Let’s Talk TV: Quantitative Research Report

24 April 2014

Executive Summary

Harris/Decima is pleased to present this report to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) highlighting the findings from a research study associated with Let’s Talk TV – A conversation with Canadians about the future of television.

The television broadcasting system is facing considerable change, including the introduction and adoption of new technologies and platforms, changing audience behavior and demands/expectations, increased consolidation and the expanding popularity of over-the-top services (OTT), among other important trends.

The CRTC needs to assess whether the current regulatory framework responds to this new environment and more specifically to Canadians’ needs, interests and expectations.  The CRTC wants to consult meaningfully with Canadians and wants them to have a say. Engagement of Canadians as citizens, consumers and creators is central to the CRTC’s vision to ensure that Canadians are at the center of a world-class communication system.

To contribute to these objectives, a telephone survey was conducted with 801 Canadian adults aged 18 years and older. Surveys were conducted between December 4 and 21, 2013 (in English and French) and took an average of 8 minutes to complete. A sample of this size yields a margin of error of +/-3.5%, 19 times out of 20.

The results from this research, along with the many other Let’s Talk TV activities, will be used to propose a new regulatory framework.

Key findings based on the survey results:

• Most Canadians (78%) pay for a subscription to a television service, whether cable (47%), satellite (19%) or Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) (12%).
  • Another 3% has an unknown type of subscription, 5% use an antenna and 14% said they did not have a paid subscription to a television service.
• Satisfaction with the various aspects of the service delivered by television providers varies, with most being happy with customer service (67%), contract clarity and flexibility (60%), and flexibility to cancel or modify contracts (54%).               
  • But many are unhappy with the flexibility in selecting channels - or lack thereof (50% satisfied and 36% dissatisfied)
  • People were also less happy with the cost of their service (36% satisfied and 44% dissatisfied).
• Quite a few non-TV subscribers indicate they may be convinced to subscribe if certain criteria are met, such as lower pricing (71%) or more flexibility in channel selection (61%).
  • Sizable proportions could also be convinced to subscribe if contracts were more flexible (57%) or if customer service was better (52%).
  • Fewer felt that availability of more Canadian programming (36%) or local programming (32%) would make them consider subscribing.
• A growing number of Canadians (60%) are moving away from only watching television live and instead record programs on their PVR.
• Internet on demand services like Netflix and Tou.tv are also gaining ground with four in ten (39%) indicating they watch such services.
  • To watch this online programming, most use a laptop or desktop, often plugged into a TV set, while game consoles and tablets are also quite popular devices.
• News programs are the most important types of television programming to Canadians, whether local (81% saying it is important), national (78%), documentaries (72%) or international (68%).
  • More than half also find Canadian programming in general, comedy and feature films important (62% each).
  • About half value local programming (53%), drama (51%), music (50%) and programs that portray Canadian diversity (48%). Sports are important to 43%, while more niche-programming such as children’s programming (40%), community programming (32%), reality TV (23%) and religious programming (18%) are least likely to be seen as important.

Perceptions of the CRTC

One question about the perception of the CRTC was also added to the Let’s Talk TV questionnaire in order to monitor the trends in perception (the same question was asked in a 2008 telephone survey.)

• Most Canadians either have favourable opinions of the CRTC (37%) or are neutral (42%) towards the Commission, while it has few detractors (16%).
  • This compares to 30% favourable in the 2008 survey, 47% neutral and 13% unfavourable.

I hereby certify as Senior Officer of Harris/Decima Inc that the deliverables  fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate or ratings of the performance of apolitical party or its leaders.

Stephanie Constable, Senior Vice President
Harris/Decima Inc.

Introduction

Harris/Decima is pleased to present this report to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) highlighting the findings from a research study associated with Let’s Talk TV – A conversation with Canadians about the future of television.

Canadians today have access to a whole new set of broadband-based technologies that inform, entertain and connect them to each other and to the world. They are a window to their neighborhood and the world.

They are the gateway to their private and public lives – their homes, businesses, work and leisure. They depend on them to do their jobs, buy and sell products, monitor breaking news, share the latest photos of friends and family, play games, find directions and watch TV shows, documentaries and movies.

The term ‘audiovisual content’ does not mean what it once did when such content can now be accessed on a notebook, tablet or smartphone. Personal video recorders let viewers determine when and how many episodes of their favorite shows they watch at a sitting and television sets can be connected directly to the Internet.

The CRTC needs to assess whether the current regulatory framework responds to this new environment and more specifically to Canadians’ needs, interests and expectations. The CRTC wants to consult with Canadians and wants to engage them as citizens, consumers and creators. This is central to the CRTC’s mission of putting Canadians at the center of their television system. With the Wireless Code proceeding, the CRTC engaged Canadians from the very beginning which resulted in a Code tailored to meet the needs of consumers across Canada. The CRTC wants to apply the same philosophy to this Conversation and do even more to connect with Canadians on the future of television.

This research project ensured that the CRTC obtained empirical data in addition to the information it has received through other means of consulting Canadians. It was also an opportunity to get information on perceptions of the CRTC. With this large scale conversation, the CRTC wants to put Canadians at the center of their television system.

Specific research objectives were:

• To seek Canadians’ knowledge, attitudes, awareness, an
• d behaviours regarding the Canadian television system. Major themes were: Programming, Technology and Viewer Toolkit.

To seek perceptions of the CRTC as an institution. To meet these objectives, a telephone survey was conducted with 801 Canadian adults aged 18 years and older. Twenty percent of interviews (n=159) were conducted with cell phone respondents and 80% (n=642) by landline respondents. Surveys were conducted between December 4 and 21, 2013 (in English and French) and took an average of 8 minutes to complete. A sample of this size yields a margin of error of +/-3.5%, 19 times out of 20.

The results from this research, along with the other Let’s Talk TV activities, will be used to propose a new regulatory framework.

The detailed findings from this research are presented in subsequent chapters of this report. Appended to this report are the survey instruments (English and French) and detailed tabular tables (presented under separate cover).

Stephanie Constable, Senior Vice President
Harris/Decima Inc.

Detailed Findings

This report is divided into four sections. The first part presents the Canadian landscape of television service subscriptions. The second section reviews alternatives to watching “classic TV” such as PVR use and Internet on Demand TV services. This is followed by a discussion on the importance to Canadians of various types of television programming. The last section examines opinions of the CRTC.

The numbers presented throughout this report are rounded. In some cases, it may appear that ratings collapsed together are different by a percentage point from when they are presented individually and totals may not add up to 100%.

Television Subscriptions

Subscription Levels and Types

Most Canadians pay for a subscription to a television service, whether cable, satellite or Internet Protocol TV (IPTV).

Almost half (47%) have a cable TV subscription, while one in five (19%) have satellite and 12% IPTV. A small number has an undefined type of subscription (3%), while another small percentage (5%) watches TV using an antenna. That leaves 14% of Canadians who do not use any of these services.

There are some regional differences of note between service preferences, which could be linked to the availability and popularity of certain telecommunications providers:

• In Atlantic Canada, IPTV appears more popular (29%);
• In the Prairie provinces, satellite subscriptions are more numerous (33%) while cable (29%) is less popular than average;
• More than half of BC residents (53%) have a cable subscription while only 9% have satellite;
• When looking at Quebec versus the rest of Canada^{Footnote 1}, more than half of Quebec respondents have a cable subscription (57%) compared to 44% elsewhere, while twice as many outside Quebec have IPTV (13% vs. 7% in Quebec).

As well, not surprisingly, the newer IPTV services see higher subscription rates amongst younger people (14%) compared to among older Canadians (8%).

Satisfaction with Providers

Satisfaction with the various aspects of the service delivered by television providers varies, with most being happy with customer service and contract clarity and flexibility, but unhappy with the cost of their service.

A variety of aspects of television services were tested using a seven-point scale, whereby the lower end of the scale (1-3) indicated dissatisfaction and the higher end (5-7) indicated satisfaction, with the mid-point (4) being interpreted as “neutral.”

Two-thirds (67%) of Canadians who have a paid television service are satisfied with the customer service provided by the companies, while one in five (20%) as dissatisfied. Satisfaction with contract clarity (60%) and flexibility to modify or cancel contracts (54%) is lower, but still a majority. Channel selection is more of a sticking point, with half (50%) saying they are satisfied with the flexibility of doing so and more than a third (36%) saying they are dissatisfied.

Price is the most contentious issue, as only 36% are happy with that aspect of their service and 44% are unhappy (16% feel neutral about it).

In general, residents of Atlantic Canada and Quebec/French respondents are happier with their service than those in other provinces:

Non-Subscribers

Quite a few non-TV subscribers indicate they may be convinced to subscribe if certain criteria are met, such as lower pricing or more flexibility in channel selection.

Among the one in five Canadians who do not subscribe to any paid TV service, a majority (81%) say they would consider subscribing to a TV service provider if one (or more) of six tested criteria were to be met.

Lower prices would potentially change the minds of 71% of non-subscribers, while more flexible channel selections would make 61% consider a service – not a surprising finding, since this is seen as being a pain-point for half of those (50%) who do currently subscribe. More than half (57%) also indicate that more flexible contracts could change their minds, again agreeing with the 29% of subscribers who are not satisfied with their current contracts. Better customer service from the companies may make another 52% consider a subscription.

Smaller percentages said that more Canadian programming (36%) or more local programming (32%) would make them consider a subscription. Only a tiny number of people offered these reasons without also saying that price or flexibility was important. As a result, these are factors which, without any of the more popular criteria being satisfied, would be unlikely to convince a non-subscriber to consider paying for a TV service.

Note: Due to the small sample size for this question (n=142), subgroup analysis is not recommended.

Alternatives to “Classic TV”

Personal Video Recorders (PVRs)

A growing number of Canadians are moving away from watching live television and instead record programs on their PVR.

More than half of Canadians (60%) say they watch at least some programming on a PVR – 8% do this all the time, 20% most of the time, 24% sometimes and 7% rarely.

PVR use is far more prevalent among those with an IPTV subscription (73%) or satellite (69%) than among those with cable (55%).

Again, not surprisingly, younger Canadians are more likely to have adopted this newer technology, with 38% of those between 18 and 34 years old using a PVR always or most of the time, compared to 31% among those 35-55 years old and only 21% among the older cohort.

Regionally, British Columbia stands out from the rest of the country. Here, 44% say they watch TV on a PVR always or most of the time. That number is less than half in Atlantic Canada (20%) and also relatively low in Ontario (25%).

Internet on Demand

Internet on demand services like Netflix are also gaining ground.

Four in ten (39%) Canadians watch TV programming through Internet on demand.

To do so, a computer or laptop is most often used (by 65%). In many cases (43%), the computer or laptop is plugged in to a TV to use the TV screen instead of computer screen for viewing. About a third (35%) use a game console (attached to a TV) and another third (32%) watch Internet on demand TV on a tablet. The smaller smart phone screen is popular among a quarter (25%). Smart TVs (22%) and Apple TV (16%) are used by smaller proportions, although it is likely that they will grow in popularity as they become more mainstream. 

Age is a major factor, once again: a majority of younger Canadians (62%) watch Internet TV, compared to 42% of 35-54-year-olds and only 18% of those 55 and older. Among those who do not subscribe to any TV service, half (50%) do watch Internet on demand TV.

When looking at the avenues for watching Internet TV, some demographic differences can be noted:

• Watching on a computer or laptop is most prevalent in Quebec (80%) and least prevalent in the West (53% in the Prairie provinces and 55% in BC) – On average, 60% use this method outside Quebec;
  • Those with an antenna (87%) or without any subscription (81%) are also far more likely to watch on a computer or laptop.
• Plugging a laptop or desktop into the TV is more attractive to younger Canadians; Among those 18-34, more than half (53%) do this to watch Internet TV, and among 35-54-year-olds this is 42%, compared to only one in five (20%) of those 55 and older;
  • Among those who also have a cable subscription, half (52%) plug into their TV, compared to only 28% among those with satellite.
• Canadians with an antenna are twice as likely than average (65% vs. 32%) to watch on a tablet;
• British Columbians are least likely to watch on a smart phone (7%), along with older Canadians 55+ (also 7%, compared to 37% among those 18-34 and 18% among those 35-54);
• Game consoles are most popular in Ontario (47%) and the Prairies (46%) and least popular in Quebec (13%);
  • As well, not surprisingly, younger Canadians are heavier game console users (39% among 18-54-year-olds compared to 12% among those 55+).
• Apple TV is more popular among those who have a satellite service (24%) or cable (19%) than among those with an antenna or no service (6%).

Programming

News programs are the most important types of television programming to Canadians.

When asked about the importance of various types of television programming, local news ranks highest (81% saying it is important), followed by Canadian national news (78%), documentaries (72%) and international news (68%).

More than half also find Canadian programming in general, comedy and feature films important (62% each). About half (53%) value local programming (tested separately from local news, which garners top marks), drama (51%), music (50%) and programs that portray Canadian diversity (48%). Sports are important to 43%, while more niche-programming such as children’s programming (40%), community programming (32%), reality TV (23%) and religious programming (18%) are least likely to be seen as important.

Regional differences of note are:

• Atlantic Canadians place more importance on local programming (71%) and community programming (52%), as well as reality TV (36%), and less importance on documentaries and international news;
• Quebecers rate documentaries (78%), international news (73%), and comedy (65%) higher and national news (70%), local programming (50%), community programming (21%) and drama (46%) lower;
• Ontarians rate quite a few types of programming relatively high - national news (84%), international news (70%), comedy (64%), Canadian programming (66%), drama (57%) and sports (45%), while  they only rate local programming (51%) and reality TV (20%) lower than residents in other provinces;
• Those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan are close to the average on almost all programming types, with the exception of placing more importance on Canadian national news (82%);
• British Columbians rate a few programming types relatively low: national news (68%), comedy (51%), sports (33%) and reality TV (18%).

Women are more likely to prefer drama, music and TV programming that is reflective of Canadian culture, while men express a preference for sports programming.

Older Canadians are more likely to see Canadian and local news as more important, as well as documentaries, Canadian programming in general, local programming and music, while comedy is more important among the under-35 crowd.

Impressions of the CRTC

Most Canadians either support the CRTC or are neutral towards the CRTC, while it has few detractors.

Opinions about the CRTC are quite soft, with only 9% saying they have a very favourable impression and only 6% on the opposite side of the spectrum, having a very unfavourable impression.

Overall, positive impressions outnumber negative ones by more than 2:1.  Almost three in ten (28%) are somewhat favourable, bringing the positive count to 37%, while one in ten (10%) are somewhat unfavourable, bringing negative opinions to 16%. The plurality (42%) has a neutral impression while another 6% has no opinion of the CRTC.

This same question was asked in a 2008 CRTC survey. Those results showed that 30% had favourable impressions, 47% neutral and 13% unfavourable.

A few demographic differences in opinion can be noted:

• Men are more likely to have a positive opinion about the CRTC than women: 41% of men have a positive impression compared to 33% of women, while 20% of men and 11% of women view the CRTC in an unfavourable light. At the same time, men are more likely to have an opinion about the CRTC – whether positive or negative – with about a third of men (35%) holding a neutral view compared to almost half (48%) among women;
• Older Canadians are also more opinionated about the CRTC, with a significantly higher percentage in the unfavourable column (22% among those 55+, compared to 12% and 13% among the younger age categories). And while they are also more likely to have positive views (40% vs 33% and 36%), this is not a significant difference; and
• Canadians in the Prairie provinces are more likely to have somewhat unfavourable opinions (18%).

Survey Methodology

Harris/Decima undertook a telephone survey with Canadian adults.

Overview of Methodology

This research consisted of a telephone survey with Canadian adults aged 18 years and older. Specifically, 801 Canadians were interviewed by telephone using a random sampling approach and therefore utilized probability sampling. A sample of this size drawn from the Canadian population would be expected to provide results accurate to within plus or minus 3.5 percent in 19 out of 20 samples.

Twenty percent of interviews (n=159) were conducted with cell phone respondents and 80% (n=642) by landline respondents. Surveys were conducted between December 4 and 21, 2013 (in English and French) and took an average of 8 minutes to complete.

The sampling plan was designed as follows, with quotas placed on region, age, gender and sample type:

Details regarding the approach used for completing this research are outlined below.

Questionnaire Design

Harris/Decima reviewed the questionnaire provided by the CRTC to ensure all questions were appropriately worded and new questions were added to meet The CRTC’s objectives. The overall length of the survey was one minute over the targeted length of 7 minutes.

Survey Pre-tests

Prior to being finalized, the telephone survey was pre-tested on November 28, 2013 in both official languages to ensure it elicited the required information. In total, 10 interviews were conducted in English and 10 interviews were conducted in French. On average, the study took 9 minutes to complete during the pre-tests, and cuts to the questionnaire were made before launching full field.

Following the pretest, the data was reviewed by checking frequencies and skip logic to ensure the survey instrument was programmed properly. The pre-test completes were not included in the final dataset as cuts to the pre-test questionnaire were necessary.

All calling was completed from Harris/Decima’s Ottawa and Montreal call-centers.  

Sample Design and Selection

The sample for this survey was designed to complete 800 interviews with Canadian adults. The sample was stratified by region, age and gender to allow for meaningful sub-group analysis and to ensure that weighting factors stayed within the acceptable research standards.

The landline telephone sample was drawn using SurveySampler technology, which ensures that all residential listings in Canadian provinces have an opportunity to be selected for inclusion in the survey. Within those households selected, respondents were screened to ensure they were eligible for the study.

SurveySampler also provided cell phone sample. Cell phone numbers are not provided from directories, but are randomly generated with known cell-phone pre-fixes. The person answering the cell phone was selected for the study if they were 18 years of age or over and not driving a vehicle at the time of the survey.

Survey Administration

The telephone survey was conducted with 801 respondents in English or French using computer-assisted-telephone-interviewing (CATI) technology, from Harris/Decima's facilities in Ottawa and Montreal. The survey was completed between December 4 and 21, 2013. The average length of time required to complete the survey was approximately 8 minutes. All interviewing was conducted by fully trained and supervised interviewers, and a minimum of 5 percent of all completed interviews were independently monitored and validated in real time, with 75 percent of the survey needing to be monitored to count towards the 5 percent.

Harris/Decima informed all survey participants of the general purpose of the research, identified both the sponsor (Government of Canada) and the research supplier, and informed participants that their responses would be kept confidential. Furthermore, the survey was registered with the National Survey Registration System.

Harris/Decima used Confirmit’s Horizons CATI program for data collection. The software provided complete control over entry flow, including skips, valid ranges, and logical error-trapping. The system imported sample directly from databases – no need for re-entry and no entry errors. Moreover, the system automated all scheduling and call-back tasks, ensuring that every appointment was set within project time limitations and that an interviewer was available for every call-back.

Sample Distribution

A sample of 801 drawn from the Canadian adult population would be expected to provide results accurate to within plus or minus 3.5 percent in 95 out of 100 samples. Sub-groups have larger margins of error, as presented below:

Data were then weighted by region, age, gender and cell phone penetration, using 2011 Census data:

Sample Disposition and Response Rate

A total of 45,055 Canadian households were dialed for this study, of which 801 qualified as eligible and completed the survey (adult Canadians 18 years and older). The overall response rate achieved for the telephone study was 3.65%. The following report on sample disposition and response rate follows MRIA guidelines, which are set up to establish consistency in reporting across the market research industry.

Non-response bias

The calculated response rate of this survey was 3.65%. The expected response rate for a telephone survey of this type with a longer field length of four weeks is between 5% and 10%. Given the timeframe (15 days in field) and the overall budget provided for this project, a lower response rate was expected. The following steps were taken in order to maximize the response rate while undertaking the study given the constraints of field time, sample size and budget, the following steps were taken:

• A minimum of eight callbacks were made to each listing before it was retired; however, 84% answered on the first call attempt;
• Callback scheduling was varied to maximize the possibility of finding someone at home; and
• Flexible callbacks and appointments were offered to respondents so they could respond to the survey at their most convenient time.

Response rates for telephone surveys in Canada and elsewhere have been steadily declining for many years and the trend appears to be continuing. Research has thus far indicated that response rates are a poor indicator of survey quality, yet there remains a valid concern that the universe of individuals ultimately providing responses has an increasing chance of being different from those who are not included in the final dataset. Fundamentally, once a household’s phone number is drawn into the sample frame, there are only three ways that the number ends up as a non-response:

• The phone number is not attempted at a time when the potential respondent is available;
• The survey sample is completed before the phone number needs to be attempted or re-attempted; or
• The respondent chooses not to answer or participate.

By implementing the callback measures described above, the risk of failing to provide a viable opportunity for an interview is mitigated somewhat. However, the concern remains that the high percentage of households that are ultimately non-participants in a study may be different from the survey sample in a way that influences the results of the survey.

In order to investigate whether non-response bias may be having an impact on the results, we compare the sample collected to population it was drawn from.

Comparing Sample Profile to Universe Profile

Using the 2011 Canadian Census data as the factual description of the universe being sampled, the demographic characteristics of the weighted final sample were examined in order to identify any differences and where any may exist, and to examine whether these had a statistically significant impact on the findings.

The profile of the final sample (both weighted and unweighted) of Canadians was compared to the latest Canadian Census data (2011). Although the sample of respondents gathered in this study broadly matches the larger Canadian population with respect to region, age and gender, as is typical with telephone surveys in Canada, the final sample over-represents those with higher levels of education. Without specifically targeting education levels when doing randomized public opinion polling, our sample is very unlikely to match the census distribution.

There appear to be some minor differences in the responses based on level of education level - mostly between those with a high school education or less and the other groups above that. They are less likely to watch TV on internet-on-demand services and are actually more satisfied with the price of their TV service. These are minor differences, however, and a skew in education levels is a common feature of Canadian telephone interviewing. It is largely accepted that it is not considered a significant factor affecting the representativeness of a random sample.

Most of the striking and consistent differences occur between regions and age groups, both variables which were controlled for using quotas and/or weighting. Due to this, the overall impressions and analysis of the data would not have changed if the sample would have more closely mirrored the universe in terms of education levels. Weighting the results on education levels (in addition to the existing weighting for province, age and gender) or setting quotas in order to boost the number of completions among lower educated Canadians would not have substantially changed the overall survey results or the study conclusions.

Non-Response Bias Data

The following table presents a profile of the final weighted and unweighted sample and how it compares to the Canadian population (18 years and older) on measured regional and demographic characteristics, based on the most recent Canadian census and the 2011 National Household Survey.

¹ Among those providing valid responses.
² Excludes dk/na responses.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that, despite finding some differences of statistical significance, non-response to this survey has not affected the final weighted sample to the extent that different conclusions would have been drawn from this study.

Data Analysis

Upon completion of data collection, Harris/Decima cleaned, coded, and weighted the data. As requested by the CRTC, a weighted data file (in SPSS) and set of cross-tabulation banners were provided. Our data analysis procedures are outlined below:

Data Validity and Integrity Checks

Our custom system immediately identifies cases where the interview length is unrealistically short, contradicts established facts or presents patterns of response deserving attention. As a result, we can determine whether a case should be excluded from the final sample if necessary. All of these checks are performed manually and cleaned out of the data in the back end of the project. Harris/Decima uses a checklist to ensure all data that is delivered to the client has gone through a rigorous quality control process.

Data Cleaning

Harris/Decima analysts have considerable experience in cleaning data files, conducting statistical routines, producing tabular output, and weighting data to provide an accurate measure of the population as a whole.

The following are the basic steps taken when cleaning data files:

• Ensure that all coded questions have updated codes and multiple mentions do not have duplicate codes;
• Create all new variables as a result of programming;
• Confirm that all relevant variables are included in the data file;
• Final frequency check (for out-of-range values) and recodes created, including those for outliers;
• Verify that variable names and question numbers match the final version of the questionnaire; and
• Create and verify new variable creations (against source variables) as outlined in the analysis plan and perform spell check on all variables.

In addition to these generic rules, project specific requirements are also taken into account. It is also noteworthy that because the CATI software controls the questionnaire flow and data entry, data are typically quite clean from the outset.

Coding Procedures

The following details our coding procedures, which were performed on this study. The coding department takes the verbatim responses and creates a numeric code list of common answers. Our head coder, in close conjunction with the consulting team, collapses lists of responses to open-ended variables into categories. A single coder is used to maximize consistency on this task. The rough frequencies obtained from this exercise are used to develop a code list. Once final approval is granted, the code list is annotated with specific examples so that accurate coding is assured.

The annotated code list is provided to our coding team, which attaches codes directly to the electronic coding file. This exercise can also be performed in a two-pass format, by two different coders. The head coder reconciles inconsistencies, guaranteeing consistent and accurate reporting of open-ended responses. In general, Harris/Decima aims for less than 10% of responses remaining under an ‘other specify’ code category, creating codes for any mentions that add up to 1% or more of total responses. The resulting data file is exported to the statistical package to quantify the responses for statistical analysis.

Weighting

At the conclusion of the data collection and cleaning, Harris/Decima weighted the data by each stratum (in this case, region, age, gender and cell phone penetration) to reflect the actual percentages found in the Canadian adult population, according to 2011 Census data. This ensured the findings from the research could be extrapolated to the entire population with accuracy. Harris/Decima uses a standard procedure for calculating weighting factors, based on established methodological standards and extensive experience in sample weighting over literally hundreds of projects (including many for the Government of Canada).

This procedure involves calculating the actual population within each segment and the true percentage of the sample that would fall into each segment if the survey were conducted on strictly a random basis. Into this number is divided the actual segment sub-sample to produce a weighting factor that is then used to “weight” the data for that segment. While there are various ways of accomplishing this task, this procedure is the most straightforward and effective.

The stratums selected for the project were as follows:

• Region (Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairies, British Columbia and Territories);
• Gender (male and female);
• Age (18 to 34, 35 to 54, and 55 plus); and
• Cell phone penetration (Landline Only/Landline and Cell Phone/Cell Phone Only)

The following tables outline the weighting scheme targets used for this study.

Data Analysis

Harris/Decima prepared an analysis plan that included key banner breaks as required. Once the survey data had been collected and cleaned Harris/Decima ran a series of data tables that provided results for all questions in the survey, both overall and broken down by selected “banners.” This permitted the comparison of results from various sub-group segments of interest; statistical significance testing was shown between all banner points in the data tables. Independent T-Tests were conducted for means (equal variances) and Independent Z-Tests for percentages. The analysis plan included two banners for the key segments, outlined as follows:

• Banner 1: Region, gender, age, income and education.
• Banner 2: Opinion of the CRTC, TV service subscribed to, interview language, landline/cell phone household and mother tongue.

Appendix A: Survey Instruments

English Questionnaire

Section A: Introduction and Screening

Hello/Bonjour.  My name is _______________ and I am calling from Harris Decima, on behalf of the Government of Canada. We are conducting a survey with Canadians to get their attitudes and opinions towards television programming in Canada. Would you prefer that I continue in English or French? Préférez-vous continuer en français ou en anglais?

We choose telephone numbers at random [STOP HERE FOR CELL PHONE USERS, go to “Your participation…”] and then select one person from each household at random to be interviewed. To do this, we would like to speak to the person in your household, 18 years and older, who has had the most recent birthday. Is that you?

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. Please be assured that your responses are confidential and will not be reported individually nor attributed to you personally. The survey will take about 7 minutes to complete. May I continue?

[IF ASKED:  Harris Decima is a professional research company hired by the Government of Canada to conduct this survey]

QD3.  And, just to confirm, have I reached you on a landline phone or a cell phone?

[IF CELL PHONE AT QD3] QD4. For your safety, are you currently driving?

A1. Are you or is any member of your household or immediate family employed in any of the following businesses? [READ LIST]

A2. Record gender [DO NOT ASK]

A3. Can you tell me, in what year were you born?

_____________[RECORD YEAR TO CALCULATE AGE]

DK/refused

A3.1 [IF QA = DK/refused]

For classification purposes, could you tell me whether your age is: [READ LIST]

A4. Before we begin, can you please confirm that you live in [PROVINCE FROM SAMPLE]? [IF NECESSARY, INTERVIEWER SAYS:] This information will be used for classification purposes only.

A41. [IF A4=2] In which province do you live?

IF QUALIFIED: Thank you, you have qualified for the survey. The first few questions are about television programming. [CONTINUE TO B1]

IF NOT QUALIFIED: Thank you very much for your time, unfortunately you are not selected to participate in this study, Have a good evening! [TERMINATE]

Section B: Television

B1. “How important are each of the following types of television programming to you? Please use a 7-point scale where 1 means not at all important and 7 means very important. How about....” [READ LIST] [RANDOMIZE LIST]

1. Children’s programming
2. Comedy
3. Documentaries
4. Drama
5. Feature films
6. Local news
7. Canadian national news
8. International news
9. Sports
10. Reality TV
11. Music
12. Local programming
13. Religious programming
14. Canadian programming
15. Community channels
16. Television programming that is reflective of Canada’s cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity

B2. “Do you watch television programming on a television set through paid subscription? [INTERVIEWER NOTE: This question refers to paid TV services from a telecommunications company such as cable or satellite. It does not refer to internet streaming such as Netflix.]

B3. [If answered “Yes” to QB2 (B2=1)] “Please tell me the name of the service you are subscribed to for your television programming?” [DO NOT READ LIST. CHECK CORRECT ANSWER OR WRITE ANSWER IN “OTHER” IF NOT IN LIST]

B4. [If answered “Yes” to ‘QB2 (B2=1)] “How satisfied are you with each of the following aspects of the service provided by your television provider? Please use a 7-point scale where 1 means not at all satisfied and 7 means very satisfied. How satisfied are you... [READ LIST] [RANDOMIZE LIST]

1. The price
2. The flexibility in selecting channels
3. The clarity of your contract
4. The flexibility to modify or cancel your contract
5. The customer service provided by the companies

B5. [If answered “Yes” to ‘QB2 (B2=1)] “How often do you watch programming recorded on a PVR as opposed to at the time it is broadcast? Would you say you watch TV recorded on a PVR all the time, most of the time, sometimes, rarely or never?

B6. [If answered “No” to QB2 [B2=2) “Would you consider subscribing to a television service provider if the following criteria were met? Please answer yes or no for each of them. Would you consider subscribing if...”

1. The prices were lower
2. You had more flexibility in selecting channels
3. There was more Canadian programming available
4. There was more local programming available
5. The contract was more flexible
6. The customer service provided by the companies was better

B7. [If answered “No” to QB2 (B2=2)] “Do you watch television programming using an antenna?”

B8. Do you watch television programming through Internet on demand like Netflix?

B8A. [IF Yes to B8] Which of the following ways do you use to watch this content?  [READ LIST – Record All Mentions]

1. On your home computer or lap top?
2. On a smart phone?
3. On a tablet?
4. On a game console?
5. With Apple TV?
6. On a smart TV?
7. By plugging a computer or laptop to a television set?

[READ]: The Canadian Radio, Television, and Telecommunications Commission or CRTC is an independent agency of government, responsible for regulating Canada's broadcasting and telecommunications systems.

B9. “Overall, do you have a very favourable, somewhat favourable, neutral, somewhat unfavourable, or very unfavourable impression of the CRTC?”

Section C: Demographics

Thank you, we now just have a couple of other questions about you and your household.  Please be assured that your responses will remain confidential.

QD3B.  [ASK IF Cell sample] Does your household have a landline?

QD3C.  [ASK IF Landline sample] Does anyone in your household currently have an active cell phone?

C1. What is the highest level of formal education that you have completed? [READ IF NECESSARY - CODE ONE ONLY]

C2. What is your mother tongue, that is, the language you first learned at home?  [CODE ONE ONLY]

C3. Which of the following categories best describes your total household income? That is, the total income of all persons in your household combined, before taxes?   [READ - CODE ONE ONLY]

Those are all the questions I have for you. I thank you very much for your time and cooperation and have a nice night!

Date modified:

2014-04-24