Canadians Over 65 Most Likely to Trust TV News, Younger Audience Turns to Online Sources: CRTC Survey

Canadians over 65 years were most likely to trust TV news sources, while those under 34 years were the least likely to say they were satisfied with news and information content, according to a government report.

The report, Public Opinion Research Tracker: Wave 4, was based on a survey conducted by Ipsos for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) as part of its ongoing survey of Canadians’ attitude toward the broadcasting, online, and telecommunications services.

The survey results show that older Canadians are more likely to trust traditional news sources, like television and print, when compared with younger survey participants, as recently reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

“Canadians 65 and over were more likely to be satisfied with the quality of information and depth of analysis offered by Canadian news media, and to trust the information provided by Canadian news media to be accurate and impartial,” the report said.

Overall, about half of Canadians, or 52 percent, said they were satisfied with the quality of news and information they received from video and audio sources, like television and radio.

The most common source for news and information for Canadians is television, at 49 percent, followed by both online media and radio, at 36 percent each. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they go to online social media video sources for news and information.

Canadians 55 years or older were more likely to say they relied on television for news and information, followed by radio or print media, compared to younger Canadians, the report said.

In contrast, those 34 years or younger said their primary source of news or information was online social media, both video and audio sources, followed by online music streaming services and social media.

The survey also found that when compared to English-speaking Canadians, Francophones were less likely to use online video or music streaming services as a source of news and information, and more likely to rely on television or radio.

The survey was conducted both online and over the phone with 2,367 Canadians ages 18 and older, from Feb. 27, 2025, to March 23, 2025.

‘Uncertain’ Future for TV

The survey follows a similar report, published in May 2025, which noted that a specialized TV channel in Quebec was facing challenges as the viewing audience was aging, with the publication saying the average age of viewers for the TV5QC channel was 62 years, compared to 56 years for “traditional television.”

“In light of the sharp decline in traditional television viewing among young people, the aging audience profile poses significant challenges for the channel’s future,” the report authors wrote.

The report also said the “long-term future” for traditional television was “uncertain because fewer people are watching.”

Canadians between 18 and 34 years old are “increasingly replacing traditional television with subscription-based video on demand services,” the authors wrote.

It said the number of households that only had a traditional television subscription dropped from 65 percent to 15 percent between 2013 and 2023. It also said the number of households that had a subscription to both traditional television and video on demand increased from 21 percent to 51 percent in that time.

The number of households that had only a video on demand service increased from 4 percent to 27 percent, according to the report.