GMA Network strengthens lead over rival in January

The Philippines’ leading broadcast network further strengthened its lead in Mega Manila ratings over its rival company for the first month of 2010. Based on latest TV household population projections from AGB Nielsen, the expanded Mega Manila coverage accounts for 55 percent of all television households in Urban Philippines, GMA Network Inc. said in a statement. Moreover, Mega Manila ratings are now being generated from a bigger panel of 800 TV households, the company added. The network posted a total day (6 am–12 mn) average rating of 17.4 percent for all weekdays from January 1 to 29 as compared to ABS-CBN’s 15.3 percent for Mega Manila households with ratings data from January 24-29 based on available overnight ratings, data from AGB Nielsen said. The Kapuso Network’s weekday primetime programs strengthened margins over competition which contributed to its improved block lead in the first month of the year. For the period of January 25 to 29 alone, primetime programs 24 Oras, Darna, The Last Prince, Full House, Starstruck Shoutout, and Queen Seon Deok contributed to the 2.0 pt. lead in the weekday evening ratings across Mega Manila households with GMA getting 25.6 percent over ABS-CBN’s 23.6 percent. For the same period, 24 Oras beat TV Patrol by 3.2 rating points with an average of 28.6 percent versus the latter’s 25.4 percent. Darna posted a 32.5 percent average rating, a 3.3 point lead over May Bukas Pa’s 29.2 percent; The Last Prince beat its counterpart Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo with 30.8 percent versus 29.7 percent; Starstruck Shoutout garnered 24.9 percent versus the 19.2 percent of Boys Over Flowers. Queen Seon Deok posted an average of 22.2 percent versus Boys Over Flowers’ 19.2 percent. Full House as well narrowed the lead of its counterpart (PBB Double Up) to only 0.4 percent for the said period. The weekday ratings also showed that GMA steadily increased its lead in all dayparts for the past three weeks. This resulted in a consistently increasing total day average lead week to week where GMA posted a 1.3 point lead for January 11 to 15, 2.4 points for January 18 to 22 and a 3.0 point lead for January 25 to 29. With the launch of new programs to celebrate its 60th year, GMA Network expects to further widen its lead in the coming months. GMA Network Inc. runs GMA New Media Inc., the parent company of Media Merge Corp., which runs GMANews.TV. - GMANews.TV