Profits and revenues continued to move in the wrong direction last year among conventional broadcasters, which together lost $116.4 million before interest and taxes, according to the CRTC’s annual report on the financial health of private television.

Revenues took the sharpest drop in 2009, plunging almost 8% to just $1.97 billion as the industry was hit by the full force of the recession. Local and national ad sales were down, as were infomercials, contributing to a 10.1% drop in overall ad revenue, which came in at $348 million.

The numbers are perhaps the gloomiest yet for a sector that continues to be plagued by difficulties brought on by the economy and technological change. Last year marked the first time in five years that the books show a loss before interest and taxes. They also reveal the greatest drop by far over that period in pre-tax profit, down to a loss of $279 million.

Overall, spending was down across the television sector, due largely to savings on administration and salaries stemming from the layoffs that swept across the major broadcasters last year and in late ’08. This was offset by an increase in spending on U.S. and other foreign programming, which rose 9.2% to $846.3 million.

Meanwhile, spending on Canadian programming dropped by 3.3% to just under $600 million, broken down as: $75.4 million for drama; $80.9 million for general interest; $312.1 million for news; $65.9 million for other information programs; $38.3 million for musical and variety; $3.8 million for sports; and $11.1 million for game shows.

For the first time the CRTC report also included CBC data. The Ceeb saw revenue of $1.2 billion in ’09, expenses of $1.1 billion and posted a pre-tax loss of $21 million.

The average salary at the CBC was $93,420, though this number was inflated due to severance packages paid out during the year. In the private sector, it was $78,202.