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Television

I. Advertising revenue by media [back to Table of contents]

Table 1: Canada
Advertising revenue by media
($ million)

Media  1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Television  1,788 1,876 1,994 2,104 2,321 2,358
Daily newspaper 1,220 1,323 1,399 1,644 1,698 1,734
Radio  742 769 798 848 920 952
Magazine  531 621 611 647 707 747
Weekly newspaper 579 615 634 673 765 788
Billboard  132 167 200 220 250 287
Internet  - - 1.5 9.8 24.5 55.5
Total  4,992 5,371 5,638 6,146 6,686 6,922

Note: Daily newspaper revenues exclude classified ads.
Source: Carat Expert, Panorama publicitaire 2000

Table 2: Canada
Share of advertising revenue by media
(%)

Media  1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Television  35.8 34.9 35.4 34.2 34.7 34.1
Daily newspaper 24.4 24.6 24.8 26.7 25.4 25.1
Radio  14.9 14.3 14.2 13.8 13.8 13.8
Magazine  10.6 11.6 10.8 10.5 10.6 10.8
Weekly newspaper 11.6 11.5 11.2 11.0 11.4 11.4
Billboard  2.6 3.1 3.5 3.6 3.7 4.1
Internet  - - 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.8

Source: Carat Expert, Panorama publicitaire 2000

  • Television advertising revenue includes conventional and specialty television. The under 2% growth achieved in 1999 by the television sector was its lowest annual growth rate in the 1990s.

 

II. Audience  [back to Table of contents]

    A. Average hours per viewer

  • Average weekly hours per viewer 2+ has gradually declined from 1995 to 1999.
  • In 1999, on average, women 18+ spent 26.5 hours per week watching television, compared with 22.0 hours for men 18+.

Chart 1: Average hours per viewer 2+

    B. Viewing share by station group  [back to Table of contents]

Table 3: Fall 1992 to fall 1999 — all persons 2+, all regions excluding Quebec

Station group Fall
1992 		Fall
1993 		Fall
1994 		Fall
1995 		Fall
1996 		Fall
1997 		Fall
1998 		Fall
1999 		Diff.
+ or (-)
English-language
CBC
Canadian private conventional
TVO (E)
Pay & specialty (E)
U.S. Total
  U.S. Conventional
  U.S. PBS
  U.S. Pay & specialty*
Total - English
12.6
44.9
0.7
5.7
27.2
19.0
2.7
5.5
91.1
12.9
45.3
0.8
6.2
26.1
17.8
2.8
5.5
91.4
13.2
44.4
1.0
5.9
26.5
17.4
2.5
6.5
90.9
12.0
43.8
1.0
9.0
24.8
16.6
2.3
5.9
90.5
11.5
42.3
1.1
9.6
25.4
16.2
2.4
6.8
89.9
10.6
39.6
1.2
13.0
23.2
13.5
2.3
7.4
87.7
9.1
37.5
1.3
14.7
25.5
14.2
1.8
9.4
88.1
7.5
37.7
1.2
16.9
25.1
13.2
1.7
10.2
88.3
(5.1)
(7.2)
0.5
11.2
(2.1)
(5.8)
(1.0)
4.7
(2.8)
French-language
SRC
Canadian private conventional
Pay & specialty (F)
Total - French
0.7
0.4
0.1
1.2
0.6
0.5
0.1
1.3
0.6
0.5
0.1
1.2
0.6
0.5
0.1
1.3
0.6
0.5
0.2
1.3
0.6
0.5
0.2
1.3
0.7
0.5
0.2
1.3
0.6
0.5
0.2
1.2
(0.1)
0.1
0.1
0.0
Other-language
Independent
Pay & specialty (O)
Total - Other

0.2
0.2

0.1
0.1

0.2
0.2

0.4
0.4

0.4
0.4
0.9
0.5
1.4
1.1
0.5
1.6
1.0
0.7
1.7
0.1
0.5
1.5
VCR
Other
Prov**
Cable** 		6.0
0.8
0.4
0.3 		5.7
0.9
0.3
0.3 		5.9
1.0
0.3
0.4 		6.1
1.0
0.2
0.4 		6.3
1.3
0.3
0.4 		6.0
2.8
0.3
0.5 		5.8
2.5
0.3
0.4 		5.8
2.3
0.4
0.3 		(0.2)
1.5
0.0
0.0
Total (%)
Total hours (000) 		100.0
454,103 		100.0
448,541 		100.0
471,494 		100.0
488,749 		100.0
486,246 		100.0
488,769 		100.0
503,072 		100.0
478,576 		-
-

*Includes viewing to non-U.S. pay & specialty service — `Deutsche Welle'.
**Includes viewing to House of Commons (CPAC), Provincial Legislatures, Cable Community Channel; APTN; CJIL; and other educational.
Note: As of Fall 1997, moved CFMT from Independent English-language to Independent Other-language.
Sources: MicroBBM Fall 1990 to Fall 1999
              Economic Analysis and Research, Broadcasting Directorate, CRTC

  • BBM reports that Canadian English pay and specialty services have increased their share of total tuning by over 11% since 1992, reaching a 16.9% share of tuning in fall 1999.
  • Nielsen Research data, as provided by CBC Research, reports that the share of Canadian English pay and specialty services on English-language television for all households averaged 26.8% over the period of August 28 to October 8, 2000.

Table 4: Viewing share by station group
fall 1992 to fall 1999 — all persons 2+
Quebec

Station group Fall
1992 		Fall
1993 		Fall
1994 		Fall
1995 		Fall
1996 		Fall
1997 		Fall
1998 		Fall
1999 		Diff.
+ or (-)
English-language
CBC
Canadian private conventional
Pay & specialty (E)
U.S. Total
  U.S. Conventional
  U.S. PBS
  U.S. Pay & specialty*
Total - English
2.3
7.6
1.0
8.5
7.1
1.4
0.1
19.4
2.1
6.4
0.9
7.5
6.2
1.1
0.2
16.9
2.3
6.4
0.9
8.1
6.7
1.2
0.2
17.6
2.1
6.0
1.3
7.3
5.7
0.9
0.6
16.7
2.1
6.2
1.4
7.0
5.6
0.9
0.6
16.6
1.9
6.5
2.1
6.2
4.7
0.7
0.9
16.7
1.6
6.4
2.0
6.2
4.5
0.7
1.0
16.1
1.2
5.9
2.3
6.3
4.6
0.6
1.1
15.8
(1.1)
(1.7)
1.3
(2.2)
(2.5)
(0.8)
1.0
(3.6)
French-language
SRC
Canadian private conventional
RQ
Pay & specialty (F)
Total - French
22.0
44.1
3.7
6.3
76.1
22.8
47.5
2.6
5.6
78.6
20.4
47.7
3.3
5.6
77.0
22.7
44.9
2.4
 8.4
78.4
21.6
44.7
1.5
10.0
77.7
19.8
46.1
1.1
10.4
77.4
21.1
44.9
1.3
10.5
 77.8
20.0
45.1
2.0
11.2
78.2
(2.0)
1.0
(1.7)
4.9
2.1
Other-language
Independent
Pay & specialty (O)
Total - Other

0.0
0.0

0.0
0.0

0.0
0.0

0.0
0.0

0.0
0.0
0.1
0.0
 0.1
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.2
0.3
 0.0
0.1
 0.2
VCR
Other
Prov**
Cable** 		3.7
0.5
0.0
0.3 		3.6
0.6
0.0
0.3 		4.3
0.7
0.0
0.3 		4.0
0.7
0.0
0.3 		4.4
0.8
0.0
0.4 		4.2
1.3
0.1
0.2 		4.2
1.4
0.0
0.2 		3.8
1.7
0.0
0.3 		 0.1
1.2
0.0
0.0
Total (%)
Total hours (000) 		100.0
165,029 		100.0
174,533 		100.0
187,524 		100.0
190,479 		100.0
190,299 		100.0
189,195 		100.0
188,637 		100.0
181,056 		-
-

*Includes viewing to non-U.S. pay & specialty service — `Deutsche Welle'.
**Includes viewing to House of Commons (CPAC), Provincial Legislatures, Cable Community Channel; APTN; CJIL; and other educational.
Note: As of Fall 1997, moved CFMT from Independent English-language to Independent Other-language.
Sources: MicroBBM Fall 1990-1999
              Economic Analysis and Research, Broadcasting Directorate, CRTC

  • BBM reports that Canadian French-language pay and specialty services have increased their share of total tuning by about 4.9% since 1992, reaching an 11.2% share of tuning in fall 1999 in Québec.
  • Nielsen Research data, as provided by CBC Research, reports that the share of Canadian French-language pay and specialty services on French-language television for all households averaged 25.2% over the period of August 28 to October 8, 2000.

    C. Viewing to Canadian programming1   [back to Table of contents]
          [Footnote: 1999 results are preliminary in Charts 2 to 15.]

        1. Canadian programming – all English services & all French services

Chart 2: % viewing to Canadian programs
all English-language services – 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Note: Percentage calculated excludes viewing to programs where Canadian content and program type could not be identified.
Source: BBM

  • This table outlines the levels of tuning to Canadian English programs as a percentage of all viewing to English-language services in the system, both foreign and Canadian operated.

Chart 3: % viewing to Canadian programs
all French-language services – 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Note: Percentage calculated excludes viewing to programs where Canadian content and program type could not be identified.
Source: BBM

  • This table outlines the tuning levels to French-language Canadian programs as a percentage of all viewing to French-language programming services in the system.

        2. Distribution of viewing by program type  [back to Table of contents]

Chart 4: Distribution of viewing by program type
Canadian English-language private conventional TV – 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Chart 5: Distribution of viewing by program type
Canadian English-language private conventional TV – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Chart 6: Distribution of viewing by program type
CBC (owned & operated) and affiliates – 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Chart 7: Distribution of viewing by program type
CBC (owned & operated) and affiliates – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Chart 8: Distribution of viewing by program type
Canadian English-language pay & specialty services – 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Chart 9: Distribution of viewing by program type
Canadian English-language pay and specialty services – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Chart 10: Distribution of viewing by program type
Canadian French-language private conventional TV – 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Chart 11: Distribution of viewing by program type
Canadian French-language private conventional TV – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Chart 12: Distribution of viewing by program type
SRC (owned & operated) and affiliates – 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Chart 13: Distribution of viewing by program type
SRC (owned & operated) and affiliates – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Chart 14: Distribution of viewing by program type
Canadian French-language pay & specialty services – 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Chart 15: Distribution of viewing by program type
Canadian French-language pay & specialty services – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

        3. Viewing to Canadian programs – Summary   [back to Table of contents]

            a) All English services – Canadian and foreign

  • Overall tuning to English Canadian programs as a percentage of all viewing to English-language services, both foreign and Canadian, has remained at 32% in recent years.

                (1) Canadian English-language private conventional TV

  • Overall tuning levels have increased since the early 1990s to 1999 from about 32% to 37% on English private conventional TV stations.
  • The bulk of tuning to news and sports programming over the entire day continues to be Canadian. Tuning to drama/comedy and to music, dance and variety programming is predominantly to foreign programs.
  • The average number of weekly hours tuned to Canadian drama/comedy programming in prime time is on the increase. In 1994, Canadians watched an average of 2.3 million hours a week of Canadian drama/comedy programming on private conventional stations between 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. From 1997 to 1999, this average had increased to approximately 4 million hours a week.

                (2) CBC - English TV

  • During prime time, the CBC has very high tuning levels to Canadian programming in basically all program categories.
  • The distribution of tuning to Canadian programs on the CBC is also on the rise, with overall Canadian tuning increasing from 76% in 1997 to 85% in 1999. In 1994, overall tuning to Canadian programs on the CBC was 63%.
  • Viewing to Canadian drama/comedy programming over the entire day has also improved in recent years, going from 27% in 1996 to 56% of total tuning in the category in 1999.
  • From 1997 to 1999, Canadians watched an average of over 4 million hours a week of Canadian drama/comedy programming on the CBC between 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.

                (3) Canadian English pay and specialty services

  • In 1994, the average weekly hours tuned to Canadian English pay and specialty services was in the 30 million-hour range. By 1999, average weekly hours had increased to 85 million.
  • The overall proportion of tuning to Canadian programs on English pay and specialty services remains relatively high. Over the entire broadcast day, tuning to Canadian programs is currently in the 44% range.
  • The proportion of tuning to Canadian programs during prime time on the pay and specialty is in the same range as the entire day, about 46% from 1997 to 1999.

            b) French – All services

                (1) Canadian French-language private conventional TV

  • Tuning to all program categories, with the exception of drama/comedy, is entirely to Canadian programs.
  • Tuning to Canadian programs over the entire day over the 1997-1999 period was around 75%, decreasing to about 62% in prime time.
  • Viewing to Canadian drama/comedy programs increased to 34% over the entire day in 1999. In 1998, viewing to Canadian drama/comedy programs in prime time was approximately 43% increasing to approximately 47% in 1999.

                (2) SRC – French TV

  • Viewing to Canadian programs increased to 94% of total viewing over the entire day in 1999. In prime time, viewing to Canadian programs reached 98% in 1999.

                (3) French-language pay and specialty services

  • Tuning to Canadian programs over the entire day to French-language pay and specialty services has remained at around the 50-55% from 1997-1999. Viewing to Canadian programs in prime time was about 47% in 1999.
  • In 1994, average weekly hours tuned to French-language pay and specialty services was 10.9 million hours. By 1999, average weekly hours had increased to 21 million a week.
  • Viewing to Canadian programs contributes the bulk of tuning to all program categories, with the exception of drama/comedy.
  • About 47% of total hours tuned to French-language pay and specialty services is to the drama/comedy category, with tuning to Canadian programs in this category improving to 33% in 1999.

 

III. Scheduling of Canadian programming in peak viewing hours

    A. English-language services   [back to Table of contents]

Chart 16: Scheduling of Canadian programming
All English-language Canadian services – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Source: CRTC Logs

  • The number of hours scheduled of drama/comedy programming in peak viewing hours on English-language television has increased throughout the 1990s.
  • The new priority program categories will be included commencing in 2000.

Chart 17: Scheduling of Canadian programming
Canadian English-language private conventional TV – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Source: CRTC Logs

Chart 18: Scheduling of Canadian programming
CBC (owned & operated) – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Source: CRTC Logs

Chart 19: Scheduling of Canadian programming
Canadian English-language specialty services – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Source: CRTC Logs

    B. French-language services   [back to Table of contents]

Chart 20: Scheduling of Canadian programming
All French-language Canadian services – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Source: CRTC Logs

Chart 21: Scheduling of Canadian programming
Canadian French-language private conventional – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Source: CRTC Logs

Chart 22: Scheduling of Canadian programming
SRC (owned & operated) – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Source: CRTC Logs

Chart 23: Scheduling of Canadian programming
Canadian French-language specialty services – 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Source: CRTC Logs

 

IV. Financial performance    [back to Table of contents]

    A. Total revenues

        1. English-language services

Chart 24: Total English-language revenues
Private conventional TV & pay and specialty services

Source: CRTC Financial Database

Chart 25: Revenues of private conventional
English-language TV services by group

Note: Baton acquired control of CTV Network on 1 September 1998. Baton changed its name to CTV on 18 December 1998.
Source: CRTC Financial Database

  • CTV revenues for 1997 and 1998 include the CTV network only.
  • 1999 CTV revenues include the CTV network plus CTV stations, less the network payments to these stations.

        2. French-language services    [back to Table of contents]

Chart 26: Total French-language revenues
Private conventional TV & pay and specialty services

Source: CRTC Financial Database

Chart 27: Revenues of private conventional
French-language TV services by group

Source: CRTC Financial Database

    B. Aggregate profit before interest and taxes (PBIT) margins (%)

        1. English-language services   [back to Table of contents]

Chart 28: Aggregate English-language PBIT margins
Private conventional TV & pay and specialty services

Source: CRTC Financial Database

        2. French-language services   [back to Table of contents]

Chart 29: Aggregate French-language PBIT margins
Private conventional TV & pay and specialty services

Source: CRTC Financial Database

 

V. Funding of Canadian productions   [back to Table of contents]

    A. English-language Canadian program expenditures

Table 5: Eligible Canadian program expenditures (CPE)
English-language private conventional television
1997 through 1999
($ 000s)


Genre
1997
1998
1999 		% Growth
1997 to 1999
News (Cat. 1) 193,759 199,873 212,725 9.8
Other Info. (Cat. 2 to 5) 44,027 21,534 21,526 (51.1)
Sports (Cat. 6) 26,710 21,732 20,386 (23.7)
Drama (Cat. 7) 32,872 55,482 55,743 69.6
Music/Variety (Cat. 8 and 9) 2,824 5,447 4,393 55.6
Game Shows (Cat. 10) 216 179 220 1.9
Human Interest (Cat. 11) 22,343 23,540 21,128  (5.4)
Total (Cat. 1 to 11) 322,751 327,787 336,121 4.1

Source: CRTC Financial Database

Table 6: Canadian program expenditures (CPE)
English-language CBC television
1998 through 1999
($ 000s)


Genre
1998
1999 		% Growth
1998 to 1999
News (Cat. 1) 53,790 97,606 81.5
Other Info. (Cat. 2 to 5) 52,605 48,079 (8.6)
Sports (Cat. 6) 119,302 128,455 7.7
Drama (Cat. 7) 35,325 62,016 75.6
Music/Variety (Cat. 8 and 9) 19,166 12,218 (36.3)
Game Shows (Cat. 10) 0 0 -
Human Interest (Cat. 11) 31,167 4,667 (85.0)
Total (Cat. 1 to 11) 311,355 353,041 13.4

Note: 1997 expenditures are not available
Source: CRTC Financial Database

Table 7: Canadian program expenditures
English-language pay and specialty services
1997 through 1999
($ 000s)

 
1997
1998
1999

% Growth
1997 to 1999

# of stations 20 31 34 -
Total Canadian Program Expenditures ($) 196,218 220,613 306,379 56

Source: CRTC Financial Database

    B. French-language Canadian program expenditures   [back to Table of contents]

Table 8: Eligible Canadian program expenditures
French-language private conventional television and SRC
1998 through 1999
($ 000s)


Genre 
1998
1999 		% Growth
1998 to 1999
News (Cat. 1) 67,369 95,262 41
Other Info. (Cat. 2 to 5) 56,769 58,528 3
Sports (Cat. 6) 24,118 22,430 -7
Drama (Cat. 7) 62,870 58,894 -6
Music/Variety (Cat. 8 and 9) 32,610 46,254 42
Game Shows (Cat. 10) 3,696 4,287 16
Human Interest (Cat. 11) 49,297 37,916 -23
Total (Cat. 1 to 11) 296,729 323,571 9

Source: CRTC Financial Database

Table 9: Canadian program expenditures
French-language pay and specialty services
1997 through 1999
($ 000s)

 
1997
1998
1999 		% Growth
1997 to 1999
# of stations 8 12 12 -
Total Canadian program expenditures ($) 60,669 74,798 79,004 30

Source: CRTC Financial Database

 

VI. Canada's top independent production companies   [back to Table of contents]

Table 10: Canada's top independent production companies
ranked by 1999 total expenditures
($ 000s)


Company
1996
1998
1999 		Growth %
1996 to 1999
Alliance Atlantis 256,000 300,217 250,000 (2.3)
Fireworks Ent. - 74,036 141,297 -
Motion International - - 99,126 -
Lions Gate Ent. - 35,202 94,323 -
Cinar Corp. 66,600 75,450 90,000 35.1
Nelvana  44,000 77,600 81,712 85.7
Telescene Film Group 21,000 76,500 74,900 256.7
Sullivan Ent. 31,500 34,500* 54,000 71.4
Peace Arch Ent. - - 49,852 -
Salter Street Films 26,500 41,550 46,906 77.0
Filmline International 36,163 53,372 43,242 19.6
G.F.T. Ent. - - 37,200 -
CineGroupe - - 37,000 -
Mainframe Ent. - 20,000* 35,000 -
Sarrazin Couture Ent. 300 10,163 26,000 85.67
Total: Top independent production companies 482,063 798,590 1,160,558 -
Total: All Companies 983,600 1,699,767 1,727,356 75.6

* denotes Playback estimate

Notes: 1. Alliance and Atlantis separate companies prior to 1999. Individual company totals combined for 1996 and 1998.
           2. Expenses reported on a calendar year basis.
Source: Playback

 

VII. Pay and specialty services owned by the largest conventional TV groups
       [back to Table of contents]

Table 11

 

Control of specialty services

Corporation Service Control (%)
CTV CTV NewsNet
CTV SportsNet
Talk TV
History
The Comedy Network
Outdoor Life Network
Sports/Specials PPV
The Sports Network (TSN)
The Discovery Channel
Le Réseau des sports (RDS)
Viewers Choice 		100
40
100
12.5
65
33
60
80
80
80
24.95
CanWest Global (includes WIC) Prime TV
ROBTv 		100
26
CHUM Bravo
MuchMoreMusic
MuchMusic
SPACE
Star-TV
MusiMax
MusiquePlus
Pulse 24
Canadian Learning Television 		100
100
100
100
100
50
50
70.1
60
TVA Canal Indigo
   PPV
   PPV DTH
   VOD
Canal Évasion
Le Canal Nouvelles 		20



10
100
TQS (Québecor) Canal Indigo
PPV
PPV DTH
VOD 		20

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