DESPITE all the anti-Katie hoopla and “Good Morning America” good cheer, it appears “Today” is padding its ratings lead over its rival again.

Tuesday, “Today” was watched by about 900,000 more viewers than “GMA,” according to early Nielsen estimates. More accurate ratings are expected to be released tomorrow. Just last month, the ABC morning program had narrowed the gap to about 40,000.

“We fully expect the numbers to go up and down,” an ABC News official said. “This is a very long race. ‘Today’ has been No. 1 for 10 years. Viewers’ habits will not change overnight.”