Revenue for Canadian broadcasting distribution companies grew by $1.1 billion in 2009 to $11.4 billion, while private cable broadcasters’ total revenues shrunk by 7.9%–going from $2.14 billion in 2008 to $1.97 billion in 2009–amid declining ad revenues, according to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
In the broadcasting authority’s report on broadcast distributors, showed revenue growth for cable companies slowed in 2009, at 11.9% after consecutive years of 16% growth in 2007 and 2008. Total revenues for cable climbed from $8.2 billion in 2008 to $9.2 billion in 2009, while operating expenses were up by 10.6% over the same period–from $4.6 billion to $5.1 billion. For direct-to-home satellite distribution and multipoint distribution system companies revenues increased by 7%, from $2 billion to $2.2 billion.
Broadcasting distribution companies also contributed $352.4 million to Canadian programming, an increase of 8.3% from the year before. And in 2009, cable companies paid $1.7 billion in fees to the pay and specialty services they distribute, an increase of 10.6% over the $1.6 billion paid in 2007.
Meanwhile, private conventional TV stations saw a drop of more than $190 million in local and national advertising sales from September 2008 to August 2009. Local advertising revenues decreased by 10.1% from $387.2 million to $348 million, and national advertising revenues was down by 10.3%, from $1.47 billion to $1.32 billion.
Program acquisition and production was 75.2% of all expenses, Private broadcasters invested 3.3% less on Canadian programming last year, or $599.4 million compared to $619 million. Meanwhile, foreign program spending was a record 59% of all programming expenses ($846.3 million), a 9.2% increase over 2008.
