GMA-7 books over P7b in advertising contracts

GMA Network Inc. has booked over P7 billion worth of advertisement contracts this year and expects revenues to breach the P13-billion mark registered last year.

“By December of last year, we have already booked over P7 billion worth of ads for this year from 10 big advertisers. This is already more than half of our target revenues for 2011,” GMA Network chairman and chief executive Felipe Gozon told reporters at the sidelines of GMA News TV channel launch late Monday.

“For the first time, we started negotiating [for the following year’s ads] as early as November,” he said.

Ten advertisers with big volume accounts signed up with GMA in December last year, he said. He added that one major advertiser that boycotted the network went back and signed a bigger contract. He did not name the account.

Gozon said the network would again increase its advertising rates in March to make them at par with rival ABS-CBN Corp.

“I don’t want to sell any more ads below Channel 2’s price,” he said. “We are very optimistic with Channel 7. We have booked very good revenue figures for January and for the first few days of February,” he said.

Gozon said that Channel 7 had maintained a small lead in nationwide ratings and a comfortable lead in Mega Manila and Luzon.

GMA Network posted over P2.8 billion in net income last year, up 2 percent year-on-year but short of the company’s initial target of P3 billion. Revenues reached P13 billion in 2010.

by Jeremiah F. de Guzman

Manila Standard

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GMA Network beats TV5 in launching all-news channel

GMA Network, Inc. launched Monday night free-to-air news and public affairs channel GMA News TV, going ahead of TV5 which is planning to launch its own news and sports channel.

Felipe L. Gozon, GMA Network chairman and chief executive officer, told reporters the news channel is an effort to stop losses from lifestyle and entertainment channel QTV on Channel 11.

“This is the first free-to-air news and public affairs channel on television which is just on time [amid] the growing demand of the Filipinos for relevant and credible news reportage,” he said. “QTV 11 posted more than P100 million in loss last year. At the most, the company lost around P200 million to P300 million from operating QTV 11. We think that we are strong in news and public affairs so we are focusing on it now,” he added.

Mr. Gozon also said the network would increase advertising rates by February or March. Ten advertisers “with big-volume accounts” have signed up in December last year, he said.

“The increase is on top of the jump on advertising rates we had implemented last year. The new advertising rates will be effective on February or March this year,” he said.

“Everybody is upbeat. Advertising is upbeat because businesses are upbeat,” he added.

Mr. Gozon said no advertisements have been booked yet on GMA News TV, which will take the place of QTV on Channel 11 starting Feb. 28.

“Relative to QTV 11 and other channels, GMA News TV will have a more serious programming line-up. There is news every hour, on the hour,” he said.

Mr. Gozon said planning for the new channel format started July last year. GMA Network has doubled the number of its news teams, but there was “no major investment involved.”

“We expect the channel to bring in profits next year,” he said.

Rival ABS-CBN Corp. operates the ABS-CBN News Channel and Teleradyo on cable. Manuel V. Pangilinan-led TV5 earlier announced it would launch this month Aksyon TV on Channel 41 as the network’s free-to-air news and sports channel.

TV5 officials could not be reached for comment. Last month, the network broke ground at its future headquarters in Mandaluyong.

Mediaquest Holdings, Inc., a unit of the Beneficial Trust Fund of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., owns Nation Broadcasting Corp., a network of radio stations, and ABC Development Corp. which operates TV5.

Mediaquest Holdings has a minority stake in BusinessWorld. -- Aura Marie P. Dagcutan

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GMA Network sees 2-digit growth this year

GMA Network Inc. said it expects double-digit growth in its profit numbers this year as the economy picks up and the company recovers from the problems that beset it in 2010.

GMA chairman Felipe Gozon said they are very optimistic about 2011 as the revenue numbers for the month of January and for the first week of February looked promising. “We are booking very good revenue figures so far,” he noted.

The company ended 2010 with consolidated revenues of around P13 billion, and a net income of a little over P2.8 billion, which are around two to three percent and four percent higher, respectively, compared with 2009 levels.

Gozon explained that the problems that the company experienced last year have already been addressed, thus they expect a better performance this year.

“We were able to surmount all the problems last year, such as the resistance to the increase in our advertising rates implemented last year, as well as the ratings. We started negotiating with the volume advertisers as early as November last year so that we have already signed up more than half of our advertising revenues. That has never been done before. Signed revenues already amount to more than P7 billion. And lately, we have been overtaking our competitor unlike before when we were behind. And looking at the general business environment, everybody is optimistic. And this is one thing that advertisers look at. When the advertisers expect more consumption, they advertise more,” he pointed out.

Gozon noted that the advertising budget is a good weathervane for economic ground. “There are around 10 advertisers with big volume accounts who signed up with GMA last December. One company, who boycotted the network, went back and signed up bigger accounts relative to before,” he said.

He said their flagship TV station Channel 7 maintains a small lead in nationwide ratings and a comfortable lead in Mega Manila and Luzon ratings.

GMA increased its advertising rates for 2011, on top of the increase made in 2010. The new ad rates are effective February/March this year.

Gozon also said though ratings and revenues dropped in the third quarter of 2010, these started to recover in the last quarter.

He likewise disclosed that GMA’s international operations have been growing, with the subscriber base increasing 17 percent to end 2010 with 275,000 subscribers.

Meanwhile, Gozon disclosed that the recently signed memorandum of understanding with the Manila Jockey Club Inc. (MJCI) will entail subsidiary GMA New Media providing technical expertise to the gaming operator.

He said that should the venture with MJCI become successful, NMI has the potential to be a very big income generator since its market extend worldwide.

In another development, GMA introduced to the advertising community at a trade launch Monday evening GMA News TV (GNTV) on Channel 11, a free-to-air news and public affairs channel. It will begin airing Feb. 28.

“We are responding to viewers’ requests for timely news updates in Filipino and for public affairs shows in primetime with this groundbreaking news channel,” GMA News TV head Nessa Valdellon said.

Gozon, for his part, said GNTV is also the company’s effort to convert the losses of QTV Channel 11 into profits.

He explained that GNTV’s programming cost is smaller compared to QTV’s. “We can reduce the losses because producing a news program is less costly than entertainment. At the same time, we know that news and public affairs is our strength,” he added.

QTV’s loss of P100 million last year is smaller compared to the losses recorded the previous year.

Mary Ann LL. Reyes 

(The Philippine Star)

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GMA7, ABS-CBN2 claim top spot

The country’s two major networks have claimed the lead in nationwide television ratings for the first month of the year.

Both ABS-CBN Corp. and GMA Network Inc. said that they started the year as the most-watched television station in the country.

In a statement on Tuesday, ABS-CBN said it garnered a 40-percent audience share in the primetime slot or nine points higher than GMA’s 31 percent.

Overall, nine ABS-CBN programs made it to the country’s top 10 most-watched programs in January, the company said in a statement, based on data released by research firm Kantar Media. ABS-CBN is Kantar Media’s main subscriber for its television ratings data.

Meanwhile, GMA Network said it had taken the lead in nationwide ratings from rival ABS-CBN in January, the latest data from AGB Nielsen showed.

Officials likewise said that it expects its ratings to continue to improve throughout the year as the quality of its programs and strength of its broadcast signal nationwide surpass that of its rivals.

Nielsen’s National Urban Television Audience Measurement (Nutam) data showed an average of 33 percent of households tuned into GMA for the month of January. This is higher than Lopez-led ABS-CBN’s 31.6-percent audience share in the same period.

Manuel V. Pangilinan’s Associated Broadcasting Corp., which runs the station TV5, had an audience share of just 15 percent.

In the viewer-rich Urban Luzon area, where close to two-thirds of all homes with television sets are, GMA had an even bigger lead with an audience share of 36.3 percent over ABS-CBN’s 26.5 percent and TV5’s 17.1 percent.

AGB NUTAM(audience shares)
33%
31.6%
15%

URBAN LUZON(2/3 of NUTAM)

36.3%
26.5%
17.1

By Paolo Luis G. Montecillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Charice switches finally to GMA7!

Charice flies in from Los Angeles, California tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. via flight PR 102 to tape her pre-Valentine’s special to broadcast on February 13 over GMA7, Charice: Home for Valentine’s!

Charice starts taping today.

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True-to-life stories from Rhea Santos

GMA 7’s Tunay na Buhay, a 30-minute profile magazine program features compelling stories of people. It premieres tonight after Saksi.

Hosted by Rhea Santos, Tunay na Buhay goes beyond biographies by searching far and wide for the most riveting life stories. These are stories of people who have gone through some of the most unforgettable, amazing experiences, life events that are sometimes beyond belief but are always engaging and thought-provoking.

“Tunay na Buhay is different because our subjects are the storytellers themselves,” Rhea says. “They will share their lives and the lessons they have learned that will make us appreciate life more. These are life stories that will make us cry, or will make us smile. Or maybe both. And this is really our show because each of us has a story to tell.”

The program will feature three stories each episode, each with a different feel or tone. “For me, it’s important that I connect with my interview subjects,” Rhea says. “I have to share their laughter, feel their pain and, in a small way, be part of their dreams.”

For its pilot episode, Tunay na Buhay tells the inspiring love story of Wawel and Mila who have been married for 15 years despite Mila’s condition. After their wedding day, tragedy struck, and from then on, Mila has been wheelchair bound.

The next story is about a mother’s unconditional love for her children, twins who are conjoined at the head.

These two kids share one body but they have very different personalities.

There is the story of success of a multi-millionaire at the age of 26. This man was only 20 years old when he earned his first millions. What could be the secret to his success?

“Tunay na Buhay will touch the hearts of viewers by presenting real stories of everyday people. These are stories that will inspire, amaze and will make you aspire to live life more,” Rhea adds.

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