The program's Nielsen ratings climbed slowly, but steadily throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s while "Today" experienced a slight slump in viewership, especially with Walters' decision to leave NBC for a job at ABC News. On August 30, 1976, Tom Brokaw began anchoring "Today" while the program began a search for a female co-host. Within a year, "Today" managed to beat back the "Good Morning America" ratings threat with Brokaw and new co-host Jane Pauley, featuring art and entertainment contributor Gene Shalit. "Good Morning America" continued to threaten "Today"s ratings dominance into the 1980s, especially after Brokaw left the latter program to become co-anchor of "NBC Nightly News" with Roger Mudd for 17 months before being named sole anchor of that program. For the first time, "Good Morning America" became the highest-rated morning news program in the United States as "Today" fell to second place.