ABC News correspondent Amy Robach gets the first television interview with professional soccer player Robbie Rogers since he revealed he was gay earlier this year. Robach traveled with Rogers to California, for his first visit to see his family since coming out. Rogers lives in London where he played for Leeds until retiring in February at the age of 25.

“I think the same things that made it difficult for me to come out also gave me the strength,” Rogers told Robach in an interview that airs tonight. “I was raised to be a voice, to be myself, to be unique, not to follow a pack.”

Rogers, a former member of the U.S. National soccer team, is considering a return to the sport. He would be the first openly gay professional player in any men’s team sport.

Anderson Cooper also interviewed Rogers for his CNN program, airing tonight at 8pmET.

To say it’s been a rough year for the “Today” show, would be an understatement.

The once-dominant morning program is settling in to second place, as new top producers, on-air talent and show segments meld in the hopes of catching on with viewers and regaining the top spot. Meanwhile, star anchor Matt Lauer continues to find himself in the unenviable position of taking the licks — and the responsibility — for the show’s woes.

But last night, Lauer didn’t want to dwell on the downside. Instead it was a night to celebrate with his co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, and hundreds of other media luminaries, at the 18th annual National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association Headlines and Headliners benefit. “Today” national correspondent and news anchor Natlie Morales was the host for the evening which raised more than $75,000 for scholarships and program activities.

Morales delivered a few zingers during her speech, including giving a new name to HLN — “the hysterical ladies network.”

HLN anchor Jane Velez-Mitchell, who hosted this event last year, missed the joke as she was still taping her show. But she took it in stride when we told it to her later. They may be hysterical, but HLN ratings of late, thanks to coverage of the Jodi Arias trial, are nothing to laugh at.

We chatted with ABC’s Amy Robach, whose star has risen at “Good Morning America” since leaving NBC News last year. Robach and husband Andrew Shue are leaving today for a Caribbean vacation. Gayle King represented for “CBS This Morning,” while CNN’s Christine Romans, John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin chatted with guests. We caught up with MSNBC’s Alex Witt, FNC’s Rick Reichmuth and CNBC’s Mandy Drury, who’s heading home to Australia next week to catch up with family. On the local news scene, WABC’s Lori Stokes and WNBC’s Contessa Brewer worked the room. And we couldn’t pass up the chance to talk with The Weather Channel’s Bryan Norcross, the father of the named Winter storms. “Everything needs a hashtag now,” says the longtime meteorologist. “What better way than to name the storms?” Of course, an unending Winter helps. Did you hear Winter Storm Virgil is on the way this weekend?

(l-r) “Today” show publicist Megan Kopf Stackhouse, Andrew Shue, CNN’s Javier Morgado, NBC’s Natalie Morales, ABC’s Amy Robach

More photos after the jump…

Read more

The strange murder case involving Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius continues to garner serious news coverage two weeks after he killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius, on the cover of the current issue of TIME magazine, is the focus of specials on three TV networks in the coming days.

On Friday at 10pmET/PT, ABC’s “20/20″ will air “The Fast Times of Oscar Pistorious,” dedicating the hour to coverage of what happened the night Pistorious shot Steenkamp. Amy Robach leads the coverage from South Africa.

NBC’s “Dateline, which airs from 8-10pmET/PT on Friday, will be dedicating the 9pm hour to the Pistorious case. Keith Morrison reports.

NBC’s Peacock Productions is producing “Beauty & The Bladerunner” for the Investigation Discovery channel. The special will air Sunday at 8pmET/PT on ID, and features some footage from the “Dateline” report, as well as other material.

At around 11:45 AM, president Obama is scheduled to make a statement to the press announcing that Vice President Biden will be leading the administration’s response to the tragic shooting in Newtown, CT last Friday. He is also expected to outline some basic measures to ensure that it does not happen again.

Obama will make the statement from the James Brady briefing room, which is named after Ronald Reagan’s press secretary James Brady, who was paralyzed after being shot during an assassination attempt on the former President.

The “big three” broadcast networks will all be breaking into regular programming to cover the statement live.

For ABC, Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos will anchor from New York with Jake Tapper reporting from the White House and Amy Robach In Newtown, Connecticut For CBS, Scott Pelley will anchor from New York. NBC will be covering the statement as well.

Coverage of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, will continue into Sunday on the broadcast and cable networks.

On CNN, Candy Crowley will anchor “State of the Union” from Newtown. Don Lemon, Wolf Blitzer, Erin Burnett and Anderson Cooper will anchor from Newtown Sunday, and the network will air a weekday primetime schedule. Fox News will again have an expanded edition of “Fox & Friends” beginning at 6amET Sunday, and MSNBC will have live programming until 6pmET. HLN will cover the shooting beginning at 7amET and going through 1pmET.

On the broadcast networks, the shooting will be the main topic of the Sunday public affairs shows. Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy will appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” CBS’ “Face the Nation” and ABC’s “This Week.”

On CBS, Jeff Glor will anchor “CBS Evening News” from Newtown. “CBS Sunday Morning” will also feature three segments on the shooting.

ABC’s Dan Harris, Amy Robach, and Lara Spencer will anchor “Good Morning America” from Newtown. David Muir will also anchor “World News” from the location of the shooting.

We’ll continue to update this post as the networks set coverage plans.

>Update: The cable networks have added Sunday night programming to cover President Obama’s visit to Newtown:

Fox News will air a two-hour special anchored by Bret Baier at 6pmET. Baier will be joined by Molly Line and Mike Tobin from Newtown, as well as chief White House correspondent Ed Henry.

MSNBC will be live through 9pmET with coverage of Obama’s visit.

On CNN, Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett will anchor a three-hour special from Newtown beginning at 6pmET.

>More: ABC News will also broadcast a special report during Obama’s remarks at the vigil, anchored by George Stephanopoulos and Diane Sawyer.  Muir will contribute from Newtown. NBC News will also have a special report anchored by Lester Holt in Newtown.

Coverage of Friday’s tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, will continue Saturday on the broadcast and cable networks.

On ABC, weekday anchor George Stephanopoulos will anchor “Good Morning America” from Newtown. Elizabeth Vargas will join him from New York. ABC’s Josh Elliott, Amy Robach and Dan Harris will report from the scene in Newtown.

NBC’s “Today” will also have the weekday team in, with Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie anchoring from Newtown. Lester Holt, Erica Hill, Ann Curry and Willie Geist will contribute to the program.

Anthony Mason and Rebecca Jarvis will anchor “CBS This Morning Saturday” from Newtown. CBS will also preempt “48 Hours” Saturday night for a special report on the shooting at 10pmET.

Fox News will be live at 5amET with “Fox & Friends First.” An expanded edition of “Fox & Friends” will air from 6-10amET, and will be simulcast on FBN. The 10am-noon business block will be preempted for live coverage anchored by Jon Scott and Jenna Lee. Scott will also host an expanded two-hour “Fox Report” beginning at 6pmET. Mike Huckabee‘s program will be live from NYC at 8pmET and Jeanine Pirro and Geraldo Rivera will host their primetime shows from Newtown.

MSNBC will focus on the shooting during regularly-scheduled programming and will be live until at least 7pmET Saturday night.

On CNN, Ali Velshi and Jon Berman will anchor from 6-9amET. Soledad O’Brien will anchor from 9-11amET, Wolf Blitzer will anchor from 11am-1pmET and Don Lemon will anchor from 1-3pmET. O’Brien will anchor from 3-5pmET, and Blitzer and Kate Bolduan will anchor from 5-8pmET. Anderson Cooper will anchor from 8-9pmET,  Lemon and O’Brien will anchor from 9-10pmET, and Cooper will take over again from 10-11pmET.

On HLN, Nancy Grace will host a special on the shooting tonight at 8pmET. Dr. Drew Pinsky will host a special live hour at 9pmET.

• President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will sit down with ABC’s Barbara Walters at the White House for their first joint interview since re-election. The interview, an annual holiday tradition and airing Friday on “20/20,” will begin with President Obama alone, with Mrs. Obama joining in.
• CNN’s Anderson Cooper and “CBS This Morning” co-anchors Gayle King, Charlie Rose and Norah O’Donnell will be guests on CBS’s “The Talk” this week which originates from New York for a week of holiday shows.

• Tomorrow ABC News launches “GMA LIVE” a 15-minute web-only program beginning 9:15am hosted by Josh Elliott, Lara Spencer, Sam Champion and Amy Robach with special guests and contributors.

ABC News is launching a live daily web show tied to its “Good Morning America” franchise. The 15-minute program “GMA Live,” will stream on goodmorningamerica.com and ABCNews.com at 9:15 AM every weekday starting on Monday, Dec. 10, and will be available on-demand afterward.

Anchors and contributors will vary day to day, but Josh Elliott, Lara Spencer, Sam Champion, Elizabeth Vargas and Amy Robach will all take turns hosting.

“This is a chance for our gang to put their feet up and bring everyone backstage right after we get off the air,” said “GMA” senior EP Tom Cibrowski in a statement. “We are going to have a great time pulling back the curtain a bit.”

The content of the after-show isn’t entirely clear, though it sounds like it will expand on stories mentioned in the TV program itself. “Isn’t it too bad there is just two hours of “GMA” in your mornings?” says a voiceover in an ad for the show. The Barnes & Noble Nook has signed on as the launch sponsor of the digital series.

A year-long investigation reported on Friday’s “20/20″ was the number one show at 10pm, topping newsmagazine competition NBC’s “Dateline” by more than a  million viewers. ABC’s Amy Robach revealed the home of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, the largest polygamous community in America, is still ruled by their leader and prophet Warren Jeffs, even though he is serving a life sentence in prison.

“20/20″ drew 5.8 million viewers and led the hour in A18-49 and A25-54 viewers. “20/20″ was up over its year-ago performance in Total Viewers (+16%), A18-49 (+25%) and A25-54 (+24%).

After two years at CBS News, Erica Hill is reportedly jumping to NBC News. The New York Post is reporting that Hill, who was recently replaced by Norah O’Donnell on “CBS This Morning,” is expected to be named the weekend co-anchor of “Today”:

CBS said it has been trying to find a new job for Hill … Now, it appears the network has let her out of her contract so she can jump to NBC.

Hill became the weekend anchor of “The Early Show” in 2008, splitting her time between CBS and CNN. She left CNN in 2010 when she was named weekday anchor of “The Early Show.”

The weekend edition of “Today” is anchored by Lester Holt and, on Sunday, by Jenna Wolfe. In May, Saturday co-anchor Amy Robach left NBC for ABC where she has been recently been filling in for Robin Roberts on “GMA.”

Earlier this year, Hill gave MediabistroTV a tour of CBS News for an episode of “Cubes.” Watch it after the jump. Read more