Filipinos seem to lose interest in watching television as it is clearly shown the number of viewership in various programs.
Based on the recent AGB Nielsen NUTAM People Ratings on July 26, TV shows have had extremely low ratings.
As the pandemic rages on, Filipinos worldwide are switching to streaming platforms such as Netflix, iflix, and more.
ABS-CBN is not the only one that is affected since its loss of franchise in 2020. Some shows of GMA Network and TV5 also received low ratings compared to pre-pandemic days and before the Kapamilya Network’s shutdown.
Programs such as Init sa Magdamag, Game of Affection, Kapuso Movie Festival, G! Flicks, Niña Niño, La Vida Lena, and Saksi all received a TV rating of 4.4% and below.
Some of the shows such as Eat Bulaga!, Ang Dalawang Ikaw, Lie After Lie, Huwag Kang Mangamba, and Innamorata had mediocre ratings with around 6.7% to 5.2%.
The currently most-watched show is GMA Network’s news and public affairs program, 24 Oras has a rating of 15.7%. It is comparatively low compared to pre-Covid-19 as the Kapuso news program usually earns around 18% to 20% of viewership in 2019.
Meanwhile, re-runs of hit TV shows fared well in ratings. The Kapuso replay of Endless Love continues to perform well as it earned an 8.8% while The Good Daughter had 6%.
Ratings become extremely low especially on weekends, with only a few programs doing well.
iBilib, ASAP Natin ‘To, Born to be Wild, Everybody Sing!, I-Juander, Popinoy, Aha!, and Knock Out had a rating of only 3.2% to 2%.
Fortunately, people are interested in magazine shows and infotainment shows during the weekends. It showed that GMA Network’s Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho and Amazing Earth were the most-watched weekend programs with ratings of 18.7% and 16.8% respectively.
ABS-CBN’s closure had played a part.
People losing interest in television was not just because of the pandemic.
ABS-CBN’s shutdown also made an impact on how Filipinos watch shows.
This was pointed during the Asia-Pacific launch on July 5 by the Digital News Report author and University of the Philippines professor, Yvonne Chua.
According to Chua, Filipinos have been deprived of the ability to consume TV news after ABS-CBN was forced to go off the air following the expiration of its legislative franchise.
Previously, during pre-closure of ABS-CBN, it was found that viewership peaked at around 23% to 24% during the early start of the pandemic. However, it plummeted to 13.8%-10% once the Network was forced out of the air.
“Millions of Filipinos just tuned out of TV…that’s a big drop in overall TV viewing,” Ruperto Nicdao, president of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) said.
“Because of the closure of ABS-CBN, most Filipinos are not getting the information that ABS-CBN should have been providing,” he added.
Furthermore, Chua pointed that Filipinos were deprived of information amid the pandemic. She reasoned that apart from its Metro Manila stations, ABS-CBN had stations in 12 of the country’s 17 regions, the most number of regional stations that any broadcasting network has in the Philippines.
“If you look at Southeast Asia, television viewership in the Philippines has always been high, and for you to close a network at that time is certainly depriving people of public interest reporting,” she stressed.
