Kapamilya broadcast journalist Karen Davila highlighted the importance of competition for Pinoy televiewers.
In her tweet on Monday, February 6, Davila emphasized the benefit of competition in the TV industry so that people will be given more choices. Davila tweeted, “The power of CHOICE. A more competitive environment is always better for the consumer.”
The power of CHOICE. A more competitive environment is always better for the consumer. https://t.co/4Q3YHbnpT2
— Karen Davila (@iamkarendavila) February 6, 2023
Davila’s statement was in reaction to @altABSCBN’s tweet about the vacuum left by ABS-CBN when it stopped its free TV broadcast following the denial of its franchise application.
The Twitter account noted, “Philippine TV will never be alive without ABS-CBN on it.”
ABS-CBN’s absence from free TV has indeed changed the whole TV landscape of the country.
According to the study conducted by Kantar Media, TV viewing in the country has dropped by 15 percent, from 94 percent in 2019 to 89 percent in 2022. And one of the factors attributed to the decline is the ABS-CBN shutdown.
The same survey also indicated that former TV viewers had shifted to online platforms. This is evidenced by the 17 percent increase in online viewing from 59 percent in 2019 to 79 percent in 2022.
Aside from the Kantar survey, the current Nielsen NUTAM People Survey also showed a significant decline in TV viewing.
Previously, when ABS-CBN and GMA Network were both competing in TV ratings, the average rating numbers for primetime ranged from 20 to 30 percent.
The majority of primetime shows, however, average only 16 to 18 percent with ABS-CBN out of the picture.
