TORONTO – The majority of Canadians that will be impacted by the upcoming digital transition are aware of it, but are in no rush to find a new way to watch their favourite shows, according to a new study from the Media Technology Monitor.
The report, Canada’s DTV Transition: Are Canadians Prepared, is based on telephone interviews conducted in March 2011 among 4000 Canadian adults – 2000 Anglophones and 2000 Francophones. It explores how many Canadians receiving off-air TV are prepared for the transition on August 31, 2011, how many are aware of the impending changes, and their expected actions.
The report’s key findings include:
– That the DTV transition will impact a small group of Canadians (7%) whose defining characteristic is their low level of interest in television;
– The majority of those affected said that they were aware of the transition, but only one in four had taken steps to continue to receive TV off-air (as of March 2011 and prior to the commencement of the public awareness campaign); and
– The DTV transition will accelerate the on-going decline of Canadians using off-air reception as many viewers turn to subscriptions, go on-line or stop watching. Based on consumer intentions, the report estimates that only half of the remaining off-air population will convert to digital off-air.
