Canadians and Media Consumption

By: Luke Bennett

“Phones are no longer just for

making calls. TV sets no longer

pull in content just from

antennas, satellites or cables.

The media world has changed”

– Susan Krashinsky (Source: The

Globe and Mail)

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Canadian media consumption is above the global average, with consumption

on track to hit 510.7 minutes per day by 2017. ZenithOptimedia claims that

Canadian media consumption is currently growing at a rate of 5.9% a year.

(Source: MarketingMag)

Canadians consume media in many different

ways. With the world today rapidly changing,

it is important to look at how people are

adapting. The three forms of media looked at

in this presentation are radio, TV, and the

internet.

Radio

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Unlike the internet,

Canadian radio is much

more regulated, and

the government

requires Canadian

stations to incorporate

a minimum amount of

Canadian content.

Canadian radio requires commercial radio stations to play

Canadian content at least 35% of the time from 6am to

6pm, Monday to Friday

(Source: The Government of Canada)

The requirement to play songs

by Canadian artists means that

Canadian pop stars such as The

Weeknd and Justin Bieber get

increased playtime in Canada.

This extra air time helps these

artists be more successful on

the Canadian charts.

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The main reason this bias for Canadian artists can exist is because radio

has a relatively short range compared to other forms of media today.

The user must be in close proximity to a radio stations’ tower to get their

signal and thus play their music, meaning most people in Canada only

have access to Canadian radio stations.

TV

Canadians watch mostly Canadian specialty (37.4%) and Canadian

conventional (37.3%) television, with few Canadians watching U.S.

conventional/broadcast (4%) and U.S. specialty (6.9%). (Source:

Canadian Media statistics)

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With the rise of the

internet, many

young viewers are

leaving behind

tradition TV in

favour of streaming

shows online with

services such as

Netflix.

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“There are now more than 30

Canadian networks streaming full

episodes of their shows online

using top quality media players.

Many of them even have mobile

apps for viewing on your phone or

tablet.” – Stephen Weyman

(Source: HowToSaveMoney)

In an increasingly “on-the-go” lifestyle, many

Canadians simply do not have the time to sit in front

of their TV at a scheduled time to watch their

shows. Being able to watch a show wherever and

whenever is very appealing and drives people away

from traditional television

The Internet

Canadian adults aged 18-

34 spend an average of

3,174 minutes per week

on the internet, making

it the most used

medium for media

(Source: IAB)

The internet, however, is a medium where Canadian

media closely replicates American media, as the

internet is largely unregulated by copyright laws and

original content regulations like TV and radio.

“Not every community has an

[internet] access program, and as

more and more daily needs and

services go online and in-person

contact declines, vulnerable

Canadians risk falling even further

behind” – Craig McGee (Source: The

Globe and Mail)

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“It’s important that ads adjust for digital

Canadians’ front-loaded attention spans,

which drop off quickly” – Alyson Gausby

(Source: The Globe and Mail)

Moving forward, it is important to

take into account the ways that

Canadians are changing their

media consumption habits to

better tailor the experience to

them.

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Kielburger, Craig, and Mark Kielburger. "How Can We Help Canadians Gain Better Access to the Internet?" The Globe and Mail. N.p., 25 Nov. 2013. Web.

Krashinsky, Susan. "Four Ways Canadians Are Consuming Media Differently - The ..." The Globe and Mail. N.p., n.d.Web.

Krashinsky, Susan. "Advertisers Cash in on Attention Spans of Digitally Savvy Canadians." The Globe and Mail. N.p., 11 May 2015. Web.

Powell, Chris. "Canadian Media Consumption Growing 5.9% a Year (Report ..." Marketingmag. N.p., 02 June 2015.Web.

Weyman, Stephen. "Free Internet TV - A Complete Guide For Canadians." Howtosavemoney. N.p., 16 Mar. 2016. Web.

Young, Rob. "Canada’s Media Landscape." Iabcanada. N.p., Nov. 2015. Web.