Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:19:25 +0000

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday countered the motion filed by rival network GMA-7 which sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) from a Quezon City court to stop the airing of news related to the issue of alleged tampering in the ratings data released by AGB-Nielsen Media Research Philippines.

ABS-CBN maintained during its face off with its rival network at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court that by seeking a TRO, GMA-7 is violating press freedom and keeping people from knowing the truth.

“There are serious implications on the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression… It’s a little disheartening that the motion to stop the airing of news comes from itself from a media organization as well. It’s a gag order, you can not report. But what about the truth? Should not the truth come out?” said ABS-CBN lawyer Regis Puno.

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Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:17:39 +0000

An informant of TV giant ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. has alleged that an official from ABS-CBN’s rival GMA Network and an AGB Nielsen insider in Iloilo were involved in an alleged ratings breach in Bacolod and Iloilo.

Mark Dumago, 23, who is working as a field coordinator under a contract with a radio station in Bacolod, was presented to members of the print media on Tuesday as the ABS-CBN’s informant who blew the whistle on the TV ratings breach.

“Para malaman ng lahat na totoo yung sinasabi namin na hi-nire talaga kami ng GMA para magtrabaho dun tungkol sa AGB Nielsen (So that people will know the truth that we were hired by GMA to work on that thing with AGB),” he said in Filipino.

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Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:14:13 +0000

According to GMA, ABS-CBN depicted the network as behind the manipulation of television ratings in the cities of Bacolod City, Cebu, Davao, and Iloilo.

“Unless restrained, defendants will repeat its defamatory statements and cast aspersions against the honor and integrity of GMA before the honorable court could hear the latter’s complaint thereby disregarding the judicial process and adjudicatory function of the honorable court,” GMA Network said in its motion.

GMA claimed ABS-CBN aired defamatory statements on January 5, 6, 7, and 12 on its various television programs.

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Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:34:23 +0000

“It’s more of the same. There’s nothing new in what they said. All are dubious and inconsistent with known facts.”

This is how GMA NETWORK describes the almost identical testimonies of ABS-CBN informants from Bacolod and now, Cebu, Davao and Iloilo that were shown lately in various ABS CBN programs.

Mark Dumago from Bacolod, first revealed his face in an interview on TV Patrol last Friday, January 11. Then conveniently, right after the Dumago interview, on various weekend programs of ABS-CBN, other informants from Cebu, Davao and Iloilo were also interviewed, but with their faces blurred.

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Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:00:14 +0000

A witness who told ABS-CBN about an alleged tampering of panel homes in Bacolod has finally decided to reveal his identity on camera and stood by his previous statements implicating another TV network behind a well-planned, orchestrated effort to manipulate ratings data gathered by AGB-Nielsen Media Research Philippines.

Mark Dumago first approached ABS-CBN in December to report the existence of the scam. During interviews, he gave his statement on camera but with his face hidden in shadow.

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Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:19:44 +0000

GMA Network profit jumps 20% to P2.28B in 11 months

GMA Network Broadcast company posted a net income of P2.28 billion  in the first 11 months of 2007, 20 percent higher than its earnings in the same period in 2006, it said in a statement.

In November 2007 alone, revenues again breached the P1-bilion mark while net income rose six percent to P220 million. Year-to-date revenues  amounted to 10.83 billion, up eight percent from a year earlier.

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Fri, 04 Jan 2008 03:39:42 +0000

New witnesses came forward and told ABS-CBN News that television ratings done by AGB-Nielsen Media Research Philippines in Bacolod City were indeed manipulated, as told by an informant who first revealed the information last month.

A TV Patrol World report Thursday said the new witnesses, identified only by the pseudonyms “Rico” and “Jonel” affirmed the statement made by “Gary” who said in December that metered ratings conducted by AGB-Nielsen in Bacolod were tainted.

Rico and Jonel told ABS-CBN correspondent Julius Babao that in 2006, an official of a television network approached them for their services to survey viewers’ preference with regard to TV programs.

They said that after two months, the same official ordered them to do something different. They said that the network official ordered them to find out which homes in Bacolod were being monitored by AGB-Nielsen.

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Fri, 04 Jan 2008 03:38:16 +0000

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. on Thursday said a P15 million libel suit filed by GMA Network against the Kapamilya Station is meant to divert attention away from the issue of TV ratings manipulation.

“We are disappointed but not surprised by GMA-7’s reactions to the discovery of TV ratings manipulation. It appears that they want to prevent the media from mentioning GMA 7 in connection with cheating in the ratings,” ABS-CBN spokesman Bong Osorio said in a statement.

“Let’s remember that the issue here is about having a clean TV ratings process, the reason we filed a civil case against AGB-Nielsen Media Research. Filing defamation charges against ABS-CBN diverts attention from the real issue. We are confident that the truth will come out,” he added.

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Fri, 04 Jan 2008 03:35:12 +0000

GMA Network on Thursday sued rival network ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. for allegedly accusing GMA of tampering metered households of research firm AGB Nielsen.

A report on the GMA-7 Web site said GMA demanded P10 million from ABS-CBN for moral damages, P2.5 million for exemplary damages, P1.5 million for attorney’s fees and P1 million for litigation expenses.

“There was series of on-the-air fabrication of statements imputing GMA 7 as behind the alleged rigging, manipulation of TV ratings in Bacolod City,” the Web site said, quoting GMA lawyer Gener Asuncion.

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Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:44:19 +0000

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. on Wednesday said it is standing by a radio interview that linked television network GMA-7 to the alleged tampering of TV ratings meters in Bacolod City as told by an official of AGB Nielsen Media Research Philippines.

“We stand by our report in DZMM.  Maya Reforma, in her interview with DZMM’s Junry Hidalgo this [Wednesday] morning, identified GMA-7 as behind certain activities that resulted in exposing the affected panel homes,” said ABS-CBN spokesman Bong Osorio.

“Please note that the civil case ABS-CBN filed last Friday, December 14 was against AGB-Nielsen Media Research Philippines and not against any other party,” he added.

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