Channel 2: the Company's flagship channel

ABS-CBN (an initialism of the network's former names, Alto Broadcasting System - Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Filipino commercial broadcast television network that is the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company under Lopez Group. The network is headquartered at the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center in Quezon City, with additional offices and production facilities in 25 major cities including Iloilo, Cebu, and Davao. Its news, current affairs, politics, sports, opinions, features and business, talk, public service, lifestyle, drama, reality, kids, religious, movies and home shopping shows and broadcast in Filipino and English languages.

The majority of the programs shown on the network are created by ABS-CBN Corporation's Entertainment division. ABS-CBN Entertainment Group is responsible for original programs ranging from musical and variety shows, showbiz, lifestyle, and comedy talk shows, comedy and gag shows, and sitcoms. Original and adapted TV series and mini-series are produced by either Dreamscape or Star Creatives which are still both under ABS-CBN while news, public service, and documentary shows are produced by ABS-CBN News and by other independent production outfits. ABS-CBN also acquires and syndicates program formats from abroad most of which are reality shows. The remaining airtime of ABS-CBN is dedicated to acquired foreign programs from abroad most of which are animation (anime and cartoons) from Japan and United States and movies from the Philippines, United States, Hong Kong and other Asian countries. ABS-CBN also shows regional programs, TV specials, sporting and awarding events.

MPIC eyes construction of C-5 South Link by 2017 By Louella Desiderio (The Philippine Star) | Updated September 5, 2016 - 12:00am

A unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) is planning to start the construction of the 7.7-kilometer, six-lane C-5 South Link Expressway, which will connect C-5 road to the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (Cavitex) by early next year instead of this year.

Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. (CIC) president Luigi Bautista said the construction for the expressway’s first phase covering a flyover to connect C-5 Road in Taguig City to Merville in Sucat, Parañaque City, which costs P2.5 billion, has yet to start.

“(We) hope to start first quarter of 2017,” he said in a text message.

Construction for the first phase was initially expected to begin in July this year after the no-objection to the project was given by Skyway operator Skyway O&M Corp.

“We are still missing the no objection,” Bautista said.

The expressway’s second phase, which will cover Merville to Coastal Road (Cavitex), is estimated to cost around P7.5 billion.

Earlier, the company said the new expressway is expected to be completed by 2019.

When completed, the C-5 South Link is expected to benefit those coming from Cavite, Las Piñas and parts of Parañaque by having a direct link to and from C-5 to Cavitex.

It will likewise provide a seamless connection to the 45-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway awarded to MPIC under the public-private partnership program and is slated for completion in 2020.

About 40,000 to 45,000 vehicles are seen to use the C-5 South Link when it starts commercial operations.

Once operational, the C-5 South Link is also expected to contribute about 15 percent of the revenues of MPIC’s tollway arm Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC).

MPIC through MPTC is the largest toll operator in the country.

Aside from the Cavitex network of toll roads, the group operates the North Luzon Expressway and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

In July, MPIC won the contract for the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway Connector Road as no comparative proposals were received from other firms for a Swiss Challenge organized by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The infrastructure conglomerate is also involved in the Cebu-Cordova Bridge Project which covers a toll bridge to connect Cebu City to Mactan Island via Cordova.

Ratings race: ABS-CBN leads nationwide, GMA holds Urban Luzon

ABS-CBN Corp. said it has kept its nationwide lead in TV ratings, while rival GMA Network, Inc. said that it still led the race among broadcast networks in Urban Luzon for the month of August.

Citing data from Kantar Media, ABS-CBN said that it has a 47% audience share nationwide, 14 points higher than that of GMA at 33%.

On the other hand, GMA quoted ratings provider Nielsen TV Audience Management, reporting that it has a 40.4% share among audiences in Urban Luzon -- a region which GMA said accounts for 77% of urban TV households nationwide. This is seven points higher than ABS-CBN’s 33.4%, and 34.1-points more than TV5’s 6.3%.

The two media giants subscribe to different TV audience measurement providers. ABS-CBN said Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,610 urban and rural homes, while GMA said Nielsen data has a nationwide sample size of 3,500 urban and rural homes.

For the prized primetime block, ABS-CBN said it has captured half of the national audience share, leading over GMA by 19 points.

Other Kapamilya shows in the top ten are Wansapanataym (34.1 percent), TV Patrol (32.7 percent), MMK (31.8 percent), Home Sweetie Home (28.2 percent), Goin Bulilit (27.2 percent), TV Patrol Weekend (22.4 percent) and Rated K (21.5 percent).

Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,610 urban and rural homes that represent 100 percent of the total Philippine TV viewing population, while the other ratings data supplier AGB Nielsen reportedly has 2,000 homes based in urban areas that represent only 57 percent of the Philippine TV viewing population. 

Aside from primetime, ABS-CBN said that it has also led other time blocks nationwide: the morning block (6 a.m. to noon) with 41% to GMA’s 35%; the noontime block (noon to 3 p.m.) with 45% to GMA’s 33%; and afternoon block (3 to 6 p.m.) with 48% to GMA’s 32%.

Meanwhile, GMA said that it had more programs ranking in the top 30 list of top-rating programs in Urban Luzon, with Encantadia topping the list among GMA shows.

On the other hand, according to Nielsen data, the top 10 TV shows for August belonged to ABS-CBN, led by FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano by 41.2%. In the same list, GMA’s Encantadia ranked 13th, taking up 21% of audience share.

Besides Encantadia, other programs from GMA also dominated the top 10 including Magpakailanman, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, Descendants of the Sun, Pepito Manaloto, and 24 Oras.

Also in the top 30 list in Urban Luzon are 24 Oras Weekend, Ismol Family, Sunday PinaSaya, Hay Bahay!, Eat Bulaga, Magkaibang Mundo, Sinungaling Mong Puso, Sa Piling ni Nanay, Juan Happy Love Story, Imbestigador, Lip Sync Battle Philippines, Wowowin, Karelasyon, Bubble Gang and Saksi.

ABS-CBN shares fell 1.11% on Friday to P49.15 per piece. On the other hand, GMA shares were flat at P6.30 apiece. -- Roy Stephen C. Canivel