With the Emmy awards on ABC this year, ABC News anchors Josh Elliott and Lara Spencer, along with Clinton Kelly of “The Chew” and “The Bachelor’s” Chris Harrison will host ABC’s pre-Emmy Red Carpet special. The special airs live at 7pmET/4pmPT Sunday night, followed by the Emmy Awards hosted this year by Jimmy Kimmel.

Maria Hinojosa, a reporter and anchor for NPR, PBS and CNN is the recipient of the 2012 John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism. Presented by Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, the award is named for the former anchor of “NBC Nightly News.”

The University says Mexico-born and Chicago-raised Hinojosa was selected “in recognition of the courage and independence she has shown over the course of her career reporting on those whose stories might not otherwise make it into the mainstream media.”

An eight-member committee, including NBC News president Steve Capus and Chancellor’s daughter, Mary, selected Hinojosa for the award, which bestows a $25,000 prize for the winner.

CBS News correspondent Clarissa Ward and BBC News correspondent Paul Wood were the co-recipients of the David Bloom award for their intrepid reports from Syria at last night’s Radio & TV Correspondents Association dinner. The David Bloom Award honors the late NBC News correspondent and anchor by recognizing excellence and courage in enterprise, investigative or feature reporting. Additionally, CBS’s Steve Kroft (above) was presented the Joan Barone award for his “60 Minutes” piece on the STOCK act and CBS news cameraman George Christian won the Jerry Thompson award for his extraordinary lifetime achievement. This award was created last year to honor the memory of CNN cameraman Jerry Thompson. Christian is the award’s first recipient.

ABC’s Martha Raddatz is presented the Fred Friendly First Amendment Award in New York City

Martha Raddatz has been in worse rooms, in worse countries, on military bases and battlefields.

Today, ABC’s senior foreign affairs correspondent graced the gilded dining room at the 19th century Metropolitan Club on New York’s 5th Avenue and was presented with the Fred Friendly First Amendment Award by Quinnipiac University.

Ruth Friendly, the widow of the legendary CBS newsman for whom the award is named, described Raddatz as “fearless.” The impossibly humble Raddatz said, in fact, she was “filled with fear” as she took the stage.

“The courageous ones are the people I have covered during my career,” said Raddatz accepting the award before a crowd of more than 100 guests, including her ABC News colleagues Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, previous Friendly recipient Charlie Gibson, George Stephanopoulos, Bob Woodruff, Terry Moran, David Kerley and Jim Avila.

Raddatz talked about the courage of Staff Sgt. Sal Guinta, the first living Medal of Honor recipient since the Vietnam War. “Sal Guinta does not think he is courageous or a hero. He does not think he did anything that others wouldn’t do in the same situation.”

And the bravery of her own colleagues, “far too many of whom have lost their lives or been badly wounded doing so,” as Raddatz looked toward table four. “And I still can’t be in the same room with

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HLN made it official today, announcing it will broadcast the 39th annual daytime Emmy Awards next month. The daytime Emmys will be presented Saturday, June 23 at 8pmET, at The Beverly Hilton hotel.

“HLN is thrilled to work with NATAS to celebrate some of television’s best programs and performances,” said HLN SVP and general manager Scot Safon. “Every day we focus on the news and information people talk about, and that has included extensive coverage of the Daytime Emmys in the past. This year, we’re very excited to also be carrying the event itself.”

At next month’s event, Barbara Walters will present Bill Geddie, Executive Producer of “The View” and the “Barbara Walters Specials,” with the Daytime Lifetime Achievement Award.

Anderson Cooper is nominated as best talk show host, along with Dr. Oz, Rachel Ray, Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa and the doctors from “The Doctors.” “Anderson” is also nominated in the Best Informative Talk Show category alongside “Dr. Oz” and “The Doctors.”

CBS has televised the broadcast the last two years. In 2009, the CW aired the show. And in prior years, the Daytime Emmys aired on ABC, CBS and NBC.

Who says there’s no civil discourse on TV news?

“PBS Newshour” commentators Mark Shields and David Brooks have proven there is and they’ve become the recipients of the nation’s first ever award for civility. The Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life was presented to Shields and Brooks Tuesday at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Shields and Brooks will talk about the award tonight on PBS Newshour. Presumably they each get their own plaque so they don’t have to fight over it.

For the first time since moving to Syfy, WWE SmackDown will air live on Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET from the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan.

SmackDown has been a huge success for SyFY, averaging 3.1 million total viewers for 2011 to date.

The live edition of SmackDown will air in its regular time slot on Friday, Sept. 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Spike TV announced this morning that season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” slated to begin airing in September, will be the last on its channel.

In a release the channel said, “We are increasing our commitment to distinctive, original series that we own such as ‘Auction Hunters’ and ‘Bar Rescue’ which are delivering on our goal to reach a broader audience. Our 6-year partnership with the UFC has been incredibly beneficial in building both our brands, and we wish them all the best in the future.”

The series debuted in January 2005, and features up-and-coming MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, following them as they train and compete against each other for a contract with the UFC. The show’s been cited as an instrumental reason for the rise in popularity of the UFC, with many participants going to to become UFC champions.

Marvell Scott pleaded guilty Tuesday to child endangerment and will get 20 days of community service as part of a plea deal.

The former WABC sports anchor admitted that he inappropriately touched a 14-year-old runaway during a July 2008 incident in his Times Square apartment. Scott faced up to seven years in jail if convicted at trial. The misdemeanor will be wiped from Scott’s record in six months, provided he completes his community service.

“On or about June 5, 2008, inside my then-apartment … I acted in a manner likely to be injurious to the welfare of a child by inappropriately touching her,” Scott told a Manhattan Supreme Court judge. “[Afterward] I learned she was 14 years old.” Read more

Tuesday nights in January and February will feature great SEC hoops matchups on ESPN. The Worldwide Leader has released its 2012 schedule, and every game includes at least one team ranked in its preseason Top 25, with three games featuring two ranked teams. No. 12 Florida will be featured four times, No. 2 Kentucky three times, and No. 7 Vanderbilt, unranked Georgia and unranked Arkansas twice apiece.