The US-based AGB-Nielsen is a global ratings firm, which undertakes the task of ranking various television programs according to the viewing preferences of the public as a guide for their clients in a particular country. Its local agency here, the AGB-Nielsen Media Research Philippines, is currently embroiled in a raging network war between bitter rivals, the Lopez-owned ABS-CBN Broadcast Corp. and GMA-Channel 7. Although we have only a handful of TV networks operating nationwide, the two networks have been into a ratings brawl for a long time now. The network war has degenerated in a court battle. The AGB-Nielsen so far won the first round after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court dismissed last week the suit filed by ABS-CBN against it due to a technicality.
The ABS-CBN sued AGB Nielsen last December 14 after the research firm continued to release weekly TV ratings despite information that AGB Nielsen’s metered households, which provide the TV ratings, were allegedly compromised. The GMA Network subsequently filed a P1-million libel suit against ABS-CBN, its executives and talents after the network aired news reports which GMA-7 considered libelous.
In an affidavit submitted to the QC court, AGB Nielsen general manager Maya Reforma admitted their company’s suspicions that 79 out of 532 AGB Nielsen metered homes in six cities were exposed to the questioned “activities” of GMA-7. She noted, however, that the evidence obtained by AGB Nielsen “strongly indicates” the alleged tampering was confined to Bacolod during the period from July to September 2007. She said the research firm re-processed all the original data it gathered from the home TV panels while excluding the suspected tampered households allegedly contacted by GMA Network.
The court ruled that ABS-CBN prematurely sued AGB without exerting all available avenues for the resolution of conflicts arising between them. The TV station may have prematurely filed the suit, but its action nonetheless has brought to fore how serious the situation is. Had the court not junked ABS-CBN’s suit, the public would have heard how the alleged rigging was done. The court could have scrutinized the witnesses and could have ruled if they are credible or not.
Yesterday, ABS-CBN finally presented to the public its witnesses to the alleged tampered AGB ratings survey after being twitted by GMA-7 for hiding their identities through dark lights and their voices scrambled on air. This, despite efforts by rival network GMA-7 to get a temporary restraining order to stop ABS-CBN from airing news reports about the alleged tampering of AGB Nielsen metered homes. By seeking the TRO, ABS-CBN accused GMA-7 of allegedly trying to suppress the “truth” on this TV ratings case.
As I understood it, AGB conducts its operations by hiring chosen households to host the rating meters supplied by AGB. The gadget does the job of recording which TV programs are being watched daily by the household. The AGB and the household enter into an agreement that hosting a meter should be held in utmost confidentiality and this agreement is enforced by a binding contract.
But what I’m intrigued about the most was how some people came to know where the rating meters were installed in the first place? According to the ABS-CBN informants, some people offering gifts and cash allegedly approached these households and told them to switch to the favored channel — which ABS-CBN, in some of its programs, identified as GMA-7. Naturally, GMA-7 protested and later filed a multimillion-peso civil suit against its competitor.
From where I sit, I think AGB should not use the court ruling to dodge allegations of ratings rigging; at the very least for its own benefit and to a larger extent, for the benefit of all, it should get into the bottom of the issue and come clean. It should acknowledge and not issue blanket denials that there are indeed some people who have come forward to spill the beans. I think this is precisely what fueled ABS-CBN’s action against the ratings agency.
Now, the two stations, known to dish out tear-jerking tele-novelas, are themselves in a reality drama that is unfolding before contrasting audiences: the Kapuso and the Kapamilya. As an interested TV viewer, I would have wanted to find out from the witnesses who were willing to spill the beans what really happened. Too bad, we’ll have to wait for the next episode.
Seriously though, I believe that the two stations ought to practice transparency as what most of their news anchors and public affairs commentators preach a lot. As networks that profess to work for the “truth” and interest of the general public, they must therefore show to the public the real score sheet. It is the audience that provides them with their bread and butter and thus, we, the viewing public, deserve nothing but the truth. Television, like it or not, has become a very important gateway of information aside from its role of making us laugh and cry, and keeping us entertained. TV ratings are guides used by the advertisers (who also owe the public their existence) so that they can make an informed choice on which station could best carry their messages to the target consumers or buyers of their products.
The public pays good money by supporting the advertisers’ products. The advertisers rely on their ad agencies to sell their products. The advertisers, on the other hand, rely on the ratings agency on which network could best deliver results to their sales. The ratings war between the two giant networks is bad for the broadcast industry in general. So what happens if the ratings are compromised? There could be a break in the chain. I could just imagine millions of pesos in income losses and consequent layoffs. The impact to the economy cannot be underestimated.
The court should be an instrument to dig up the truth. Let the witnesses speak up and to the two stations, I wish that they would be clever enough not to tamper with TV ratings. It is in their best interest to keep these sacred.