Headline, Industry News

Canadians’ television viewing appetite on the rise

OTTAWA – The CRTC says Canadians spent more time watching television or listening to radio in 2011 than the previous year despite the proliferation of non-traditional media.

But they also increased their Internet television watching, to 2.8 hours a week from 2.4 the previous year.

Four per cent of Canadians report watching television online, while four per cent said they watched on a smartphone and three per cent on a tablet.

The federal regulator says on a weekly basis, Canadians watched an average of 28.5 hours of television, up from 28 hours in 2010.

And they listened to an average of 17.7 hours of radio, up from 17.6 hours the previous year.

CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais says in the report that the evidence suggests Canadians are enthusiastic consumers of creative content, whether it is offered on TV, radio or through digital platforms.

The regulator says Canada’s telecommunications and broadcasting industries had a strong year in 2011, with consumers spending an average of $180 a month on services.

Broadcast revenues climbed 5.5% to $16.6-billion from 2010, and revenues from telecommunications services increased by 2.5% to $42.7-billion.

Overall, the communications industry accounted for about 4.6% of Canada’s gross domestic product in 2011.

Source: Financial Post