CRTC reports on pay television services
By Adnews Staff
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has released its latest statistical and financial summaries for Canadian specialty, pay and pay-per-view television services, as well as video-on-demand services. The report provides information for the period of September 2008 to August 2009. In that year, total revenues for these services increased six percent from $2.9 billion to $3.1 billion. Expenses increased from $2.2 billion to $2.3 billion. Profits last year rose to $728 million, up from $648 million the previous year. Of these revenues, $1.4 billion came from cable television subscribers, $624 million came from direct-to-home satellite subscribers, $982 million came from national advertising, $18 million came from local advertising and $53.1 million came from other sources. Specialty television services generated $2.4 billion in revenue, comprising $2 billion from 49 analog services $100 million from 18 Category One digital services and $223 million from 77 Category Two digital services. National advertising revenue declined by 2.4% last year, while local advertising revenue declined by 11.1%, respectively. In 2009, these services employed 5,306 people and paid a total of $402 million in salaries, compared to 5,514 employees and $405 million in salaries the previous year.