ABS-CBN maintains lead in national TV ratings

MANILA, Philippines - Multimedia conglomerate ABS-CBN Corp. maintained its supremacy in national TV ratings in August, notching up an average audience share of 41 percent as more people tuned in to its primetime offerings.

Year-to-date, ABS-CBN garnered an audience share of 44 percent as against rival station GMA Network Inc.’s 32 percent, based on the latest survey of Kantar Media.

In August, ABS-CBN remained unbeaten in Luzon areas outside Mega Manila with an average audience share of 43 percent versus GMA’s 38 percent. It also led in Visayas with 58 percent and in Mindanao with 64 percent.

More advertisers also prefer ABS-CBN as 43 percent of viewers with purchasing power (belonging to classes ABCD, which comprise 82 percent of the total urban population) watch ABS-CBN as compared to GMA with only 34 percent.

Nine out of the top 10 programs in August belonged to ABS-CBN. These were Noah (35.9 percent), Agua Bendita (34.1 percent), TV Patrol (33.9 percent), Miss Universe (29.4 percent), Maalaala Mo Kaya (27.2 percent) Tatak ng Agimat (26.3 percent), Momay (25.2 percent), Magkaribal (24.7 percent), and Agimat: Elias Paniki (24.3 percent).

ABS-CBN’s AM radio also dominated the ratings. dzMM Radyo Patrol 630, the Rotary Club of Manila Journalism Awards 2010 Radio Station of the Year, topped all AM radio stations in the July 2010 Nielsen Mega Manila RAM with an audience share of 31 percent, 12 points higher than dzBB’s 19 percent and 13 points higher than dzRH’s 18 percent.

Cable TV channel dzMM TeleRadyo, on the other hand, also ruled the competition as the top cable news channel in the July 2010 Kantar Media-TNS survey for all cabled households, surpassing CNN, BBC, Fox News and Channel News Asia.

ABS-CBN reported a 179-percent jump in net profit in the first half this year on strong growth in regular advertising revenues complemented by political ad spending. Consolidated revenues grew 44 percent to P16.84 billion.