Most Canadians who still watch traditional television are aged 65 and older, according to new research commissioned by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), reinforcing concerns that the industry is facing irreversible decline.Blacklock's Reporter says the study, Public Opinion Research On The CRTC’s Consumer Protection Codes 2025, found that older Canadians are far more likely to subscribe to cable, satellite, or internet TV. Only 32% of people aged 18 to 34 reported having a subscription, compared to 85% of those 65 and older. The CRTC spent $96,368 on the survey, conducted by Ottawa firm Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc., which polled 1,500 Canadians nationwide..The research builds on earlier findings that highlight the deep financial trouble facing traditional broadcasters. A 2023 CRTC report, Harnessing Change: Financial Model Of The Canadian Television Sector, warned that as more advertising dollars move online, traditional broadcasters will struggle to survive — even if they maintain a steady audience share.Audiences, the report noted, are also shifting from ad-supported platforms to subscription-based streaming services. This ongoing migration is expected to further erode both viewership and revenue for conventional TV outlets.Consultants concluded that “total revenue in the Canadian broadcasting sector has been on a downward trajectory,” with the steepest losses hitting private conventional television — long dependent on ad sales for income..Broadcasters themselves have echoed these concerns. Bell Media, which owns the CTV network, told the Senate transport and communications committee in 2022 that its local stations had not made a profit since 2013. Corus Entertainment, which operates the Global network, declared it was “on the brink,” despite receiving $103.6 million in pandemic-related federal aid.“Our ability to provide local, fact-based news in large parts of the country, in small markets, in places like the English-language minority community in Montréal, it all teeters on the brink,” said Corus executive vice president Troy Reeb during Senate testimony. “The status quo is not sustainable. The future of an entire Canadian industry is hanging in the balance.”
