ACA calls for continued advertising on CBC/Radio-Canada
April 16th, 2014 | ACA Team,
By ACA Staff
In Canada, advertising is the primary funding source sustaining the broadcasting system, and the CBC is no exception. Reeling from the loss of Hockey Night in Canada and the changing environment of the broadcast landscape, the future of the CBC is at a critical juncture. Now more than ever, strong, stable, long-term funding to the CBC will allow the broadcaster to continue to produce high-quality programming and be a player in the advertising ecosystem.
Advertising already plays a significant role in CBC/Radio-Canada programming, featuring shows like Dragon’s Den, Murdoch Mysteries, Tout le monde en parle, and Les Parents, as well as sports programming like the recent Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. If you paid any attention to the Olympic coverage, you’d know that the CBC demonstrated their ability to deliver the standards of multi-platform sponsorship programs that today’s marketplace demands.
But more than just the success of the CBC, the entire Canadian broadcast advertising landscape as a whole will be affected. The CBC’s approximately $330 million per year in commercial revenues provides indispensable competition in the marketplace. Without it, the balance would be lost.
In French Canada, Radio-Canada’s (SRC) influence is even more pronounced. Without a doubt, the SRC’s commercial inventory plays a vital role in ensuring competitive pricing practices in the marketplace.
Meanwhile, the broadcasting landscape is changing. Consumers are increasingly tuning out traditional forms of advertising. Advertisers are seeking alternatives, like native advertising and the imminent widespread use of IPTV and addressable television, to address the Canadian market. In this regard, CBC.ca already ranks higher in unique visitors than other individual broadcaster sites, making it an attractive vehicle for advertisers, while CBC’s Kraft Hockeyville and Dragon’s Den are just two examples of successful content integration.
Now is the time for the CBC to seize myriad opportunities that lie before them – radio and TV advertising, sponsorship opportunities, content integration and the wide world of digital – and move forward with a creative and experimental strategy that drives engagement. It’s what advertisers are looking for.
Last week Bob Reaume represented the ACA before the Canadian Senate regarding this issue. Read the press release.
