• by January 18, 2001

(AP) - ABC retained the prime-time ratings crown for a fourth straight week, according to Nielsen Media Research data released yesterday.

Giving ABC an assist were the season return of "NYPD Blue" (ranked 19th place), "The American Music Awards" (23rd) and the premiere of the reality series "The Mole" (30th), as well as "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (in four of the top 17 slots) and "The Practice" (in a tie for 5th).

For the week, ABC scored an average audience of 13.7 million viewers (9.0 household rating, 14 share).

In second place, CBS had 12.5 million viewers (8.7 rating, 14 share), NBC had an average of 12.3 million viewers (8.3 rating, 13 share), while Fox had 10.6 million viewers (6.6 rating, 10 share).

UPN had 3.9 million viewers (2.5 rating, 4 share), the WB had 3.8 million viewers (2.5 rating, 4 share), and Pax TV had 1.4 million viewers (0.9 rating, 1 share).

Meanwhile in the news war, there were continued glad tidings for CBS. "The CBS Evening News," which traditionally occupies third place but snagged second in last week's report, held onto that slot in the current survey with 10.1 million viewers. ABC's "World News Tonight" had 10.0 million viewers (though edging out CBS in the ratings, 7.7 to 7.5).

"NBC Nightly News" stood firm in first place with 11.5 million viewers (8.4 rating).

A rating point represents 1,022,000 households, or 1% of the nation's estimated 102.2 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.

For the week of Jan. 8-14, the top 10 shows, their networks and ratings:

"ER," NBC, 18.8;

AFC Championship_Postgame, CBS, 15.2;

"Friends," NBC, 14.8;

"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (Wednesday), ABC, 14.1;

tie: "Law & Order," NBC, "The Practice," ABC, and "Will & Grace," NBC, all 13.3;

tie: "Everybody Loves Raymond," CBS, and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (Sunday), ABC, both 13.2;

"Frasier," NBC, 12.5.