ABS-CBN kept its stronghold in national TV viewership for the month of April with an average audience share of 42%, or five points higher than GMA’s 37%, based on data from Kantar Media.

Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,609 urban and rural homes that represent 100% of the total Philippine TV viewing population, while the other ratings data supplier AGB Nielsen reportedly has only 1,980 homes based solely in urban areas that represent only 57% of the Philippine TV viewing population.

ABS-CBN, the only media company in FinanceAsia’s list of best companies in the Philippines, maintains its supremacy in the primetime (6PM-12MN) block after scoring an average audience share of 48%, or 16 points higher than GMA which only scored 32%.

The Kapamilya network’s primetime supremacy was bolstered by the strong support of TV viewers for the network’s top-caliber drama series such as the recently concluded “Dream Dad” (32.9%), the newly launched “Nathaniel” (31.9%), and the well-loved teleseryes “Forevermore” (29.6%), “Bridges of Love” (20.2%), and “Inday Bote” (17.5%).

The primetime block is the most important part of the day when most Filipinos watch TV and advertisers put a larger chunk of their investment in to reach more consumers effectively.

The average audience share of ABS-CBN’s late afternoon block (3PM-6PM) also climbed in April to 41%, compared to the previous month’s 39%. It was led by “Kapamilya Deal or No Deal” which earned an average national TV rating of 11.3%.

Meanwhile, more urban and rural households tuned in the Kapamilya network’s weekend programs as “Maalaala Mo Kaya” (29.8%), “Your Face Sounds Familiar” (28.4%), “Rated K” (26.2%), and “Wansapanataym” (24.7%) joined the list of the top ten TV programs in the country.

Weekend TV viewers also tuned in to ABS-CBN’s “Kapamilya Mega Blockbusters,” which features the premiere showing of hit movies on free TV. It scored an average national TV rating of 13.2%.

ABS-CBN’s primetime news program “TV Patrol” remains as the most watched news cast for April with an average national TV rating of 26.5%, compared to GMA’s “24 Oras” (16.3%).

This year, ABS-CBN Corporation has been named as the Best TV Station in the country by 12 different award giving bodies from industry to universities, such as the KBP Golden Dove Awards, USTv Student’s Choice Awards, Gawad Tanglaw Awards, Aral Parangal Awards, Gawad Kamalayan Awards, Eastern Visayas State University’s (EVSU) Students’ Choice Mass Media Awards, Paragala Central Luzon Media Awards, and Andurog Awards. It was also voted the Best TV Station at the Northwest Samar State University’s Students’ Choice Awards For Radio and Television, Platinum Stallion Media Awards, UmalohokJUAN Awards, and Gandingan: UPLB Isko’t Iska’s Broadcast Choice Awards.

Kantar Media is a leading television (TV) audience measurement provider with capabilities in gathering TV viewing data in both digital and analog platforms. It is a multinational market research group that specializes in audience measurement in more than 80 countries, has 26 TV networks, ad agencies, and pan-regional networks subscribing to its ratings services.

Among its current subscribers are ABS-CBN, NBN, Sky Cable, J. Romero and Associates, 720ConsumerConnect, Starcom, OMD, PhD, Mediacom, Mindshare, MEC, Maxus, Universal McCann, Wellmade Manufacturing Corporation, Brand Ideas, and MPG Havas. They also include pan-regional networks like CSM Media Inc., Fox International Channels, Star HK, Discovery, AXN, HBO, MTV, Sony Pictures Television International, Celestial Tiger, and A&E Television Network.

Among these, the following subscribe to both urban and rural TV audience measurement: ABS-CBN, Brand Ideas, MPG Havas, and 720ConsumerConnect.