PHOTO CAPTION: Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago (left) is one of the guests featured in GMA News TV's Powerhouse, hosted by Mel Tiangco (right).

PRESS STATEMENT FROM GMA NEWS TV:

"On its first year, GMA News TV established itself as the country's no. 1 news channel.  It also became the biggest Philippine winner at the 2012 New York Festivals and the 2012 U.S. International Film and Video Festival.

"Now on its second year, GMA News TV records another milestone.

"Based on full August 2012 data (August 26-31 based on overnight data) from the broadcast industry's more trusted ratings service provider, Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, GMA News TV has remarkably doubled the number of its viewers in Mega Manila, its primary market.

"In Mega Manila, which comprises 59.5% of total urban television households nationwide, GMA News TV posted 6.0 household share points in August 2012 -- double its 3.0 household share points showing in May 2011. Using the assumption that there are five viewers per television household, this translates to nearly 700,000 GMA News TV viewers in the said area.

"GMA News TV also recorded a significant increase in National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) with 4.4 household share points in August 2012 relative to its 2.4 share points performance in May 2011. This translates to more than 800,000 viewers for GMA News TV nationwide as of last month.

"Other local news channels Aksyon TV and ANC, on the other hand, only managed 0.4 and 0.1 household share points, respectively, last August.

"GMA News TV's ratings lead grew even more dramatically on big news days.

"In fact, during the coverage of the Chief Justice's opening statement and Dolphy's funeral, GMA News TV's ratings came in second to GMA 7’s ratings.

"Early this year, when former Chief Justice Renato Corona faced the Impeachment Court for his opening statement followed by his infamous walkout, GMA News TV’s coverage hit a commanding 8.6 household rating points in Mega Manila which translates to more than 2.3 million viewers; even ahead of the 5.1 rating points of ABS-CBN’s Ang Nasasakdal: Chief Justice and the 3.4 rating points of TV5’s CJ Corona Ang Paglilitis.

"More viewers also tuned in to GMA News TV’s special live coverage of Dolphy’s funeral. In Mega Manila, its Salamat Dolphy posted 14.4 rating points with almost 4 million estimated viewers while ABS-CBN’s News Patrol (Salamat Tito Dolphy Pagsaludo sa Hari ng Komedya) registered 14.0 rating points and TV5’s Paalam Mang Pidol only managed 6.6 rating points. 

"For GMA Network's Chairman and CEO Felipe L. Gozon, the increase in GMA News TV's viewership “reveals a change in the audience’s viewing preference, with Filipinos giving bigger value now to news and documentary programming.”

"He adds, "Our GMA News organization has undeniably earned the trust of our viewers. And this holds true for all our news platforms, particularly GMA News TV."

"GMA News TV's remarkable showing in August was mainly driven by the strong performance of the channel's newscasts - News to Go, Balitanghali, Balita Pilipinas Ngayon, News TV Quick Response Team, State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, and News TV Live reports—particularly during the Habagat coverage.

"Its documentary and feature programs Reel Time, Good News, Idol Sa Kusina, Powerhouse and Front Row were also among GMA News TV's top ratings drivers."


Ed's Note: When content falls under "Press Statement," this means that the material is fully and directly from the company issuing the press release. The use of open-and-close quotation marks to envelope the entire text shows as much. This also means that PEP is not the author of the statement being read. PEP is simply providing the information for readers who may be interested.