GMA Network Tops Digital TV Coverage Survey

GMA Network Tops Digital 

TV Coverage Survey

Engr. Elvis B. Ancheta,
Senior  Vice President and
Head of the Engineering Group

Broadcast giant GMA Network led in an independent study measuring digital TV presence in the country, affirming the robust coverage of the Network’s digital TV signal.

The study, which was conducted by local smartphone and tablet manufacturer Starmobile, revealed that GMA 1SEG and GMA News TV were available in 10 out of the 14 test locations in Metro Manila. American market research firm IDC (International Data Corporation) was commissioned by Starmobile to perform the study.

Other channels surveyed were ABS-CBN, ABS-CBN Sports, TV5, and AKSYON TV, among others.

“The results of the study confirm our readiness for the eventual shift to Digital TV,” says Engr. Elvis B. Ancheta, GMA Senior Vice President for Engineering. 

In compliance with the directive of the National Telecommunications Commission, GMA has started to adapt the Japanese DTV standard or ISDB-T.

“Moreover, it manifests the level of importance the Network has placed in being able to reach as many viewers as possible as this ultimately determines our audience size,” Ancheta adds.

The Network takes pride in its commitment to signal superiority as evidenced by its excellent signal across the country, an advantage over competitors exhibited consistently by its analog footprint which it commits to carry over to digital.

Based on claimed household reception findings in the 2014 TV Establishment Survey of Nielsen Philippines, GMA is received by 99 percent of all TV households in Total Urban Philippines, leading other local free-to-air channels. 

As it continues to improve and expand its coverage in the regions, GMA completed numerous transmission upgrades in 2014. The Network commissioned a new 2KW TV relay station in Daet, Camarines Norte and re-located its transmitting station in Iligan City to enable the re-broadcast of Northern Mindanao programs from Cagayan de Oro.

GMA is set to commission a new 5KW TV relay station in Butuan City this May.

Top Online News Source for Pacquiao vs Mayweather

During the biggest boxing match in history, GMANetwork.com, the home of GMA News Online, emerged as the #1 Philippine website in the world, and was the top news source for the Battle of Greatness between boxing champs Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. last May 3.

According to data from Effective Measure, gmanetwork.com posted a total of 8,975,645 page views, leading ABS-CBN News’ 8,261,421 and ph.yahoo.com’s 2,843,689 page views. 

Further, GMA News Online proved that it is the news authority when it comes to Sports. GMA News Sports was the most viewed local sports site that day with 6,193,140 page views, followed by ABS-CBN News Sports with 3,513,124 views.    

GMA News Online also came up with pioneering efforts to provide more substance and context to its Pacquiao-Mayweather coverage. Its microsite (gmanews.tv/GoManny), for instance, had a special feature called Social Relevance that showed which player was generating the most buzz around the globe. This became one of the most talked about content on Facebook and

was shared repeatedly in social media. Results were also used by the different newscasts in their reports.

GMA News also packed a punch in social media. The GMA News Social Media team came up with the #GoManny hashtag that was adopted by the network and became the battlecry of Pacquiao supporters. Its #PacmanPaRin hashtag became one of the Philippines’ top trending topics, and its campaign #HugsForManny landed GMA Network a spot in Adobo Magazine’s “list of Philippine brands that nailed the PacMay Buzz.” /MP