SEVEN OUT OF TEN CANADIANS SUPPORT CRTC IN GRANTING LICENSES TO CANADIAN SATELLITE RADIO PROVIDERS Satisfied with Canadian content requirements CNW A recent study commissioned by Sirius Canada revealed 76% of Canadians support the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission's (CRTC) decision to grant satellite radio licenses to Canadian providers.
Furthermore, only 21% of Quebecers think the federal cabinet should overturn the CRTC decision and not allow the current satellite radio options while 69% of Quebecers support the CRTC ruling. In Quebec, there has been some recent opposition and a coalition of arts groups has appealed the CRTC decision. These appeals are to be reviewed by federal cabinet officials in the coming weeks.
"One rarely sees this kind of consensus in the country on any topic, said Kevin Shea, President and CEO, Sirius Canada. "We were delighted to see that Quebecers support satellite radio just as the rest of Canada," he added. "With satellite radio, Quebecers will get the opportunity to listen to French radio wherever they are in North America."
Awareness of satellite radio appears to be increasing among Canadians. While a survey last fall reported that 44% of Canadians were aware of the service, this survey finds 63% indicating some level of awareness and 36% say they have a reasonably high level of awareness of the service.
Exposure for Canadian Artists
One of the most compelling factors about the current satellite radio proposals that excites most Canadians, including Quebecers, is the exposure Canadian artists will get throughout North America. More than 71% of Canadians surveyed responded positively to the fact that Canadian artists will now be featured on satellite radio throughout Canada and the U.S. to more than 6.2 million current subscribers.
Furthermore, 69% of Quebecers agree (31% strongly agree) that having four commercial-free 100% French radio stations broadcast throughout North America will provide Quebec artists with great exposure.
In fact, Quebec respondents are more interested in the prospect of having Quebec artists heard all over North America than they are about the prospect of American English channels threatening Quebec culture (27% strongly agree.)
"At a time when Quebec artists such as Gregory Charles or Jonas are beginning to receive worldwide attention, but still finding current radio formats somewhat restrictive, satellite radio will open the door to a huge North American listening audience," said Shea.
Canadian Content
Compared to other major policy issues facing the country, the issue of Canadian content, even with Quebecers, was not deemed to be a high priority to most Canadians. While most Canadians were quite satisfied with the level of Canadian content required by the CRTC and do not see satellite radio as any threat to Canadian culture, not surprisingly Quebecers would prefer more French stations.
Market Potential
In terms of market potential, 22% of Canadians said that they would be interested in subscribing to a satellite radio service with 21% interest in Quebec. But by far the strongest interest comes from younger Canadians, with one third of Canadians under the age of 35 interested in becoming subscribers to satellite radio.
Grey Market
The study also looked at the current "grey market", that is existing subscribers and potential of Canadian subscribers to a U.S. offering. While only 2% of respondents currently were subscribers, more than 9% knew someone who already has a subscription. Furthermore, 12% of Canadians say they would be interested in subscribing to the service in the U.S. if satellite radio was not licensed in Canada.
"We believe that there are currently over 100,000 Canadians already subscribing to satellite radio in the U.S.," said Shea. "If 12% of Canadians would be interested in joining the grey market through the U.S., that's close to three million Canadians."
The national study, conducted by Veraxis Research and Communications in August of this year, consisted of a sample of 1,200 Canadians, including 500 in Quebec. |