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Annual report 2013-2014 Going the Distance
MESSAGES YEAR
IN REVIEW
RESULTS
AND OUTLOOK
RESOURCES FINANCIAL
REPORTING
GOVERNANCE PERFORMANCE About

2013—2014
Results –
French
Services

À la semaine
prochaine
Philippe Laguë,
Pierre Verville,
Michèle Deslauriers,
and Dominic Paquet


Again this year, Radio-Canada teams delivered bold, innovative and high-quality programming that forged close ties with the Canadian public. Our audiences responded well to new content across all of our platforms, as several indicators show that we met or surpassed targets established for 2013—2014.

With a combined share of 21.5%, ICI Radio-Canada Première and ICI Musique’s audience share reached an all-time high, surpassing annual targets. This performance can be attributed to exceptionally high results starting in spring 2013 and maintained into the fall. By the same token, at 20.9%, ICI Radio-Canada Première’s morning show audience share exceeded its target for the year by more than two share points.

ICI Radio-Canada Télé also exceeded its share target, capturing a 20.6% primetime audience share. The network benefited from a robust program schedule, which featured returning favourites that steadily drew over one million viewers (Dans l’œil du dragon, L’Auberge du chien noir, Les enfants de la télé, Les Parent, Mémoires vives, Tout le monde en parle, Trauma, Unité 9, etc.), new shows rapidly and widely embraced by audiences (Les pêcheurs), and signature events that drew Canadians together, such as special New Year’s Eve programming like Bye Bye 2013, which obtained an 88% share1.

In the specialty channel market, we came in somewhat below target with a 5.0% combined share. This was largely because, with fewer compelling news events than last year, ICI RDI obtained a slightly lower share. On the other hand, ICI ARTV performed well, boosted by the rebroadcast of two landmark drama series that made Radio-Canada history — Les belles histoires des pays d’en haut and Le temps d’une paix.

As for other news platforms, on one hand, our 2013—2014 results for ICI Radio-Canada Télé regional newscasts echoed the success we achieved in 2012—2013. Our weekly average minute audience numbers were slightly above target. On the other hand, our average number of unique visitors per month to all Radio-Canada sites and ICI Radio-Canada.ca regional web pages fell short of expectations. Fewer compelling news events than in 2012—2013 and a relatively stable number of Francophone Internet users across Canada contributed to these results2. Moreover, this underperformance was somewhat amplified by challenges in the measurement of ICI Radio-Canada.ca3.

Combined subscriber numbers for ICI ARTV and ICI RDI were consistent with our annual targets. ICI EXPLORA has about 70,000 more subscribers than expected, due in part to a distribution agreement with Bell TV since March 2013, a free preview period during the holiday season, and ICI EXPLORA’s role in broadcasting the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

Radio-Canada generated $243.3 million of revenue from recurring sources in 2013—2014. Higher revenue from internal services provided to independent producers and specialty channel subscriptions, helped us achieve close to the targeted level for the full year and offset the slowdown in the advertising market observed in the third quarter, as discussed further in Section 4.4 Outlook.

Performance Table – French Services


    Past Performance   Future
Annual Targets 2013–2014 Annual Results
2013–2014
Annual Results 2012–2013   Annual Targets
2014–2015
Radio Networks
ICI Radio-Canada Première
and ICI Musique
     
Full-day audience share1 19.3% 21.5% 18.5%   20.6%
Television
ICI Radio-Canada Télé
     
Prime-time audience share Fall/Winter season2 19.5% 20.6% 20.3%   20.0%
ICI RDI, ICI ARTV, ICI EXPLORA      
All-day audience
share April-March2
5.2% 5.0% 5.4%   5.0%
Regional
ICI Radio-Canada Première
     
Morning shows audience
share Mon-Fri 6-9 a.m.1
18.5% 20.9% 17.7%   19.5%
Téléjournal 18h      
Average viewer per minute Weekly average
Mon-Fri 6-6:30 p.m.
Fall/Winter season2
0.350 million 0.355 million 0.347 million   0.350 million
Regional web pages      
Monthly average unique visitors April-March3 0.710 million 0.660 million 0.646 million   0.592 million
New Platforms
ICI Radio-Canada.ca, ICI Tou.tv, ICI Musique, RCInet.ca,
ICI.ARTV.ca and ICI.Exploratv.ca
     
Monthly average unique visitors April-March3 2.3 million 2.0 million 2.2 million   1.8 million
Specialty Television Channels4
ICI RDI
     
Subscribers 11.1 million 11.1 million 11.2 million   11.1 million
ICI ARTV      
Subscribers 2.0 million 2.0 million 2.0 million   2.0 million
ICI EXPLORA      
Subscribers 0.4 million 0.5 million 0.3 million   0.5 million
Revenue5
Conventional, specialty, online
$243.8 million $243.3 million $252.8 million   $246.1 million

1. Source: BBM Canada, spring and fall survey (diary), persons aged 12 years and older. Results for Francophone radio stations, in markets served by a Radio-Canada base station.

2. Source: BBM Canada, Portable People Meter (PPM), Francophones in Quebec (specialty channels: Francophones in Quebec that subscribe to the cable channel), persons aged 2 years and older.

3. Source: comScore, persons aged 2 years and older. There appears to be a discrepancy between our internal data and comScore’s. Analysis of our internal data suggests that the comScore data underestimates usage of ICI Radio-Canada.ca during the months of January, February and March 2014, especially during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games in February. Targets have been adjusted to, among other things, account for measurement issues encountered in 2013–2014.

4. As at March 31, 2014.

5. Revenue for ICI ARTV is reported at 100% although CBC/Radio-Canada owns 85%. Includes revenue from LPIF, a fund reported by the CRTC to support local programming. Amounts reflect the phase out of the fund over three years ending August 31, 2014. Results as at March 31, 2014.

Strategy 2015 Future Directions – French Services

Transformation

On April 10, 2014, CBC/Radio-Canada unveiled its plan to balance its budget for 2014—2015. Under the plan, Radio-Canada will contribute to the Corporation’s $130 million reduction effort and will need to accelerate the transformation it has already begun in an effort to support its multiplatform programming strategy. In 2014—2015, Radio-Canada will leverage technologies, conduct a thorough review of its production, broadcasting and management environments, and fully capitalize various potential revenue sources.

More distinctly Canadian

In 2014–2015, Radio-Canada intends to maintain its leadership position in the French-language market. The Canadian content it will air across all platforms will continue to stand out for its high quality and distinctive, innovative nature on Drama, Comedy, Factual, Youth, Current Affairs and News. Signature events that engage Canadians will still be an important part of our unique offering. One key highlight this year for CBC/Radio-Canada and its partners will be serving as the country’s official broadcaster in both English and French for 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

Overall, ICI Radio-Canada Première, ICI Musique and ICI Radio-Canada Télé achieved exceptional audience shares in 2013—2014. In the coming year, Radio-Canada expects to build on those results despite the financial pressures we face. Targets have been set with this reality in mind.

More regional

Radio-Canada will continue to deliver regionally rooted content, with daily flagship programming across all platforms. It will also provide up-to-date digital news content, seven days a week. To do that, CBC/Radio-Canada will continue implementing or solidifying the multiplatform production capacity of its regional stations, and encourage synergy between regional and national networks to facilitate sharing of information and ensure better fluidity between the various types of content aired.

Budget reductions were the main reason for the 2014—2015 regional targets being set below the results achieved in
2013—2014.

More digital

To remain the leader in a French-language market that’s becoming more and more fragmented and where consumption habits are shifting rapidly, Radio-Canada, despite the financial pressures, is actively implementing its multiplatform strategy to capture a wider audience wherever they consume content. For instance, in 2014—2015, Radio-Canada will enrich the content on its specialty channels to support their growth, keep promoting and enhancing the fully redesigned ICI Tou.tv and its EXTRA premium service, and continue developing its educational platform Curio.ca to showcase its archives.

 

1. Source: BBM Canada, Portable People Meter (PPM), Francophones in Quebec, ages 2+.

2. Source: comScore Mediametrix, Francophones in Canada, at home, ages 2+.

3. Source: comScore, persons aged 2 years and older. There appears to be a discrepancy between our internal data and comScore’s. Analysis of our internal data suggests that the comScore data underestimates usage of ICI Radio-Canada.ca during the months of January, February and March 2014, especially during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games in February.

 

CBC/Radio-Canada