Canadians spent about 38 percent of their time watching news and public affairs shows on basic cable TV, up from 33 percent in 1998, and about 15 percent of their time watching such programs on pay and specialty channels, compared to 11 percent in 1998.

Survey respondents said they spent about 14 percent of TV-viewing time watching sports, down from 19 percent in the earlier study. Watching sports on basic cable took up about six percent of viewers’ time, two percent less than in 1998.

On average, Canadians watched about 22 hours of TV per week in 2003, with older viewers watching more than younger people. Men between 18 and 24 watched an average of 11.1 hours per week, while women in the same age group watched 15.5 hours.