“In the Philippines, TV networks are having their tight rivalry in terms of quality programming and responsible journalism. These are just their claims
however, so Filipino people believe just on what they observe from these giant media groups. In this article, let’s focus on the two of them (ABS-CBN and GMA)”.

ABS-CBN 2

According to Wikipedia, James Lindenberg has started the
television industry here in the Philippines
in 1946 with his company Bolinao Electronics Company (BEC). And transformation and merging took place in the following years until the name
ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation
has surfaced to the world with tremendous success in the following years and decades. This TV station since then pioneered some technological improvements in Philippine media and slowly gained its popularity. Since 1960s, the Lopez family is the group who is behind its success and people who know
this TV network also have the idea who runs this business. So the people are just focusing on one family when this TV station and the other sister companies
have issues on their names whether they are good or bad. The family is always blamed when something happens in other words; like when
Meralco
is increasing its electricity charges or when their game show allegedly cheats. At present, despite those accusations, survey done by the survey firm still
confirms the TV station’s audience share all over the Philippines is still higher than its competitor GMA. But let’s discuss about this matter later.

GMA 7

According to Wikipedia,
GMA network
started as a radio station DZBB of Loreto F. de Hemedes Inc. in 1950. It is owned by an American war correspondent Robert Stewart. Only in 1960 when the
TV station GMA 7 was introduced. This is the third TV station in the country in its time however. And since then GMA network has made its own history in
TV industry in the Philippines. It also had its big part in the country’s politics and also witnessed big events like the Martial law in
President Marcos
time and until the restoration of democracy when the next president was installed. But the history of GMA never stops. Today it is the closest competitor
of ABS-CBN.

Popularity

90s was ABS-CBN’s decade. GMA was just still getting their audience share at that time.
Kapamilya network,
was dominating every minute of Filipinos’ TV habit, facts say. So the word “competition” was often used by TV fanatics. But number of people who appreciate
GMA is getting bigger and bigger and areas that GMA rules widen. But still I should say, even the rivalry has started that time; the
Kapamilya is still the choice
all over the Philippines because of their signal strength. That is the biggest issue for GMA until now, the “TV signal” for them is their number 1 enemy
because GMA believers and GMA itself assume that ABS-CBN is just hurting them with this advantage. Correct but not so I guess, because facts say again,
that quality shows of ABS-CBN are still network’s biggest edge. This is proven by the awards gathered by the Kapamilya and the award giving bodies who
carefully recognize who is better between the two.

Current shows and their brief description and a small comparison

“May Bukas Pa”
is Kapamilya’s top contender in TV ratings done by the two media research groups (
TNS)
and (
AGB Nielson).
It is about a child who has the power to heal with his friend that he calls “bro”. Based on the story, this “bro” is believed to be The Lord God who uses
Santino (child’s name) to strengthen everyone’s faith and also to send His message to the world particularly to this small town where the plot is taking
place. GMA for a moment doesn’t have this type of storyline and they just counter its popularity by putting  an action/drama with little fantasy series
Zoro. Unfortunately for the Kapuso network, this is ineffective maybe because Filipino people as world knows, are so religious that’s why they prefer this
TV show of ABS-CBN than action-drama of GMA!





Tayong Dalawa
of ABS-CBN on the other hand has also its own share in the ratings because the stars are still fresh; they are improving and have the talents and the looks.
I’m still trying to find a match for this show from GMA but got no luck or maybe there’s really none? The nearest maybe is the newest addition to GMA’s
lineup (All my life) but still it is far to compare. Tayong dalawa is about a competition between two guys who happened to be brothers and are both PMAers
to win a girl’s heart. This is also topping the TV ratings and sometimes tailing May bukas pa.




Next to them is Angel Locsin’s Only You
also from Kapamilya. This talent was from GMA but decided to be a Kapamilya after her contract has ended with the kapuso network. When her first series
Lobo aired on ABS-CBN, the ratings that time wasn’t that friendly to Angel maybe because of what she’s done with GMA. But this is history and now other
media research company is telling the Philippines her current position in the ranking of who’s the most watched female celebrity in primetime shows. Marian
Rivera her counterpart as Kapuso network is claiming looked like the current holder of the title because of her own TV series Dyesibel which topped the
ratings winning against Angel’s Lobo. But that was before. Now Marian is shooting her own remake of Darna which Angel did her own when she’s still a talent
of GMA.

Who really deserves?

Most of the people are asking what is really the number 1 TV station in the country. The answer to this is subject to an intense research and complex mathematics.Manipulation
of any kind of data isn’t going to help; as it is just a way of hiding the accurate representation of how the statistics is interpreted in its smallest pattern.
The popularity of a TV network means nothing if it’s not expertly analyzed. We don’t base on clamors here in other words.

As of June 27, 2009 ABS-CBN has 50% audience share compared to GMA which only got 33%; that is according to this article Majority of the shows of ABS-CBN are on the top spot, as of this date. And the following results tell no difference. If you observe the results from the
two media research groups however, you will be confused who’s telling the truth. AGB survey shows in Mega manila GMA is leading the race but the nationwide
results from TNS say that ABS-CBN is the number 1 TV network in the country.

So if you want to know who really deserves to be called as the true number 1, just find the answer in your hearts. Watch these TV networks, watch their
shows and see for yourselves, who gets your emotions meaning which of the two makes you cry or laugh, who satisfies your viewing needs/tastes and which
of their shows get you hooked.