Advertising in general—and certainly advertising in the television medium—is and continues to be quite underdeveloped in Canada. Per capita total ad spending in the U.S., for instance, is three times that of Canada, and in the UK it is 50% higher. For television, per capita U.S. ad spending is two and a half times that of Canada, and in the UK it is one-third higher. Even Australia’s per capita ad spending on TV is almost a third more than Canada's.
Advertisers in this country need access to more commercial time, not less. We frequently hear complaints from advertisers who cannot access sufficient TV commercial inventory during many times of the year. We need to grow our advertising opportunities in Canada, not restrict them.
In summary, it is our opinion that advertising plays an essential role in the continuing economic and cultural viability of the broadcast medium. The CBC has been a terrific partner with advertisers over the years. We believe that advertising revenue on the CBC only enhances its ability to achieve the special responsibilities given to it under the Broadcast Act. Restricting commercial access on CBC would result in a no-win situation for all concerned. It would undermine the quality and variety of television programming; remove an important supply of commercial inventory for advertisers, especially in local markets; and lead to an increase in costs that would ultimately have to be borne by consumers.
We appreciate the opportunity to participate, and we wish your committee well in its deliberations. It is our hope that the results will be of benefit to all Canadians.
Thank you.