Source : CBC News

CRTC report

OTTAWA - While French-language viewership of Canadian programming continued its slow climb in 2002, viewership of English programs continued to maintain low numbers, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) reported Thursday.

In its annual report for the year 2002, the CRTC found that French drama and comedy programs attracted 48 per cent of the country's French-language viewership, a small but steady increase from 46 per cent in 2001 and 43 per cent in 2000.

On the other hand, English drama and comedy shows continued to hold the same percentage of viewers - 11 per cent - that they did for the last two years. The remaining 89 per cent went to foreign programming.

When sports, news and current events are added to the mix, the number of English viewers increases to 32 per cent, less than half the 76 per cent of French-language consumers.

The findings seem to underline the decline of English Canadian dramas in recent years. The Canadian Coalition of Audio-Visual Unions, including ACTRA, the Directors Guild of Canada and the Writers Guild of Canada, have called the issue a crisis and Wednesday urged Paul Martin's new cabinet to work towards a solution.

A recent Statistics Canada report, as well as Alliance Atlantis's closure of Oscar-winning production house Salter Street Films this week, paint a gloomy picture of the Canadian film and TV industries.

Other findings from the CTRC annual report:

• Revenues for conventional private television in English fell 1.7 per cent in 2002, but increased 3.3 per cent for French TV
• Revenues for English-language specialty, pay and pay-per-view services increased by 10.8 per cent, while French-language specialty services improved revenues by 10.7 per cent
• Revenues for English-language AM and FM radio stations climbed 2.7 per cent in 2002 (from 2001) and French stations rose 5.3 per cent
• Direct-to-home satellite subscriptions increased by 29 per cent in 2002, reaching 21.2 per cent of market share
• Conventional cable companies' market share fell to 72.4 per cent in 2002, down from more than 80 per cent in 1999

© CBC

Related Links

CRTC`s full report