OTTAWA – Canada’s television broadcasting sector saw 2010 operating revenues top $7.1 billion, up 8% from 2009, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
The figures show that 2010 industry-wide advertising revenues grew by 9.2% to $3.4 billion, nearly the same level as in 2008 before the economic slowdown, though results differed from one segment of the industry to another.
While private conventional television operating revenues rose 8.8% to $2.2 billion in 2010, they remained below the peak observed in 2007. This sector posted a profit margin of 0.2% for profits before interest and taxes of $5.4 million.
Pay and specialty television continued its upward trend with operating revenues increasing 11.1% year-over-year to $3.5 billion. This growth exceeded that of private conventional television (+8.8%) and public and non-commercial television (+0.4%). The profit margin in the pay and specialty segment rose to 25.4% for profits before interest and taxes of $877.3 million.
