Former PCOO Secretary and social media personality Manolo Quezon recalled a conversation with someone from a TV network about the “death” of free TV.
On Wednesday, May 3, Quezon tweeted, “The writing was on the wall a decade or more ago when someone with the network told me they projected the demise of free TV when internet connectivity/growth of middle class would shift audiences to streaming alternatives. That time has come.”
The writing was on the wall a decade or more ago when someone with the network told me they projected the demise of free TV when internet connectivity/growth of middle class would shift audiences to streaming alternatives. That time has come. https://t.co/L57EflHVCH
— Manuel L. Quezon III (@mlq3) May 2, 2023
Quezon’s statement is a reaction to the news about GMA Network’s significant income loss in 2022 despite being the country’s default number one TV station due to the absence of ABS-CBN.
According to its latest financial report, GMA Network reported a 28 percent drop in net income year-over-year from 7.5 billion in 2021 to 5.4 billion in 2022.
The Kapuso Network’s income drop got attributed to the four-percent decline in its total revenue of 21.5 billion, 886 million lower than the company’s revenue of 22.4 billion in 2021.
Aside from the decrease in revenue, the Network’s income decline was also affected by the 15 percent increase in its operating expenses, from 12.6 billion in 2021 to 14.4 billion in 2022.
Meanwhile, apart from the huge income loss for GMA Network, a recent television study by Nielsen also revealed declining TV viewing in the country.
Meanwhile, apart from the huge income loss for GMA Network, a recent television study by Nielsen also revealed declining TV viewing in the country.
According to the 2022 Philippine Media Landscape Report, tweeted by netizen @missmsuperstar on April 18, TV viewership has significantly declined from previous years.
In 2022, NUTAM TV ratings registered an average of 13.08 percent, 1.17 percent lower than 2021’s 14.25 percent average and 3.74 percent lower than 2020’s 16.92 percent average TV ratings.
In November 2022, a Kantar Media survey also revealed a 15 percent decline in TV viewing in the country, from 94 percent in 2019 to 89 percent in 2022. According to the study, the decline in TV viewing was largely affected by the 17 percent increase in online viewing, from 59% to 76%.
