TV & VIDEO - July 30, 1990

Say It Ain’t So, Joe!: There doesn’t seem to be a new dawn for NBC’s troubled “Today” show and its three hosts--Bryant Gumbel, Deborah Norville and Joe Garagiola. Despite a revamped format and the return of Garagiola as co-host, “Today” last week suffered its lowest ratings in nearly seven years, according to Nielsen audience estimates. While ABC’s “Good Morning America” won its 29th consecutive ratings victory with a 4.2 average, “Today” was well behind with a 2.9, its lowest average since the week of Aug. 6, 1983, when it had a 2.8 average. “CBS This Morning” remained a distant third with a 2.2 average. (Each ratings point represents 921,000 homes.) “Today” is attempting to recover from a ratings slide that began in January after 13-year veteran Jane Pauley left the show. She was its co-host when it hit its previous ratings low in 1983.