During the latter part of the 1980s as the once insurmountable RPN and IBC suffered from gross mismanagement and financial crisis which took a toll on their ratings, the struggling ABS-CBN surged ahead to be the undisputed number 1 from 1988 onward. GMA, which retained its owners, faced an uphill battle for ratings supremacy as it ended the 80s as the No. 2 network after a brief stint in the lead, though it did maintain its position as a leading player in the industry.