Private radio revenues continued decline in 2016: StatsCan

Overall operating revenues for private radio broadcasting across Canada last year fell 3.3 per cent, marking the third consecutive year the sector has experienced such a decline, according to Statistics Canada. Those revenues were down by $52.5 million from 2015 to $1.6 billion last year, due to a 5.4 per cent decline in local advertising sales, StatsCan reported Tuesday. A total of 98.4 per cent of those revenues were generated from advertising in 2016, the agency added. Quebec was the only province that saw an increase in revenue and profit margin before interest and taxes. It saw an increase last year of 1.3 per cent to $311.3 million compared to the previous year. Lower operating expenses helped the aforementioned profit margin, which increased by 3.9 percentage points in 2016. Revenues in Ontario fell by 0.5 per cent to $552.4 million last year. Profit margin before interest and tax in 2016 went unchanged and stood at 21.9 per cent. Meanwhile, the Western provinces took the biggest fall, with revenues down 8.2 per cent from 2015 to $589.4 million in 2016. Alberta took the brunt of the damage, with revenues down 12.9 per cent from 2015 to $247.6 million. Its profit margin before interest and taxes was at 17.7 per cent, its lowest level since 2000. French-language stations saw revenues increase 1.2 per cent to $265.9 million in 2016, compared to a decline of 4.3 per cent to $1.2 billion for English-language radio stations. Profit margins before interest and taxes for the former also increased to 20.1 per cent compared to 16.5 per cent in 2015, while the latter group suffered a decrease to 18.4 per cent compared to 19.6 per cent in 2015. Revenues for the FM radio sector fell 3.9 per cent to $1.3 billion in 2016, with the profit margin before interest and taxes also falling to 21.6 per cent ($274.1 million) in 2016 compared to 21.7 per cent the year prior. Those revenues were down 0.5 per cent to $284.3 million for the AM sector while profit margin before interest and tax was down to 5.3 per cent from six per cent in 2015.

Private radio revenues continued decline in 2016: StatsCan

Brief | July 19, 2017

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

Private radio revenues continued decline in 2016: StatsCan

Brief | July 19, 2017

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Related Stories

Rogers laying off customer service workers; Corus cutting Global News staff, radio jobs

CRTC approves sale of 21 BC radio stations from Bell to Vista

CRTC hears mixed arguments on licence terms for radio broadcasters

New president of Cogeco Media division picked up from Radio-Canada

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us