GMA 7′s claim that they are the Philippines’ No. 1 TV Network has just been debunked by a recent national survey made by AGB Nielsen Media Research (Philippines).

It turns out that GMA 7 only leads in Mega Manila and Southern Luzon over their rival ABS-CBN.

The AGB Nielsen’s first nationwide urban television audience measurement (NUTAM) shows that ABS-CBN’s 43-percent viewership share put the company ahead of rival GMA Networks Inc., which garnered 35.2-percent rating, during the survey period October 8 to October 13.

NUTAM is an expansion of the current AGBNMR panel installation in Metro Manila homes. Using the on-line “peoplemeter,” it provides a total picture of television viewership in the entire Philippines through 24-hour monitoring of the panel homes.

A total of 1,500 panel homes will represent a universe of 7.26 million national urban TV homes from the following areas: North and Central Luzon with 300 homes; Metro Manila, 400 homes; South Luzon, 300 homes; Visayas, 300, homes; and Mindanao, 200 homes.