TV Ratings : ABC Snaps CBS’ 10-Week Win Streak

With boosts from “20/20” and a new “Columbo” movie, ABC picked up a victory in the prime-time ratings last week and broke CBS’ 10-week winning streak. According to figures from the A.C. Nielsen Co., ABC was in first place with an average rating of 12.3, compared to 11.6 for CBS, 10.6 for NBC and 8.1 for Fox. On Friday’s telecast of “20/20,” which finished eighth, “Good Morning America” co-host Joan Lunden lashed out at tabloids that had reported on the breakup of her marriage.

* There was more good news for ABC as its coverage of “Super Tuesday” results drew more viewers than rival telecasts on NBC and CBS. The ABC special was seen in 6.7 million homes and placed 72nd among the week’s 96 prime-time programs.

Points Share 1. “60 Minutes” (CBS) 22.8 39 2. “Roseanne” (ABC) 20.9 32 3. “Home Improvement” (ABC) 18.7 28 4. “Murphy Brown” (CBS) 18.5 28 5. “Coach” (ABC) 18.4 29 * “The ’92 Vote” (ABC) 7.3 13

(Each rating point represents 921,000 homes. Share is the percentage of viewing audience.)