById('textAnchor');
                
        runTheTicker();     
    }
    else 
    {
        document.write('<style type="text/css">.ticki{display:none;}.ticko{border:0px;padding:0px;}</style>');
        return true;
    }
}
        
// Ticker main run loop
function runTheTicker() {
    if (theTickerStatus) {  
        var myTimeout;  
    
        // Go for the next story data block
        if (theCurrentLength == 0) {
            theCurrentStory++;
            theCurrentStory      = theCurrentStory % theItemCount;
            theStorySummary      = theSummaries[theCurrentStory].replace(/&quot;/g,'"');        
            theTargetLink        = theSiteLinks[theCurrentStory];
            theTextObject.href   = theTargetLink;
            thePrefix            = '<span style="font-weight:bold">' + theLeadString + "</span>";
        } 
                
        // Stuff the current ticker text into the anchor
        theTextObject.innerHTML = thePrefix + 
        theStorySummary.substring(0,theCurrentLength) + whatWidget();
                
        // Modify the length for the substring and define the timer
        if(theCurrentLength != theStorySummary.length) {
            theCurrentLength++;
            myTimeout = theCharacterTimeout;
        }
        else
        {
            theCurrentLength = 0;
            myTimeout = theStoryTimeout;
        }
                
        // Call up the next cycle of the ticker
        setTimeout("runTheTicker()", myTimeout);
    }
}
        
// Widget generator
function whatWidget() {
    if(theCurrentLength == theStorySummary.length)
        return theWidgetNone;  
    else if((theCurrentLength % 2) == 1)
        return theWidgetOne;
    else
        return theWidgetTwo;
}
        
// ticker anhalten
function stopTheTicker() {
    theTickerStatus = 0;
        
    theImageObject.innerHTML =   '<a href="#" onclick="restartTheTicker()" title="startet den Ticker" accesskey="x" onfocus="restartTheTicker()" onkeypress="restartTheTicker()">' 
                               + '<img src="/static/img/verdi18_icons/tick_icon_trans.gif" class="play" alt="Ticker starten" /></a>&nbsp;';
                                            
    theTextObject.innerHTML  =  thePrefix + theStorySummary;
}
        
// ticker wieder anwerfen
function restartTheTicker() 
{
    theTickerStatus = 1;
        
    theImageObject.innerHTML =   '<a href="#" onclick="stopTheTicker()" title="h&auml;lt den Ticker an" accesskey="x" onfocus="stopTheTicker()" onkeypress="stopTheTicker()">' 
                               + '<img src="/static/img/verdi18_icons/tick_icon_trans.gif" class="pause" alt="Ticker anhalten" /></a>&nbsp;';
    runTheTicker();
}