Tonight, The Huffington Post is holding a special ceremony to celebrate its list of “Game Changers,” the “innovators, mavericks and leaders who are changing their fields and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.”

This year’s ceremony happens to include quite a few bold names in the media industry:

• Anderson Cooper will present to Sean Penn
• Nora Ephron will present to Mayor Mike Bloomberg
• Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough will present to Geoffrey Canada
• Jann Wenner will present to Michael Hastings and Matt Taibbi
• Julian Bond will present to Ted Olson
• Dylan Ratigan will present to Seth Reams
• Mayor Cory Booker will present to Biz Stone and Livia Stone
• Arianna Huffington will present to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf

Other attendees slated to appear tonight include reality tv star and health expert Bethenny Frankel, TV and radio personality Gayle King, fashion designer Prabal Gurung, models Paulina Porizkova and Crystal Renn, former New York Governor and current TV host Eliot Spitzer and his co-host Kathleen Parker, PR whiz Kelly Cutrone, and many others.

WABC is giving the coveting 10 a.m-noon slot to Joe Crummey. The shift had been hosted by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, and more recently Mark Simone.

The show, which sits between Don Imus and Rush Limbaugh, is the only non-syndicated daytime show on the station. Program director Laurie Cantillo tells FishbowlNY it will remain that way.

Crummey, a veteran of New York radio, was a DJ at WAPP and WNBC in the 1980s.

He changed career paths by becoming a talk show host at such stations as KFI and KABC in Los Angeles.

“Joe likes to call himself ‘an average Joe with a Crummey radio,’ but the truth is he’s anything but,” Cantillo says. “Joe is a deep thinker who finds fresh ways of looking at topics.” She says that’s what makes Crummey’s style unique.

The show, expected to focus on everything from politics to pop culture, starts on Monday, October 11.

John Heilemann, Joe Scarborough and Mark Halperin last night (Photo by Joseph Moran)

Last night, we went to the Time & Life Building to see best selling authors Mark Halperin of Time magazine and John Heilemann of New York chat with MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough about their political book, Game Change.

In between lots of insider baseball talk about the Democratic and Republican party leaders and the 2008 election process, Heileman and Halperin revealed some interesting info about the reporting in their game-changing nonfiction tome (pun intended).

On the accuracy of quotes from off-the-record sources:

Heilemann said all the facts in the book are double and triple sourced, and the authors frequently went to those on the same side of the story to verify facts. For example, have a tip that Sarah Palin didn’t know why there are two Koreas? Ask a loyalist in her camp if it’s true. They were “extremely scrupulous,” Heilemann added.

“Important question,” Scarborough asked Halerpin. “Why are there two Koreas?”

“Variety?” Halperin said.

Read more

The last big story to come out of Newsweek was the Sarah Palin cover controversy, with a cover image that had been previously featured on an issue of Runner’s World. Not the most glorious way to end out the year.

So The Washington Post Co.-owned magazine decided to end December on a high note, combining its interviews with some of the world’s biggest names into several different segments. There’s Newsweek editor Jon Meacham talking to both Hillary Clinton and Henry Kissinger about the role of Secretary of State (or “Hey, we’re relevant too!”), Bill Maher and Joe Scarborough thinking they are witty while discussing what it is that makes someone a pompous pundit good talk show host (was Dennis Miller not available?), and director Peter Jackson talking with James Cameron about how to make billions of dollars without ever technically selling out.

It’s an interesting tactic to pit one interviewee off another, and one that’s certain to sell copies, even without all the other interviews in the issue, like Bill Clinton, Timothy Geithner and Gen. David Petraeus.

Read More: Newsweek’s Interview Issue

Today on the Menu our fearless better half Steve Krakauer roams the Morning Joe green room and encounters a cast fabulous characters!

First off is Ari Melber, who was there to “talk GOP and a new poll” but also, it would seem, to walk Willie Geist through his Twitter jitters (and possibly the Starbucks line).

Next Steve runs into NBC White House Correspondent Chuck Todd who says he was “shocked, just as an observer, of [Jim] Cramer’s criticism of the President.”

And finally we catch up with TVNewser Summit headliners Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. Brzezinski, who recently shut down her Facebook account “If I know you well enough I will pick up the phone and call you.” She also says that she’s “not sure yet about Twitter…I think it could be a very interesting forum…It was actually a useful tool…People were sending articles and you can kind of get into an intellectual community and start exchanging ideas. I’m intrigued.”

Joe says he was much impressed by the White House’s invitation to come broadcast there, “My takeaway from that was what type of White House we have now. Mika and I have been very critical of the stimulus package…and yet the White House invited us to be the first show on in there, and it shows a much more open minded approach to the media.”

He also notes that he is able to express more personal views on the radio show the two have recently launched at WABC: “We’ve noticed the calls have changed, at the very beginning it was predictably right wing. And what we’re finding now is it’s a lot more people in the middle who haven’t listened to radio an awful lot.” Also, somewhere in there Scarborough says the GOP is being run by a “bunch of hacks.” You can listen to the past podcasts at BlogTalkRadio.com/mediabistro and call in at 646-929-0321.

Today on the Menu we welcome the hosts of the brand new “Rotten Tomatoes Show,” which is about to launch on Current TV.

The show, hosted by Brett Erlich and Ellen Fox, premieres on Thursday and will incorporate user interaction and rely heavily on a Web component in addition to the TV program. Also, the hosts (perhaps feeling a tad inspired by Hugh Jackman‘s Oscar Grammy-like performance) tell us you might be able to expect some musical numbers and most definitely haiku reviews! Go here for more info on what to see, and how to contribute, and to add your two cents regarding Chris Klein‘s emoting abilities (or lack thereof).

You can listen to the past podcasts at BlogTalkRadio.com/mediabistro and call in at 646-929-0321. On tomorrow’s “Menu”: Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

The HuffPo brunch today was easily the best panel we’ve attended in the last two weeks. It was a decidedly smaller affair than the one last week in Denver, at least as far as the audience size is concerned (guesstimating 100 people to the more than three hundred at the DNC). It again featured a large panel (Tony Blankley, Arianna Huffington, Laura Ingraham, David Kralik, Cyrus Krohn, Frank Luntz, Peggy Noonan, Rep. John Shadegg), and moderators Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinsk did an excellent job of keeping up the pace. We’d do a comprehensive write-up for you, but one of the beauties of Twitter is that it’s already been done for us! Between FishbowlDC, Ana Marie Cox, and Rachel Sklar you’ll feel as though you were actually there. We do think it bears mentioning that thus far familiar “right wing” media faces are far more engaging and inclusive than we might have suspected (Laura Ingraham and Bill Kristol we’re looking at you). Some pics after the jump.

Read more

— DIANE CLEHANE

With the dog days of summer upon us, the usual suspects at Michael’s are soldiering on over their Cobb salads until it’s time to take off those last few weeks of the month to the Hamptons, Nantucket or some other sun-filled spot far from the madding crowd. In the meantime, the random celebrity sighting is keeping things interesting. Word of illusionist JB Benn‘s sleight of hand tricks that kept the crowd bedazzled last week must have gotten around the magician’s union because my spies told me that David Blaine walked in without a reservation yesterday and was bending quarters for everybody’s amusement. Just thought you’d like to know.

I was lunching today with publishing powerhouse turned Internet entrepreneur Joni Evans, whose five-month old site Wowowow.com is going great guns. Joni, who is wow’s CEO, launched the site with pals Liz Smith, Peggy Noonan, Mary Wells and Lesley Stahl for “self-assured women who are a bit too old to care what everybody thinks.” This month, Joni kicked off “The Book Party” with Judith Martin (Miss Manners) reading a collection of the classics. “It’s been incredibly well-received,” she says, and plans are in the works to expand the vertical in all sorts of interesting ways. And that’s not all — Joni tells me in the not-so-distant future the site will introduce a new fashion maven into the mix to cover style and a health vertical ‘Medicine Ball.’ The site’s content is popping up on MSN.com, Fox.com and Yahoo’s Shine. For more dish about Joni and her newfound career, check out her interview with me for our “So What Do You Do?” series coming next month …

Here’s the rundown on today’s crowd:

1. Charlie Rose and an unidentifed young blonde gal

2. Peter Brown

3. Jonathan Tisch and John Sykes

4. Michael Fuchs and Peggy Siegal

Read more

— DIANE CLEHANE

I thought I’d seen just about everything from my regular perch at Michael’s during my weekly visits, but today topped all. They were serving up sides of card tricks with the Cobb salads today and the gang was just eating it up. When I arrived, illusionist JB Benn was standing at the bar shuffling a deck of playing cards for Frank Gifford as his pals Hunter Millington — yes, Steve‘s brother — and Chris Graham looked on. He asked the gridiron great to sign a card and place it back in the deck. After a great deal of slow-mo shuffling, he finally pulled out the very same card from a sealed envelope in his jacket pocket.”I better make sure I’ve still got my watch,” quipped Frank. JB then drafted me into service asking me how many dollar bills he was holding in his hands. Frank and I both agreed he had four single dollars. Literally, right before our eyes the bills turned into hundreds. Within minutes, a crowd had gathered and there were gasps all around. I wouldn’t be surprised if JB is now booked between now and 2010 as the entertainment at parties from the Upper East Side to Easthampton as result of his impromptu performance this afternoon.

The utterly charming and adorable Mr. Benn (“He looks like a better-looking Tom Cruise,” said one smitten diner) made the rounds in the dining room eliciting applause all around. When I saw how wowed Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb were after the illusionist worked his magic on them, I suggested they might want to have him on the show to make ‘Sam the Cooking Guy’ disappear. In case you haven’t heard, Sam caused quite a stir on Today last Wednesday’s show in a segment during the fourth hour when he basically told the co-hosts to shut up and let him talk about his salad when he thought they had gotten too chatty. Sam clearly didn’t know what to do when he realized he had actually verbalized what he was thinking. He then sputtered out the ingredients of his salad while Kathie Lee and Hoda just watched him squirm — a classic TV moment. But, says Kathie Lee, Sam isn’t banished from the set. “I’m big on second chances,” she says. But be warned, Sam. “I forgive — but I don’t forget.”

Here’s the rundown on today’s crowd:

1. Woody Johnson (sporting a discreet ‘McCain‘ button) and a squadron of suits. Just asking: Is the Jets’ owner advising Michael’s on personal seat licensing?

2. Three members of the ‘Imber Gang’: Dr. Gerry Imber, Andy Berger and Jerry Della Femina. I had a great chat with Jerry about AMC’s runaway hit “Mad Men.” (If you haven’t tuned in, check it out on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. It’s the best dramatic series on television right now — seriously) Turns out the legendary ad man was one of a select few that got an early look at the script for the series’ pilot because creator Matthew Weiner wanted to make sure he got every detail right, from the Brooks Brothers suits worn by the execs to the nonstop smoking that helped fuel the creative fire on Madison Avenue in the early sixties. Jerry, who had a “four pack a day” habit back then, says the show has been a boon for business. “For the longest time nobody wanted to be in advertising. Everybody wanted to be an investment banker. Now, because of the show, people are talking about advertising again. It’s revitalized the industry. I’m back in fashion again!” Indeed.

3. ‘Mayor’ Joe Armstrong, producer Joan Gelman and marketing strategist and frequent CNN contributor Robert Zimmerman (glad to hear you’re a ‘Lunch’ fan!). Before my good pal Joe — who is jetting off to Europe this week for a much-deserved vacation — and his fellow Democratic boosters settled down for lunch they, too, were dazzled by Mr. Benn’s sleight of hand. Before they could dash off to their table I asked Robert, who is privy to the inner workings of the Democratic party, for his thoughts on who will be Barack Obama’s running mate. The suddenly taciturn strategist demurred, but offered his thoughts on who it should be — “Joe Armstrong, of course.” Remember, you heard it here first.

4. Gerald Schoenfeld and Carnegie Hall head Clive Gillinson

Read more

For a couple hours, the back room at Michael’s was transformed into a television news executive bender, a happy hour in honor of our outgoing TVNewser, Brian Stelter [right], and incoming TVNewser, er, ‘Newsers: Chris Ariens, Diane Clehane, Alissa Kinsky and Philadelphia Inquirer TV columnist and Katie Couric nemesis Gail Shister.

Some of those who showed to fete Stelter and co.: Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, NBC News president Steve Capus, Joe Scarborough, MSNBC anchors Contessa Brewer (ED NOTE: Brewer has yet to visit Dan Abrams‘ party house in the Hamptons) and Amy Robach, Rita Cosby, Gil “Stanley Bing” Schwartz, CBS’ Jeff Greenfield, CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin and business correspondent Ali Velshi, MSNBC producer Tammy Haddad, NY1′s Pat Kiernan, former CBS honcho Andrew Heyward, BusinessWeek columnist (and husband to our multimillionaire boss) Jon Fine, Jeff Jarvis, CNN anchor John Roberts, Page Six‘s Corynne Steindler, well-rested Observer columnist Michael Calderone, CNBC senior VP Jonathan Wald, Inside Edition‘s Sarah Rubenstein, Radar‘s Jeff Bercovici, HuffPo’s Rachel Sklar (whose date for the evening was 19-year-old CBS News intern Eric Kuhn), Broadcasting & Cable‘s Max Robins and Caroline Palmer (who, Robins says, is leaving B&C to become Vogue‘s Web editor), CNBC VP Josh Howard, Good Day New York host Ron Corning, Freud Communications’ Lisa Dallos, Marketwatch’s Jon Friedman and the omnipresent Julia Allison, who said she had been up since 5:00AM talking about Lindsay Lohan. Her take: “She should just kill herself already, before she kills someone else.”

Notable no-shows: Abrams, Katie, Charlie, Greta Van Susteren, Jon Stewart and Stelter supporter and former CNNer Aaron Brown.

EARLIER: