Canada's broadcast distributors, including cable and satellite companies, enjoyed a strong and rewarding 2009 despite facing challenges in their specific industry and the overall economy.
The country's conventinal broadcasters reported a loss in advertising revenue over the same period, but an increase in programming purchases.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission released the statistical and financial summaries for Canadian broadcasting distribution companies today, showing this sector of the broadcasting industry enjoying a continued strong performance - its total revenues grew by $1.1 billion to reach $11.4 billion in 2009.
Total revenues climbed from $8.2 billion in 2008 to $9.2 billion in 2009. Operating expenses rose by 10.6% over the same period, or from $4.6 billion to $5.1 billion. This was a margin slowdown in revenue growth for cable companies, to 11.9% after having increased by over 16% in both 2007 and 2008
As a result, profits before interest and taxes (PBIT) improved from $2.1 billion to $2.3 billion in one year. However, there was little change in the PBIT margin, which came in at 25.1% in 2009, compared with 25.3% in 2008.
The number of Canadian households that obtained basic-television service from a cable company grew by 2.2% to 8.1 million subscribers.
In 2009, cable companies employed 22,716 people and paid $1.6 billion in salaries, whereas the previous year they employed 19,848 people and paid $1.2 billion in salaries.
Between 2008 and 2009, total revenues for direct-to-home satellite distribution and multipoint distribution system companies increased by 7%, going from $2 billion to $2.2 billion. There was little change in operating expenses as they increased only slightly from $1.66 billion to $1.73 billion.
DTH and MDS companies reported a PBIT of $82 million, up from $81.4 million in 2008, and a PBIT margin of 3.7%, down from 4% the previous year.
The number of DTH and MDS subscribers to basic service was 2.3% higher, rising to 2.8 million.
In 2009, these companies employed 2,915 people and paid $215.9 million in salaries. In comparison, they employed 2,975 people and paid $193.4 million in salaries in 2008.
Broadcasting distribution companies contributed $352.4 million to Canadian programming, an increase of 8.3% in one year. Of this total, $179.3 million was directed to the Canadian Television Fund, $50.3 million to independent funds and $122.8 million to local expression, such as cable community channels.
In 2009, cable companies paid $1.7 billion in wholesale fees to the pay and specialty services they distribute, an increase of 10.6% over the $1.6 billion paid in 2007. Similarly, payments made by DTH and MDS companies to their affiliates increased by 8.6% in one year, rising from $740.8 million to $804.5 million.
Private broadcasters saw their total revenues shrink by 7.9%, going from $2.14 billion in 2008 to $1.97 billion in 2009. Although operating expenses were cut by 2.4%, these broadcasters lost $116.4 million before interest and taxes over the 2009 broadcast year, which resulted in a negative profit margin of 5.9%.
In 2008, private broadcasters reported profits before interest and taxes (PBIT) of $8 million and a PBIT margin of 0.4%.
Private conventional television stations experienced a decline of more than $190 million in local and national advertising sales. From 2008 to 2009, local advertising revenues decreased by 10.1% from $387.2 million to $348 million, and national advertising revenues by 10.3% from $1.47 billion to $1.32 billion.
The acquisition and production of programs represented 75.2% of all expenses, which came down from $2.1 billion in 2008 to $2 billion in 2009. Private broadcasters invested 3.3% less on Canadian programming last year, or $599.4 million compared to $619 million. In 2009, broadcasters paid $176.2 million to independent producers to acquire programming, which amounted to an increase of $30.2 million in one year.
Meanwhile, spending on foreign programming reached its highest level yet at 59% of all programming expenses, or $846.3 million. This total represented a 9.2% increase over the $775.2 million that was spent in 2008.
Spending on Canadian programming included $75.4 million for drama, $80.9 million for general interest programming, $312.1 million for news programs, $65.9 million on other information programs, $38.3 million for musical and variety shows, $3.8 million for sports programs, and $11.1 million for game shows.
In 2009, conventional television stations employed 6,747 people and paid a total of $527.6 million in salaries, whereas the previous year this sector employed 7,406 people and paid $576.9 million in salaries.