More evidence Shaw Communications is under competitive pressure: western Canadian rival Telus Corp. has posted record TV subscriber growth.

Telus, releasing its fourth quarter results on Friday, said it signed up 48,000 new TV subscriptions during the latest frame on the strength of its Optik TV offering introduced last June.

Telus, which posted overall fourth quarter revenue up 4% to $2.55 billion, now has a TV subscriber base of 314,000 customers, up 85% from year-earlier levels.

Telus earnings for the fourth quarter rose 45% to $227 million, against a profit of $156 million in 2009.

Telus’ latest financial results are especially strong, given it remains an outlier among major Canadian content carriers in not owning a major broadcaster to drive rich video content through its expanding platforms.

When releasing its first quarter results in January, Shaw Communications recorded a fall in cable TV subscriptions as Telus’ new TV offering started to peel away market share.