Rival TV firms claim ratings lead

The country’s two biggest television networks have released their 2016 ratings results, each claiming a lead in this closely-watched measure.

ABS-CBN Corp. said in a statement its televisions broadcast unit cornered 45 percent of viewers in urban and rural homes, citing a survey by Kantar Media. Its main rival, GMA Network, got 34 percent.

GMA Network, which uses Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, said separately that it was the leader for the year when based on National Urban Television Audience Measurement. GMA said it got 37.3 percent compared to ABS-CBN’s 37.1 percent.

ABS-CBN said it was also the leader in the primetime slot, a period where advertisers park sizeable placements. The Lopez-led network said it got 49 percent here against GMA’s 33 percent.

ABS-CBN also led the so-called morning block, with 39 percent versus GMA’s 35 percent; the noontime block with 44 percent versus GMA’s 35 percent, and afternoon block, with 44 percent versus GMA’s 35 percent.

GMA also cited big gains in the fourth quarter of 2016. Here, it claimed a lead across all daytime slots. For October to December last year, it got 40.3 percent against ABS-CBN’s 35.2 percent.

GMA places more focus on urban ratings. It noted that Urban Luzon accounted for 77 percent of all viewers in urban TV homes in the country. GMA said ratings here for 2016 hit 42.6 percent compared to ABS-CBN’s 31.4 percent.

Nielsen TV Audience Measurement is a leading ratings service provider. Its client pool now includes a total of 36 clients/subscribers which now include 12 local TV networks, 5 regional clients, two blocktimers and 17 media agencies.

Kantar Media is also a major TV audience measurement provider with capabilities in gathering TV viewing data in both digital and analog platforms.