• Democratic strategist David Axelrod has already shaved his mustache on “Morning Joe,” but he can’t help himself, and is taking his mustache-shaving ways to CNN. Alex Castellanos, a Republican strategist and CNN contributor, says that if they can secure another 500 contributions for Axelrod’s charity, then he will shave his mustache off as well, live in “The Situation Room.” Stay tuned…

• Fox News Channel’s Greta Van Susteren, in something of an aside in her blog, declares “I think Larry King is the best interviewer of all TV.” You can read her argument here.

• The man behind a fake press release about Fox News speaks to The Huffington Post. The hoaxster posted a plausible-reading press release on PRWeb, claiming that a conservative research group found that Fox News viewers had lower IQs than average Americans. It was a ruse, designed to be picked up by some bloggers, and indeed, it was. The details are here.

• 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.

Not sure who had the remote control for those huge monitors at the Romney campaign site in Boston — the ones that kept changing all night. But it made for fun viewing for us.

During an ABC liveshot with David Muir, Fox News was on the monitors. Later, during a liveshot with NBC’s Peter Alexander, ABC was on. At the end of the report, Brian Williams said, “Peter Alexander, and for a time, Barbara Walters and Cokie Roberts. Thank you all.”

NBC gets the bragging rights for being the first to call the election for Obama at 11:12pmET. An Ohio victory put the president over the top. CBS followed at 11:15, then Fox News, CNN and at 11:25pm ABC News.

ABC has added up the pledges for “Good Morning America’s” part in the Disney-wide “Day of Giving.” As of 11:30am it stands at $8.34 million, which includes a $3M match from Samsung. That also includes a pledge from Barbara Walters for $250,000. In announcing Walters’ gift, George Stephanopoulos then pledged $50,000 of his own hard-earned dollars. Walters, right, with WABC anchor Bill Ritter and GMA Weekend anchor Bianna Golodryga, was among those taking phone pledges this morning.

• NBC News announced nearly $23 million dollars was raised during the one-hour telethon and concert for Sandy victims Friday night. Nine NBCU networks broadcast the special. “Today” reported the telethon raised “record donations.”
• “Good Morning America” kicked off ABC’s “Day of Giving” for Sandy victims. Everyone from Barbara Walters to Sesame Street’s Grover are manning a phone bank set up in Times Square Studios.
• Katie Couric‘s visits to The Rockaways and Staten Island this weekend will be shown on her show today. New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi and Brooklyn-born Steve Buscemi will also be on “Katie” today.

ABC News has announced its plans for election night coverage. As we’ve already reported, ABC’s coverage will originate from Times Square Studios, home of “Good Morning America.” Led by Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos, ABC News coverage begins with a special edition of “World News” at 6:30ET/5:30CT and continuing with full election coverage from 7pmET until at least 2am. A special edition of “Nightline” will air at 2:35amET.

Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper will be at Obama election headquarters in Chicago “World News” weekend anchor David Muir will be at Romney headquarters in Boston, Katie Couric will be monitoring social media reaction throughout the evening and Barbara Walters, who has interviewed every President since Richard Nixon, will provide historical context.

Much more after the jump…

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• CBS CEO Les Moonves has inked a contract extension that will keep him at the Eye network through mid 2017. “I look forward to all Leslie will continue to do as the genius that he is.” said CBS chairman Sumner Redstone in a statement.

• ABC’s Barbara Walters has scored an exclusive primetime sit down with troubled actress Lindsay Lohan. The interview will air on “20/20″ Friday, November 16, tied to the debut of Lohan’s Lifetime movie “Liz and Dick,” in which she plays Elizabeth Taylor.

• CNN’s Piers Morgan takes to his weekly column in The Daily Mail to write that GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney “Might Just Save America.” His argument? He may not be principled, but he gets stuff done. You can read Piers’ whole item here.

Hell hath no fury like “The View” co-hosts scorned?

At the top of the ABC talk show this morning, Barbara Walters announced that GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney will not be appearing for an interview on Thursday. Romney had scheduled an appearance on the program last month. Earlier in September Romney said that going on “The View” was “high-risk” because “of the five women on it, only one is conservative, and four are sharp-tongued and not conservative.”

As The Huffington Post notes, Walters told the audience today:

Gov. Romney was supposed to be on with us this Thursday with Ann Romney. We were looking forward to it. Over the weekend, his people said that he had scheduling problems and would not be coming on with us. Nor at this point did he feel that he could reschedule. We are happy to have Mrs. Romney on with us. We are sorry that we won’t have Governor Romney and that’s the situation…He can change his mind and we hope he does. It would be our pleasure to have him on the program.

With the first presidential debate less than two weeks away, the Paley Center for Media in New York is hosting an event with two former debate moderators, and a man who produced eight presidential debates.

Next Thursday, Barbara Walters and Carole Simpson will discuss the risks and rewards for candidates, as well as issues the networks and moderators face before this year’s debates. Walters moderated debates in 1976 and 1984 while Simpson moderated a 1992 presidential debate. Bill Wheatley, a former NBC News Executive Producer who oversaw the production of eight of the televised debates, will be a part of the conversation as well.

Click here for more information.

Following the announcement this morning that today would be Robin Roberts‘ last day anchoring “Good Morning Amercia” before she takes medical leave, ABC announced a number of guests who will be filling in for Roberts.

There are some logical names (as we noted earlier) like Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters, but another one stuck out to us: Oprah Winfrey, who will be filling in during the 8 AM hour at some point during Roberts’ absence.

On “GMA” this morning, Lara Spencer mentioned Oprah’s name, adding that she is appearing “because it’s that important.”

Of course, Oprah’s best friend, Gayle King, is the co-host of “GMA” competitor “CBS This Morning.” In April, Oprah was a highly publicized guest on “CTM” (pictured above).