Wide majority say fees "much too high"

TORONTO JUNE 18th, 2014 – In a random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll™ among 1341 Canadians 18 years of age and older who were aware of how much they spent on cable and satellite TV, virtually all (92%) say cable and satellite fees are too high, and 7-in-10 use the strongest term ("much too high" - 70%).

8-in-10 want CRTC to regulate fees again

The wide majority of respondents agree the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) should be back in the business of regulating cable and satellite fees (79%), and 6-in-10 agree strongly (60%).

8-in-10 want fees regulated within inflation rate

The wide majority of respondents agree cable and satellite fees should be regulated to stay within the inflation rate (80%), and close to 6-in-10 agree strongly (58%).

Majority disapprove of CRTC getting out of Canadian content biz

More than half disapprove of the idea of the CRTC lowering or dropping Canadian content quotas on TV (52%), and just one third approve (35%). Approval is highest in Alberta (52%) and among Conservatives (51%).

Even split on more foreign cable, satellite channels

Equal proportions approve (43%) and disapprove (44%) of the CRTC allowing Canadian cable and satellite companies to carry more foreign channels than Canadian channels, while one tenth have no opinion (13%).

Majority disagree with lowering CanCon if job loss results

When told reducing Canadian content could lead to job losses in Canada, the majority (51%) disapprove of the idea, while just more than a quarter approve (28%) and a fifth have no opinion (21%).

Strong majority agrees CRTC should compare competitive pricing

A wide majority of respondents agree the CRTC should collect data on competitive cable and satellite fees to ensure they are affordable (80%), and two thirds agree strongly (62%).

“Canadians share a love-hate relationship with Canadian content - they want to see more American channels, but they want to protect jobs at home. They see the CRTC as an important part of this social and economic equation," said Forum Research President, Dr. Lorne Bozinoff.

Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416) 960-9603.

