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Jane Pauley isn't the only woman to have left NBC's Today show recently. According to the Nielsen ratings, thousands of women viewers apparently are departing as well. Momentum in the closely contested morning news race has switched to ABC's Good Morning America since Deborah Norville replaced Pauley as Today's co-anchor on Jan. 8, and a shift of 25- to 54-year-old women may be part of the cause. With an increase of 40,000 women in that group in January, GMA beat Today by an average of half a ratings point-a significant margin in morning TV-during Norville's first three weeks. In the ratings sweeps periods last May and November, the two shows finished in a dead heat, each attracting 20 percent of the viewing audience. This time, ABC hopes its winning streak will continue through February's ratings sweeps. ''We have maintained that it will be a dogfight,'' a spokeswoman for GMA says. ''We don't expect (Today) never to win again.'' Top Five JAN. 29-FEB 4 (Not including Fox) In millions of viewers 1. Roseanne ABC, 38.0 2. America's Funniest Home Videos ABC, 37.0 3. The Cosby Show NBC 35.5 4. Cheers NBC, 33.4 5. The Golden Girls NBC, 32.4
Bottom Five 65. Tour of Duty CBS, 12.8 66. (Tie) Saturday Night with Connie Chung CBS, 12.7 PrimeTime Live ABC, 12.7 68 Mission: Impossible ABC, 11.0 69. Movie: The Plot to Kill Hitler CBS, 9.9
