Telus continues to make inroads signing up Telus TV subscribers in western Canada, as it stares down competition from Shaw Communications.

Telus, releasing its second quarter overall results Friday, reported adding 46,000 TV customers to get to a subscriber base of 403,000 on June 30, up 77% from a year ago.

That momentum has been spurred by the June 2010 launch of Telus’ Optik TV service, which includes 500 channels of TV content.

Telus’ TV subscriber gains were reflected in rival Shaw Communications’ latest results, where the cable operator reported 13,577 fewer basic cable customers, and fewer signups for digital TV, internet, digital phone and satellite TV subscriptions, compared to 2010 signup levels.

Telus said its TV subscriber gains came from being able to bundle services, including Optik TV and Optik internet access, but that it faced higher costs to support Telus TV growth.

Telus also warned that, as the lone major Canadian carrier without a major broadcast network in its fold, it faces the risk that content from rivals could be withheld from Telus, or be made available at steep prices.

Recent CRTC hearings into vertical integration focused on measures to avoid self-dealing by major players like Bell Media and Shaw Media after they were acquired by parent carriers.