PWGSC Contract # 82082-180132/001/CY
POR Registration #051-17
Contract Award Date: November 11, 2017
Delivery date: March 8, 2018
EKOS Research Associates Inc.
Prepared for:
Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission
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For more information on this report, please email:
Communications@crtc.gc.ca
EKOS RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
Contact: Susan Galley
Ottawa Office
359 Kent Street, Suite 300
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 0R6
Tel: (613) 235 7215
Fax: (613) 235 8498
E-mail: pobox@ekos.com
The goal of the current study is to understand the extent to which Canadians are listening to audio content and watching video content through traditional media, such as radio and television, or opting for access through the Internet. The study seeks to further understand the mix of methods used and rationale for the choices that Canadians are making (i.e., when they choose traditional or online means of access, for what type of content, in what environments, and why). This includes key motivators and barriers that shape the choices that are made.
Two sample sources were used to gather survey results: a representative panel sample of 1,662, and an open link advertised on the CRTC website and in social media, in which over 9,300 individuals participated. A series of 15 focus groups along with four sets of small group interviews were also held with residents of eight large and seven small communities to further understand the choices Canadians are making about how they want to view and or listen to video and audio content.
According to the representative survey findings, Canadians listen to and view a wide variety of content, however, news and information are of the greatest personal importance, with national and international news viewed or listened to by three in four, and local news consumed by two in three. Documentaries are also of interest among six in ten. Other popular forms of entertainment, including drama/action/sci-fi, music and comedy, are each consumed by about half of Canadians. Sports are also viewed and/or listened to among one in three, excluding pivotal moments, such as the Olympics. Some noteworthy generational patterns include greater interest in news among older Canadians, with those under 45 expressing greater comparative interest in other genres such as drama, music and comedy. Younger consumers also report more hours of viewing and listening.
While half of Canadians in the representative survey listen to five hours or fewer of audio content in an average week one in four listen six to 10 hours per week, and one in four listen more than 10 hours per week. About three in four spend some of this listening time accessing audio content online. Roughly one in four listen to 30 per cent or less of their content online, but one in four do more than 70 per cent of their listening online. Local news is the least likely to be listened to online, although three in ten do so. Music, on the other hand, is twice as likely to be listened to online, according to six in ten Canadians.
Focus group participants described listening online at work, and online or through traditional radio on the go (e.g., in the car, on their smartphone). Many described a range of listening habits, through a variety of paid and unpaid services. Most said their listening habits have been changing over the past few years, as technology and availability of content options increase.
Key reasons for listening to traditional radio according to the representative survey and focus group participants relate to the convenience of having radio available, at home and in the car, and not having to select material; relying on targeted radio stations to curate an appealing mix of news, music and other programming. The low cost of radio is also a key selling point for many. For others, the mere tradition of “always having done it that way” plays a role. Online listening is most often driven by the ability and desire to get the content they want, when and where they want it. This includes the ability to play a precise song one may be thinking of or hearing about. It is also about obtaining music and information from around the world.
In addition to reasons motivating listening, online or through traditional radio, there are a number of key barriers that dissuade listeners from accessing content using a particular means. Findings from the representative survey point to irritation about having to listen to advertising and repeated content, as well as inability to select the content you want, when you want it (e.g., not being able to access the news at a time of their choosing). Barriers to online listening relate to the inconvenience of having to find and select their own content, as well as the added cost for data or streaming services. Focus group participants, for example, spoke at length about the cost of data and their own difficulties with having to pay for streaming services.
Four in ten watch more than 10 hours per week of video content, while three in ten watch five hours or less. Eight in ten spend at least some of this viewing time accessing content online. Although just over one in four listen to 30 per cent or less of their content online, three in ten (and almost half of the open survey sample) view more than 70 per cent of their content online. Drama, action, fantasy/sci-fi and horror are genres that Canadians are most apt to view online.
In focus groups, participants described a variety of methods for viewing content, including subscriptions to cable and online streaming services. They also described the use of hardware to increase the convenience of viewing content from cable services (i.e., PVR), as well as to enable direct access to online streaming (e.g., smart TV, Android boxes). In each focus group at least a few participants said that they no longer or never had cable services. In a few groups, more than half of participants said that they no longer rely on cable services.
Canadians in the representative survey described enjoyment of traditional television viewing because they are used to it, know where and when to find the programming they want, and already have the tools (e.g., television, PVR) to capture the content they want to watch. Online viewing is favoured for the potential to watch the content they want, when and where they want it. Focus group participants, for example, described accessing international content not available on television, watching only the portions of programming of interest, or stopping and starting at their convenience, enabling a different style of viewing than traditionally experienced on television.
Barriers to traditional viewing centred mostly on cost, expressed through strong irritation among focus group participants who are tired of paying high cable bills. For many, the annoyance of advertisements is also a key issue. Barriers to online viewing most often relate to the inconvenience of how and where one may be able to view the content, and having to discover and/or select their own programming.
Canadian programming was supported as personally important to half of those in the representative survey, and important to many in the focus groups. Focus group participants saw the government’s role in helping to ensure that Canadian content is brought to listeners and viewers as a valuable, fostering Canadian identity and fortifying Canadian industry. Some further argued that it is particularly important for government to ensure good access to Canadian content in this “cord cutting” era where more Canadians are watching and listening to international content online. Finally, focus group participants argued strongly for the need for high quality, and universal access to the Internet in all parts of the country, particularly in rural and remote communities.
The contract value for the POR project is $144,995.95 (including HST).
Supplier Name: EKOS Research Associates
PWGSC Contract #82082-180132/001/CY
Contract Award Date: November 27, 2017
To obtain more information on this study, please e-mail
communications@crtc.gc.ca