GMA Network maintains lead in overall TV ratings
GMA Network leads the competition in combined Mega Manila, Metro Cebu, Davao City and Dagupan City total day channel ratings, based on a recent survey from Nielsen Media Philippines.
Nielsen data for April 2005 shows GMA Network posting a total day combined market TV household rating of 14 percent against ABS-CBN’s 11 percent. The same data source also shows GMA ahead of its competitor across all dayparts.
GMA registered average ratings of 7.8 percent against ABS-CBN’s 7.1 percent in the morning, 13.5 percent versus ABS-CBN’s 12.3 percent in the afternoon, and 19.9 percent against ABS-CBN’s 14.6 percent in the evening. Twelve GMA shows were listed among the top 15 programs in April.
The combined market channel ratings are based on the weighted averages of Nielsen ratings in Mega Manila, Metro Cebu, Davao City, and Dagupan City.
Last April 20, GMA’s closest rival, ABS-CBN, released several charts and tables to media containing ratings data based on weighted averages of Nielsen ratings in Mega Manila and key cities. The data presented by ABS-CBN showed they were ahead of GMA.
A closer examination of the weighted average ratings released by ABS-CBN, however, shows that the set of weights applied in Mega Manila and the key cities approximated the percent share distribution of NSOs 2000 Urban Philippines Household Population with Metro Cebu, Davao City and Dagupan City getting much bigger weights than their actual share based on TV household populations across the combined survey areas of Nielsen.
According to GMA Network Vice President for Research Sheila Tan, a basic flaw identified in the weights applied by ABS-CBN is the fact that Dagupan City, Metro Cebu, and Davao City, on their own, can not be considered good representations of Urban Balance Luzon, Urban Visayas, and Urban Mindanao. "Previous rating surveys have shown that viewership preferences in cities even within the same region can vary to a large degree, thus, it is not safe to assume that viewership of a sample within a single city can accurately reflect the viewership of the entire Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao," Tan said.
Tan also noted that another problem with applying weights based on NSO’s Population Distribution on TV ratings is the fact that NSO’s household population figures include both TV-owning and non-TV-owning households. "Due to the nature of the (TV viewership) data being generated, TV ratings surveys do not include non-TV-owning households as part of their sample, coverage, or projections. Since TV ownership levels across cities or regions vary significantly, this introduces more bias to such weighting system," Tan said.
GMA Network asked Nielsen Media Philippines to use their global standard procedure or formula when combining ratings from several areas or markets to generate the weighted ratings across the same areas presented by ABS-CBN. Nielsen generated the data via a built-in feature on weighted ratings in their multi-market TV Dynamix and the standard weighing system applied by their software was anchored on TV household populations among the markets covered.
According to Nielsen, Mega Manila accounted for 87 percent of the total TV household population in areas covered by their surveys, while Metro Cebu, Davao City, and Dagu-pan City accounted for 6 percent, 6 percent, and 1 percent, respectively.
GMA Network countered ABS-CBNs claim that it has maintained its significant advantage over GMA across News and Public Affairs programs citing an SWS survey done March 21-29, 2004. The survey, according to GMA, is over a year old and as shown by the more recent Nielsen combined market ratings and AGB Phils. Mega Manila survey, GMAs News and Public Affairs programs have long taken the lead.