Publicly-held broadcasting company GMA Network Inc. yesterday announced it started the second half of the year on the right foot by winning the nationwide television ratings race for the month of July.

Based on the Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, GMA scored 33.3 points in total day from 6AM to 12MN household audience shares in National Urban Philippines, or 1.1 points higher than ABS-CBN (32.2), and 18.4 points higher than TV5 (14.9).

The measurement was based on July 1 to 21 official data and July 22 to 31 overnight data.

During the same period, GMA grabbed the nationwide household audience share lead in the morning block, from 6AM to 12NN with 30.7 points, or 0.3 point higher than ABS-CBN’s 30.4.

GMA’s showing in the afternoon block from 12NN to 6PM nationwide remained strong – posting a 13.3-point margin over ABS-CBN and a 24.2-point margin over TV5.

In the evening block inclusive of the heavily watched primetime from 6PM to 11PM, GMA improved its nationwide share points by 0.4 from June, while ABS-CBN’s dropped by two points.

In Urban Luzon, comprising 77 percent of national urban television households, GMA made a definite win with 37.1 total day household audience share points over ABS-CBN’s 27.9 and TV5’s 14.4 across all time blocks.

Compared to its closest competitor’s performance in Urban Luzon, GMA was ahead by 5.8 points in the morning block, a whopping 21.4 points in the afternoon block, and 1.6 points in the evening block.

There were 16 GMA programs in the list of top 30 programs in Urban Luzon, including flagship primetime newscast 24 Oras; weekend primetime top rater Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho; the first internationally franchised Filipino show Eat Bulaga; multigenerational primetime program Luna Blanca; the Richard Gutierrez-starrer Makapiling Kang Muli; and One True Love, Alden Richards and Louise delos Reyes’ first primetime program.

In Kapuso bailiwick Mega Manila, comprising 59.5 percent of national urban TV households, GMA registered a commanding ratings performance of 37.9 total day household audience share points compared to ABS-CBN’s 22.9 points and TV5’s 15.

Compared to ABS-CBN, GMA was ahead by 7.6 points in the morning block, a commanding 23.5 points in the afternoon block, and 4.2 points in the evening block.

GMA subscribes to the Nielsen TV Audience Measurement along with TV5, Faulkner Media, CBN Asia, 15 advertising agencies and three regional clients. ABS-CBN is the only local major TV network reportedly subscribing to Kantar Media, formerly known as TNS.

The Nielsen TV Audience Measurement has a sample size of 1,190 homes in Mega Manila versus Kantar Media's 770 homes. Nielsen also has a nationwide sample size of 2,000 homes compared to the lower sample size of 1,370 utilized by Kantar Media.

GMA chairman and chief executive officer Felipe Gozon has given dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Co. (PLDT) until the end of the year to firm up its offer for a controlling stake in the broadcasting firm.

"I think it will either terminate or go through within the year if that's the parameter you will give me because that's too long already to be talking," Gozon said earlier. - BM, GMA News