ABS-CBN has significantly widened its national lead over its closest competitor in 2009, from a 44% audience share vs competition's 37% share in Feb 2009 to 48% vs 31% by December 2009 as seen in the TV ratings Total Homes data from global research specialist Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS).

This phenomenal growth from a seven percentage point lead to a 17 percentage point lead is attributed to the strong focus of the network with its core viewers, its commitment to production quality, improvements in TV reception, its great storytelling and huge star cast with its popular television series.

The momentum was significantly noticeable with the shift in Mega Manila audience share. ABS-CBN has cut down the lead of its competition from nine-percentage points in February (ABS-CBN 34% vs GMA 43%) down to only two percentage points in December (ABS-CBN 37% vs GMA 39%).

Metro Manila, which comprises the majority of Mega Manila, drove the Mega Manila audience shift from ABS-CBN’s 37% vs the competition’s 40% share in February to ABS-CBN leading Metro Manila with 39% against the competition’s steadily dwindling share down to 35% by year end.

Throughout the country, ABS-CBN is still the undisputed national leader with its overall 2009 performance of 45% audience share vs GMA’s 34% as it also exhibited a runaway leadership in Luzon areas outside Mega Manila with 49% audience share against competition’s 32%; in Visayas with 62% vs. 22%; and in Mindanao, where it trashed its competitor, 70% vs 15%.

Fourteen out of the Top 15 national regular programs of 2009 were produced by ABS-CBN with the competition’s best bet, taking only the 11th slot.

It’s most popular program, “May Bukas Pa” (37.2%), was a key component in uplifting the spirits of our countrymen especially during the many challenges and hardships brought about by the recession year as part of ABS-CBN’s service to the Filipino people. Strong programs like the local adaptation of “I Love Betty La Fea” (36.8%) starring Bea Alonzo as the Pinay Beatriz Pengson; the local adaptation of the Korean series “Only You” (36.3%) starring Angel Locsin, Diether Ocampo and Sam Milby; and the much talked about sibling rivalry between David and JR played by Jake Cuenca and Gerald Anderson in “Tayong Dalawa” (35.5%) all kept audiences happily entertained to keep spirits high.

“TV Patrol World World” is the country’s number one newscast and the only one to make it to the top 5 programs. It ranked 5th with 34.4% while the reality-drama show “Pinoy Big Brother Double Up,” which scored its strongest season to date with an average of 32.2% in its pilot airing, and the remake of one of Ramon Revilla’s classic Agimat saga “Pepeng Agimat” with 31 % ranked 6th and 7th respectively.

“Katorse,” which told the story of innocent and naïve Nene (Erich Gonzales) who got pregnant at the early age of 14, surpassed expectations with its average rating of 30.2% as it provided an authentic and empowering experience to the young viewers.

Magazine program “Rated K” hosted by Korina Sanchez garnered an average rating of 29% while the videoke-inspired show that got the whole country singing and guessing for the missing lyrics every weekends, “The Singing Bee,” rated at 28.1%.

In terms of program acquisitions, ABS-CBN also showed supremacy as the phenomenal Korenovela “Boys Over Flowers” featuring Korean F4 Jun Pyo, Ji Hoo, Yi Jeong, and Woo Bin garnered an average of 28.5. This is the only acquired series to make it in the Top 20.

These only prove that ABS-CBN also ruled the programming landscape last year across all genres which included drama, news and current affairs, reality, fantasy, and game.

This year, the shows to watch out are the adaptation of hit telenovela “Rubi” starring Angelica Panganiban, talent-reality show “Pilipinas Got Talent,” fantasy series “Kokey@Ako,” pocketbook-adaptation “Midnight Phantom” and “Impostor” and remake of hit youth-oriented show Gimik dubbed as “Gimik 2010.”

With the network’s recently launched shows primetime “Tanging Yaman,” “Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo,” “Habang May Buhay,” and the most recent “Agua Bendita” performing very strongly worthy of the performance of their predecessors, ABS-CBN continues its momentum in providing best-in-class programming to the Filipino people nationwide and worldwide.