Broadcasting revenues dip
Canadians move online for radio and television: CRTC
CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais
Canada’s broadcasting sector posted declining revenue last year as Canadians increasingly listened to music and watched television over the Internet, according to the federal broadcast regulator. Revenue for the entire broadcasting sector including radio, television and television service providers dipped by 1.6 per cent to $17.9 billion in 2015, according to the 2016 Communications Monitoring Report released by the Canadian Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission on Tuesday.
The number of hours spent listening to radio and watching television on traditional platforms dropped slightly, along with the number of television subscriptions, according to the detailed report on Canada’s communication industry that compiles information from 2015. Cord cutting appears to be highest among young people aged 12 to 34.
But that doesn’t mean Canadians are consuming less content. The number of Canadians
The broadcasting industry must ensure that it meets the changing needs of Canadians.”
watching TV online, streaming radio online, watching music videos online and listening to music via online streaming services increased.
“This year’s report clearly shows that viewing and listening habits are continuing to shift,” CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais said in a statement, noting that younger Canadians are straying from traditional platforms.
“Online platforms are increasingly attractive and accessible to Canadians. The broadcasting industry must ensure that it meets the changing needs of Canadians, who increasingly want to watch and listen to content on the platform of their choice.”
More than half of anglophones (57 per cent) and nearly half of francophones watch TV online, up six per cent and seven per cent from last year, respectively. Only eight per cent exclusively watch TV online, a number that has doubled since 2012, but remained stable last year.
Nearly a quarter stream radio online (23 per cent), 55 per cent stream music videos on YouTube and one in five use online streaming services.
Television subscriptions were nearly stagnant at 11.2 million, down 1.4 per cent from 2014.
The average number of hours per week spent listening to radio and TV dipped 1.8 per cent to 16.2 hours and 0.7 per cent to 27.2 hours.
The television industry is largely stagnant, as older Canadians continue to watch twice as TV as younger ones do.