MANILA, Philippines -- GMA Network Inc. has remained at the top spot of the ratings list for the entire first quarter of 2011 with a 33.7 percent nationwide audience share compared to ABS-CBN's 31.8 percent and TV5's 15.2 percent, according to AGB Nielsen Philippines.
Based on the survey, GMA garnered 37.2 percent for Total Urban Luzon versus 26.8 percent of ABS and 17.1 percent of TV5.
In Mega Manila, GMA posted a 13.1 point lead over ABS with 38.3 percent and 25.2 percent respectively. TV5 a far third with 17.9 percent audience share.
This March, GMA Network tightened its grip on the number one spot on National free-to-air television amid competition brought by stations ABS-CBN and TV5, which ranked second and third, respectively.
Based on National Urban Philippines full March household data (March 27 to 31 based on overnight ratings), GMA lodged 34 percent in audience shares, 2.2 percent up from ABS-CBN's 31.8 percent; 18.2 percent higher than TV5's 15.8 percent.
GMA programs' top ratings performance covered the whole country. Of the top 30 programs in National Urban Philippines, 17 programs were from GMA.
In Total Urban Luzon, which comprises 77 percent of total television households nationwide, AGB Nielsen said that GMA also led over competitors ABS-CBN and TV5. The ranking remained the same. Both channels trailed the Kapuso station by huge numbers. GMA had 37.5 percent audience share, higher by 10.7 percent than ABS' 26.8 percent; and 20.1 percent over TV5's 17.4 percent. There were 21 GMA-produced programs that made it to the top 30 programs in Urban Luzon.
The March numbers also showed that GMA was still the outright channel of choice in viewer-rich Mega Manila, which comprises 58 percent of total television households nationwide, scoring 38.4 share points, jotting a 13-point lead from ABS' 25.4; and a margin of 20.3 from TV5's 18.1
In the said month, there were 21 Kapuso programs that made it to the top 30 programs in Mega Manila including six of the top ten.
In March, GMA Network also regained rating leadership in primetime in Mega Manila while maintaining its convincing lead in the afternoon block. The Kapuso Network scored 33 percent household shares all days of March from 6:30 to 11 p.m., overtaking ABS with only 31.9 percent.
