The H Bauer title reported a circulation of 1,394,269, against IPC's What's on TV circulation of 1,346,815 for the same period.
However, both titles' circulations slipped period on period, by 0.8% and 2.9% respectively, in a sector that saw an overall year-on-year decline of 4.1%. TV Choice was one of only two titles in the top 10 to show year-on-year growth, up 0.2%, just ahead of IPC's Soaplife, which grew by 0.1% in the first half of the year.
Liz Watkinson, H Bauer's TV listings publishing director, says the continued success of TV Choice, which retails at 38p, is testament to a "superb value-for-money editorial package".
But Fiona Dent, managing director of IPC's tx division, maintains that What's on TV, which increased its cover price to 45p in the New Year, delivers "a more discerning audience for advertisers".
"What's important to us is to sell What's on TV in huge numbers and we continue to do that at an 18% price premium to TV Choice," she says.
"We also deliver £3.8m more than TV Choice in retail sales value. Ours is a superior product that people are prepared to pay more for."
Dent says the title's brand has been strengthened by the growing reach of companion website whatsontv.co.uk, which posted a debut ABCe in December of 358,700 unique users.
Meanwhile, BBC Worldwide's Radio Times held on to the number three spot with a circulation of 1,009,028 copies, down 4.3% period on period and 3.6% year on year. However, subscriptions jumped to 113,089 copies, making Radio Times the second-largest subscription weekly title in the UK, behind Dennis Publishing's The Week.
Circulation losses were most pronounced outside the top three. IPC's TV Easy fell by 18.8% year on year and 9.2% period on period to 231,334 copies, while H Bauer's TV Quick fell by 17.2% year on year and 12% period on period to 186,169 copies.
H Bauer said the repositioning of TV Quick in April this year to focus on soaps had "steadied" sales ahead of an expected upturn in the next period.
