By Lorenz S. Marasigan
RIVAL broadcasters GMA Network Inc. and ABS-CBN Corp. claimed on Tuesday that they cornered the dominant-audience share last month, with the Lopez-led company and the Gozon-led firm both asserting the top position in TV ratings nationwide.
In a statement, the television network, led by the Gozon, Jimenez and Duavit families, said it cemented its status as the country’s leading broadcast company in January, after grabbing nationwide supremacy in ratings last year.
Based on a survey conducted by Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, GMA cornered 37.5 percent of the ratings in the National Urban Television Audience Measurement (Nutam), higher than ABS-CBN’s 35.3-percent share.
It also remained the undisputed No. 1 television network in viewer-rich Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, and reigned supreme across all dayparts, including prime time.
Urban Luzon continued to be a strong area for GMA as it registered 42.5 percent, surpassing ABS-CBN’s 30.1 percent by 12.4 points. The Gozon-led network also secured its dominant position in its bailiwick Mega Manila with a 44-percent share, up 16.6 points over ABS-CBN’s 27.4 percent.
Urban Luzon accounts for 77 percent of all urban TV households in the country, while Mega Manila represents 59 percent.
The Lopez-led company claimed to have ended last month on a high note, after the network ruled nationwide ratings from January to December last year with an average national audience share of 43 percent versus GMA’s 36 percent.
Citing a Kantar Media survey, the largest media conglomerate in the Philippines said it kept a stronghold of the prime-time block whole year round, as it scored an average national audience share of 48 percent compared to its rival’s 33 percent.
This meant that almost half of the Filipino-viewing population in combined urban and rural homes tuned in to the top-caliber programs offered by ABS-CBN on prime time.
The prime-time block is the most important part of the day when most Filipinos watch TV and advertisers put a larger chunk of their investment to reach more consumers effectively.
ABS-CBN also fared better than its competition in other territories, such as Balance Luzon or areas in Luzon outside Mega Manila, where it scored a national average-audience share of 45 percent versus GMA’s 36 percent.
It also cornered 54 percent of the households in the Visayas, while its rival had 26 percent. More than half of Mindanao, or 55 percent, tuned in to its programs, while only 27 percent of the region watched GMA’s shows.
Nielsen TV Audience Measurement had a sample size of 1,190 households in Mega Manila and a 2,000 nationwide urban-sample size, while Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,609 urban and rural homes.