ABS-CBN, The Country's Number 1 Network!

ABS-CBN aside from leading in Nationwide Ratings,also topped the survey in SC.com. ABS-CBN,the country's largest Network got 60% of votes (34,105 votes).It outrank GMA-7,(its closest rival)who got 26% (14,909 votes).GMA-7 is currently the Mega-Manila darling.Studio 23 placed third with 8% (4,453 votes).QTV and TVP as 4th and 5th respectively,3%(1,906 votes) and 2% (1,038 votes).
ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation (PSE: ABS) (ABS-CBN: "Alto Broadcasting System-Chronicle Broadcasting Network") is a Philippine-based multi-media conglomerate. It is an integrated media and entertainment company in the Philippines with an asset base of more than PHP32.5 billion (US$666.8 million) as of June 2008. ABS-CBN is principally involved in television and radio broadcasting, as well as the production of television programming for domestic and international audiences and other related businesses.It was founded on June 13, 1946, becoming Asia's first commercial television broadcaster. It is part of the Lopez Group of Companies. It also broadcasts content to the rest of the world through The Filipino Channel (TFC Direct), TFCko (video on demand) and TFCnow internet TV.

The network's main broadcast facilities, news headquarters, transmitter and satellite operations and studio complex are located at the ABS-CBN Broadcast Center at Sgt. Esguerra Ave., Mother Ignacia St., Barangay Laging Handa, Diliman, Quezon City. In Metro Manila, its terrestrial VHF station is Channel 2 (DWWX-TV) while its terrestrial UHF station is Studio 23 (DWAC-TV). The company is slated to begin broadcasting digital television starting in January 2008,although it has been presumably delayed since there were no announcement during the entire month of January that the signal is now digitized. It is now expected to begin its digital broadcasting by 2009.

On March 3, 2008, Executive Vice-President Charo Santos-Concio had been promoted as the fifth president of ABS-CBN, taking over from interim president Eugenio Lopez III.

Competition
ABS-CBN lost a large chunk of its audience in 1996 when RPN introduced the "telenovelas," or dubbed soap operas from Latin American countries.[citation needed] The following year, the company regained its audience after it changed its primetime schedule by adding Filipino-produced soap operas. In 1998, its former rival network, IBC 13 ,the network losed and wined the rival network.

In mid-2004, the company made a smaller investment when GMA Network gained audience share in Mega Manila, although ABS-CBN retained its lead in other provinces and overseas. The network signed a contract with Endemol to gain rights of its franchise of Big Brother. Since the rights were expensive, the company launched a series of promotions in the first and second quarter of 2005.In August 2005, Pinoy Big Brother was aired, which became a hit which caused ABS-CBN to license more programs from Endemol such as Kapamilya, Deal or No Deal and Pinoy Dream Academy.

On January 22, 2006, ABS-CBN's broadcast of Solar Sports' "Hataw Pacquiao, Laban ng Bayan" became the 3rd most watched TV event in Philippine history[18] as AGB Nielsen Media Research showed that 2.073 million households (5.261 million individuals) watched the Pacquiao-Morales rematch compared to "Rosalinda"'s 1.486 million households (3.787 million individuals) of its July 13, 2000 episode (Rosalinda is a Mexican telenovela purchased by ABS-CBN). It also registered the highest audience share of 79.5% against Rosalinda's 78.3%. However, Rosalinda remains as the highest rated TV show in Philippine TV history, with 68.9% compared to the 59.2% of the said rematch.The Pacquiao-Larios match on the other hand, which was held last July 2, 2006 at Araneta Coliseum, registered the second biggest number of viewers of a TV event in Philippine history, having a rating of 65.7% in Mega-Manila and the highest audience share of 96 to 99% at the Urban Centers nationwide.

In a survey conducted by the AGB Nielsen Media Research from October 8 to October 13 using its National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) for the first time showed that ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation garnered a 43% viewership, putting it ahead of GMA Network, Inc. which got a share of 35.2%.The NUTAM was officially launched last October 16, 2006 to determine the TV ratings and audience share of local TV Programs from the different urban areas in the Philippines.

In the last quarter of 2006, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. led the nationwide television viewership share against rival GMA Network Inc., according to AGB Nielsen Media Research (Philippines) nationwide survey released October 26, 2006.

In the January 15, 2007 issue of BusinessWorld, a local broadsheet containing Business reports, AGB-Nielsen Media Research, the official ratings provider, released for the first time the official results of its Nationwide Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM).The Nationwide Viewing Panel results for the week ending January 6, 2007, showed that in terms of individuals, 8 out of top 10 programs came from ABS-CBN with the Kapamilya, Deal or No Deal P4M Edition as the top-rater. In terms of households, all top 10 programs came from ABS-CBN with Kapamilya, Deal or No Deal P4M Edition also as the top-rater. ABS-CBN posted a channel rating of 12.2 and an audience share of 43.1 in terms of households, and a channel rating of 5.9 and an audience share of 42.7 in terms of individuals. GMA Network on the other hand posted a channel rating of 10.2 and an audience share of 36.9 in terms of households, and a channel rating of 5.3 and an audience share of 38.7 in terms of individuals.

In the last quarter of 2007, ABS-CBN topped the Nielsen Media Research Philippines survey among three market segments. It emerged as the preferred channel among affluent Filipinos, teenage audiences and families of Overseas Filipino workers. Nielsen defined the affluent as those living in posh, “gated villages” with income higher than P50,000 a month, while the teens are those in the 13-19 age bracket regardless of economic bracket. OFW beneficiaries, meanwhile, are those with a member of the family working abroad. In data presented by the said research and survey group, ABS-CBN registered a 79.4 percent grade to emerge as the top local channel most often watched by viewers who belong to the A, B and C1 market segment. The Kapamilya network was followed by GMA-7 with 64.1 percent, while ABS-CBN's sister station, Studio 23, came next with 25.3 percent. The teens TV viewership category was also ruled by ABS-CBN with its 62.11 percent clip compared to GMA-7's 38.6 percent. It also collected the most viewership in the OFW families segment, registering a strong 64.0 percent as compared to GMA-7's 49.9 percent showing.

In 2007, according to AGB Nielsen, ABS-CBN lead the very first overall year end nationwide television ratings (NUTAM). Capturing 60% in urban Visayas and 66% in urban Mindanao while it trailed two points against GMA in urban Luzon with 40%. The top three overall highest rated programs in 2007 are all ABS-CBN shows. However, ABS-CBN no longer subscribes to AGB Nielsen due to ratings manipulation allegations. Today, the existence of another research firm TNS proved that ABS-CBN has the only right to claim that it is the "real" NUMBER ONE television network in the country with the release of their surveys that showed the very impressive performance of ABS-CBN in key points of the country.