Radio Listening and TV Watching Up in Canada

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Canadians spent more time watching TV, listening to radio in 2011 than in 2010

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.

The federal regulator says 78 per cent of Canadian households had Internet service in 2011, and the number of subscribers of wireless services grew by six per cent, with newer competitors doubling their market share to four per cent.

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 per cent to $16.6 billion from 2010, and revenues from telecommunications services increased by 2.5 per cent to $42.7 billion.

Overall, the communications industry accounted for about 4.6 per cent of Canada's gross domestic product in 2011.