CRTC releases Communications Monitoring Report
By Adnews Staff
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has issued its annual Communications Monitoring Report. The report, based on 2009 data, provides an overview of the Canadian telecommunications and broadcasting industries. In 2009, revenues for the broadcasting industry rose by three percent to $14.4 billion, driven primarily by the distribution of television signals and by the specialty and pay television sector, which increased 7.4% and 5.8% respectively. Advertising revenues declined at conventional television stations and radio stations by 7.4% and 5.2% respectively. In 2009, Canadians could access 1,221 different radio services, including 41 digital services. There were 910 English-language services, 265 French-language services and 46 services in other languages. The average time spent listening to radio services decreased 3.2% to 17.7 hours per week. In 2009, Canadians could access 704 television services, including 459 English-language services, 111 French-language services and 134 services in other languages. Canadians watched an average of 26.5 hours of television per week, slightly down from the 2008 average of 26.6 hours. In 2009, 8.5 million households subscribed to television services delivered via cable or Internet. An additional 2.8 million households subscribed to satellite services. Sixty-eight percent of all subscribers now receive digital television services. In 2009, 25% of anglophones and 20% of francophones reported watching a television program online, while 17% of anglophones and 14% of francophones listened to a radio station audio stream over the Internet. Anglophones spent 14.5 hours online per week in 2009, up from 13.8 hours, while francophones spent 11.8 hours online, up from 11.1 hours. Anglophones spent 2.2 hours per week viewing online television content and 4.1 hours per week streaming radio content. Francophones spent 1.3 hours per week viewing online television content and 4.6 hours per week streaming radio content.