CANADIAN RADIO: TSL DOWN; NET NOT TO BLAME Tony Sanders – Billboard Radio Monitor
Canadians aged 12 and up tuned into radio for an average 19.1 hours each week during 2005, a drop of 0.4 hours or 24 minutes from the 2004 average of 19.5 hours. That's according to a just-released report on media use published by Canada’s Radio-television and Telecommunications Council.
Those numbers aren't much different from the tuning trends of American radio listeners. Billboard Radio Monitor reported in late May that as of winter 2006 the average weekly TSL was 19:00 hours, a 15-minute drop from fall 2005.
Even though Canadians’ radio TSL held steady in 2003 and 2004 at 19.5 hours, overall weekly listening levels have decreased by roughly one hour and twenty-five minutes from 1999 to 2005. As a percentage, the decline amounts to 1.4%. The decrease is most notable in the teen demographics and for adults 18-34.
In fact, the biggest drop in listenership was among the 25-34 demo, which has had a 3.2% decline since 1999. During that same period, teens (12-17) had a 2.7% decline and the 18-24 demo fell 2.1%.
As of 2005, Canadian teens spent 8.6 hours listening to radio each week, while 18-24 year olds spent 15.2 hours and 25-34 year olds spent 18.1 hours.
While the Internet has had only a minimal effect on Canadians' use of radio, there has been a significant decline in TV viewing because of it, according to the report.
The CRTC also wrote that the amount of tuning to Canadian radio stations via the Internet is still insignificant but that it continues to rise annually. As a percentage of total tuning, this type of listening amounted to a 0.3% share in 2005. |