MANILA, Philippines - GMA Network Inc., the country?s second biggest broadcast network, expects to erase the lead of its rival broadcaster by year?s end as it intensifies efforts to win over television viewers in Visayas in Mindanao, according to a ranking company official.

In an interview, GMA?s senior vice president for finance Felipe Yalong pointed out that the lead of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. in the national ratings?the latter?s favored method of measuring its performance?now stands at only 2 rating points.

?This is [about] the narrowest it?s been,? he said of the gap between both networks, based on AGB Nielsen Media Research?s nationwide urban TV audience measurement (Nutam).

As of last May, the ?total day? Nutam rating of ABS-CBN stood at 16.6 rating points versus 14.6 rating points for GMA.

?This used to be at 5 or 6 [rating] points when this started in 2007,? he said.

Yalong noted, however, that GMA continued to lead ratings in the ?total Luzon? geographic area where the bulk of the country?s spending power was concentrated.

?It?s really in the ?total Philippines? where we?re 2 rating points behind,? he added.

Because of this, the publicly listed broadcast firm is looking at raising its profile in Visayas and Mindanao where its rival continues to dominate the airwaves.

?Physical presence is one factor [that explains ABS-CBN?s lead],? he said, adding that GMA was also facing strong headwind because of long-established viewer loyalty to its rival, which had several years? lead time in its national presence.

?They?ve been so used to watching ABS-CBN for so many years before GMA built originating stations in those areas,? Yalong said. ?It takes time to get them to switch.?

Given this situation, GMA has lined up several initiatives meant to give it at least ratings parity with ABS-CBN on a national level within the year.

?That?s why we have plans in those areas to entice them to switch,? he said. ?We may equal or surpass that given the programs we?ve lined up for the rest of the year.?

At the same time, Yalong noted that the firm has yet to feel the effects of the advertising slowdown feared by the media industry amid the economic crisis.

?We?re not feeling the crisis,? he said. ?We?re even looking at a billion [pesos] in sales for June. This is higher than last year?s.?

Earlier, the company disclosed that it earned P1.09 billion for the first five months of the year on the back of record-high revenue. This January-to-May profit level was up 22 percent.