Free-to-air TV more popular than cable

Author: Isah V. Red
Column: Life & Entertainment

The audience still prefers to watch programs on free-to-air TV channels. This is what the recent survey conducted by AGB Nielsen Media Research says. In fact, combined channel share of major TV stations ABS-CBN and GMA in Metro Manila rose by 5 percent in 2007 compared to that in 2006 while channel share of cable channels and other channels posted a combined decrease of 5 percent in the period cited.

AGB Nielsen Media Research, a leading global TV ratings company, made available to us data from its report of top 2007 results on television audience monitoring.

The report also indicated that more women aged 20 to 34 were charmed by TV drama laced with romance as more soap operas were aired last year on primetime. This age group joined the more dominant sector of women aged 35 and above who were found to have the highest level of TV viewing among females.

AGB Nielsen, whose date empowers stakeholders in the TV and advertising industries in mapping out major strategies based on people’s TV viewing behavior, recently released data on 2007 viewing habits.

Megatam (Mega Manila Television Audience Measurement) data showed that cable channel share was 10 percent in 2006 while its channel share in 2007 was down 8 percent.

On the other hand, channel share of GMA in Metro Manila increased by 47 percent in 2007 from 45 percent in 2006, while ABS-CBN’s went up 3 percent in the same period, from 31 percent in 2006 to 34 percent in 2007.

Total viewing levels

AGB Nielsen, which conducts TV ratings measurements in 30 countries, gathering data from 42,000 homes worldwide, also released data culled from its Philippine Nutam (National Urban Television Audience Measurement).

The report said that an average 5.07 million Filipinos watched TV daily as the average daily viewer level was pegged at 14.7 percent daily out of 34.4 million-viewing public.

Urban Mindanao showed the highest percentage of viewing, with 550,000 average daily viewers or 16.2 percent of 3.4 million. Urban Luzon and Urban Visayas showed the same percentage levels at 14.5 percent, or 3.8 million and 725,000 viewers, respectively.

In the national front, ABS-CBN was the leading channel in 2007. It was ahead of GMA Network by 8 percent: 46 to 38.

Homes in Urban Visayas gave ABS-CBN a 60 percent level while GMA got 26 percent. Urban Mindanao gave ABS-CBN a 66 percent share and GMA, 23 percent. GMA, however, had a slight edge in Urban Luzon, with 42 percent as ABS-CBN posted 40 percent.

Women viewers

Viewing levels of women aged 20 to 34 increased from 13.9 percent from January to March last year to 15.5 percent from October to December. AGB Nielsen attributed this to the number of soap operas aired on primetime.

This group joined the viewing sector of females aged 35 and above which had the highest viewing levels among women last year.

A twist on romantic viewing also took place last year when GMA launched the local version of Mexican hit MariMar and became the first GMA primetime soap to become a daily top rater in AGB Nielsen’s Nutam in the latter part of 2007.

MariMar peaked in October to November in 2007. Its episode with lead character Sergio learning that the young Cruzita was his daughter with Marimar got extra female viewers glued to the TV sets all over the country.

On the whole of 2007, however, ABS-CBN still had the three top-rating primetime shows: Kokey, Princess Sarah, and Sana Maulit Muli.

MariMar’s rating feat strengthened GMA’s overall lead in audience share in Mega Manila. Last year AGB Nielsen’s Megatam or Mega Manila Television Audience Measurement had GMA posting a 47 percent audience share, from 45 percent in 2006. Audience share for ABS-CBN was 34 percent, a slight increase from 31 percent in 2006.

Movie and kiddie channels top cable viewing

On the cable TV front, movie channels continued to top viewing levels, followed by kiddie channels. In the second half of the year, Cinema One, HBO+Asia/noticias/" title="HBO Asia">HBO Asia, and Star Movies International were the top three movie channels in that order. Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Disney Channel were the dominant kiddie channels in 2007, also in that order.

Special programs for 2007 showed Manny Pacquiao’s fight versus Mexican Antonio Barrera on Oct. 7, 2007 on GMA topping the ratings with 29.3 percent in Nutam.

This was followed by ABS-CBN’s Pinoy Big Brother Season 2, The Big Night at the Big Dome, with a 21.2 percent rating. Globe launch “Ang Paglalahad” also on ABS-CBN had 20.1 percent rating.

In Nutam, ABS-CBN’s noontime show Wowowee peaked in the summer months of March to May with a rating of 11.8 percent while Eat Bulaga’s ratings were steady at 7.8 percent on the national average in 2007.

Hair to stay

Advertisements of shampoos and conditioners earned high rating points, reports AGB Nielsen. Five of the top 10 most viewed brands were in this category. Fabric care products followed.

Others in the top 10 product categories, in order of mention, are powdered milk, skin care, cellular phone services, fastfood, oral care, proprietary drugs, cough and cold remedies, and vitamins.

Unilever and Procter and Gamble were the top two advertisers, respectively, last year.

Clearing the air

The AGB Nielsen report clears the air as to which channel is no. 1. Although this may be difficult to accept among those loyal to the Kapuso network, ABS-CBN is still leading nationwide. GMA Network leads in Mega Manila, and that the Kapamilya executives have already conceded, although not necessarily giving up the fight to regain its lead in this area.

Meanwhile, GMA Network has a lot of work to do to make the entire archipelago Kapuso country.

Disparity between cable and non-cable TV ratings

Sometime ago, before the Jun Lozada saga swept the country, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. explained the disparity between cable and non-cable TV ratings, which GMA Network has been whining about for more than couple of years already.

Vivian Tin, ABS-CBN head of research and business analysis, said the disparity is primarily because the network has not been able to address problems with regards to TV reception in the Mega Manila area TV households (without cable service) have been complaining about bad signals, ergo, blurred reception.

Tin said that low-band channels, like ABS-CBN’s channel 2 (and the rest until channel 6) are actually airing on low frequency, making them susceptible to magnetic wave interferences (commonly known among broadcast lingo as “noise,” and this can come from use of electricity and some telecommunications activity. This “noise” results to blurry reception in the fringe areas of Metro Manila and some areas of the suburbs.

She said increasing urbanization has led to higher consumption of electricity, resulting to noise that leads to “snowy” reception on television sets. Switching of lights, other electricity activities, and even the backfire of tricycles due to spark plug action lead to a deterioration of television screen reception. Further interference due to wind and rain also make reception blurry.

“Connection to cable takes away the vulnerability to noise. It is common for ordinary people to notice that once they have cable, they suddenly get clearer free TV channels [including ABS-CBN], than before. Cable provides a level playing field as all channels become clear with cable,” she said.

“Ratings data point out that ABS-CBN leads in all areas where it enjoys the same clear reception as other channels. In cable homes, ABS-CBN enjoys a level playing field with the same clear reception as other channels. Thus it is rating better than in non-cable homes where it is handicapped in terms of reception,” she added.

Tin said another network’s malicious complaints of interference in cable TV ratings have never prospered because these are “imagined,” unlike ABS-CBN’s complaint about the corruption of AGB Nielsen Media Research panel homes that is supported by sworn statements of whistleblowers and panel home members.

“The issue of corruption is real. We have witnesses testifying how a network has searched for panel homes in different parts of the country and offered them incentives to watch its shows,” she said.

ABS-CBN initiated the fight to clean the TV ratings process when it filed a civil case against AGB-NMR in December 2007 after the research agency refused to stop releasing data even after getting information that its panel has been corrupted from what seemed to be an organized, well-funded, and systematic attempt to cheat in the TV ratings.

It recently filed a motion for reconsideration with the Quezon City regional trial court, which earlier ruled that it was filed prematurely. The network maintained that what took place was not a data error but cheating, an issue not covered by the provision that requires both parties to settle within a 90-day period.

Meanwhile, Tin said ABS-CBN has short-term and long-term plans to address the reception problem in the fringes of Metro Manila, the suburbs, and parts of Central Luzon.

ABS-CBN has done communication campaigns promoting the correct antennas like Baron, which address the noise issue and give it a level playing field.

It also introduced UHF channels in certain areas to augment its coverage in areas where the low band signal is vulnerable to interferences. For instance, ABS-CBN is seen on channel 34 in San Miguel and San Ildefonso, Bulacan, channel 46 in San Fernando, Pampanga, and channel 32 in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac.

But Tin said the long-term solution will come from our introduction of Digital TV starting this year. Under this platform, the issue of reception will become moot.

According to Tin, the issue on ABS-CBN reception is limited to the fringe areas that are serviced by our Metro Manila transmission tower and some areas in Central Luzon that are dependent on its transmission from the North.

“Outside these areas where it has relay stations and local transmission towers, ABS-CBN continues to perform very well and leads with very comfortable margins giving ABS-CBN the national leadership in TV ratings,” she said.

Ratings reaction

The recent item on ratings in this column elicited not a few raised eyebrows from those on the Kapamilya front, who suggested we take a look at not just the Mega Manila ratings but the Nutam as well.

A concerned Kapamilya e-mailed us data on AGB Nielsen’s survey during the period Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, the week ABS-CBN launched three new shows.

In the spirit of fair play, I am disclosing the data from the information supplied to this space.

The top 5 shows on primetime:

1. Kung Fu Kids,ABS-CBN, 37.1 percent

2. Lobo, ABS-CBN, 36.3 percent

3. Marimar, GMA Network, 32.7 percent

4. 20 Taon TV Patrol World, ABS-CBN, 31.6 percent

5. Palos, ABS-CBN, 29. 3 percent

I don’t expect this discourse on which network is the leading network will end. For as long as both networks’ operative word is “ratings,” viewers from as far as northern town of Aparri to the tip of the archipelago in Sulu will have to brace for more battles in this protracted networks war.

Source: Manila Standard Today

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