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…

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Melissa Francis jokes that she wants to be writer when she grows up. The Fox Business Network anchor is already on her second career. And with the publication of her memoir, “Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter,” she’s on her way to fulfilling that adulthood dream. Francis was feted last night at Astra, an event space overlooking Manhattan’s East River. The memoir is a brutally honest, sometimes painful, yet touching story of life as a child actor. After dozens of commercials, her first big break came on “Little House on the Prairie.”

In a Media Beat interview this summer Francis told us the book, includes “the typical family dramas, set against the backdrop of a very unusual childhood.”

But last night, no drama, just celebrating. Among the guests, FNC/FBN c0-founder and chairman Roger Ailes, FBN EVP Kevin Magee, anchors Neil Cavuto, Liz Claman, Lori Rothman, Cheryl Casone, Elizabeth MacDonald, Tracy Byrnes, Sandra Smith, Nicole Petallides, Tom Sullivan and Dennis Kneale.

From FNC, we spotted Bill Hemmer and chatted with Megyn Kelly about election night, and the moment that took her from the studio through the bowels of Fox News to the decision desk as they explained calling Ohio for Pres. Obama, giving him the election and giving Karl Rove agita. Following many long months of election coverage and, more recently, of Hurricane Sandy, which left her without power for a week, Kelly was looking forward to taking today off.

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MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts was married to longtime partner Patrick Abner in New York over the weekend. The ceremony and reception was held at the Gansevoort Park Avenue rooftop, with California Lt. Governor (and Current TV host) Gavin Newsom officiating.

Not surprisingly, there were a lot of boldface names in attendance. MSNBC president Phil Griffin, executive editor Yvette Miley, VP Elena Nachmanoff  and anchors Tamron Hall and Chris Jansing were there, as were CNNers Don Lemon, Sara Sidner, Holly Firfer and Asieh Namdar. Other guests included “Good Morning America”‘s Sam Champion, former talk show host Nate Berkus, reality host Carson Kressley, former MSNBC anchor Contessa Brewer and Roberts’ agent, Rick Ramage.

You can check out a slideshow of photos from the wedding here.

Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Communications held its sixth annual Mirror Awards ceremony at the Plaza Hotel this afternoon, honoring the year’s best media reporting.

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper emceed the ceremony, which TVNewser attended. He opened the event with commentary on the role of news organizations in society, noting the importance of incorporating women and minorities into a media industry “traditionally dominated by — well, frankly, by white men. Woohoo, white men,” Cooper said sarcastically.

“Please don’t Tweet that!” Cooper said as the crowd laughed. “Arianna, take your hands off that keyboard. At least explain, give it some context!”

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos was also on hand to present the I-3 Award for Impact, Innovation and Influence to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

TVNewser spotted Arianna Huffington and Gabriel Sherman, who is working on a book about Fox News and was nominated for “Elephant in the Green Room,” a New York magazine feature on the network.  Also on the guest list: Contessa Brewer, Poppy Harlow, CNN News Networks president Greg D’Alba, “CBS This Morning” executive producer Chris Licht and MSNBC vice president of primetime programming Bill Wolff.

For a full list of winners, visit the Mirror Awards website.

(Photo Credit: Syracuse University)

Actual news got in the way of last night’s annual New York fundraiser for the journalism group NLGJA. Soledad O’Brien, who was to co-host with her HLN colleague Jane Velez-Mitchell, couldn’t as she moderated CNN’s Trayvon Martin town hall which airs tonight.

• Related: Behind the Scenes at CNN’s Trayvon Martin Town Hall

Don Lemon jetted up from Atlanta to co-host with Velez-Mitchell, who mixed and mingled before making a beeline for Time Warner Center herself to participate in the town hall.

Velez-Mitchell made the biggest splash of the night when, during her welcome remarks to the crowd, she pulled her girlfriend on stage and planted a big kiss on her. “I won’t be doing that!” Lemon joked. “Ben doesn’t like that kind of thing,” he said glancing over to his partner, Ben Tinker, who is a producer in CNN’s medical unit.

CNN managing editor Mark Whitaker talked about his network’s commitment to diversity in the ranks and on the air. CNN was the lead sponsor for the event which was held at the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams showroom in SoHo.

Also spotted in the crowd: NBC News VP Alex Wallace, former “Today” show co-anchor Meredith Vieira, “CBS This Morning” co-host Erica Hill, MSNBC’s Willie Geist, former MSNBC anchor Contessa Brewer and Fox News meteorologist Rick Reichmuth.

We chatted with FBN’s Gerri Willis who told us she has a new appreciation for the work of the Supreme Court after anchoring her show from Washington during oral arguments on the health care law. We also caught up with Fox News’s Alisyn Camerota and new Fox News political analyst Sally Kohn, who is settling in to her role as progressive pundit both on air and online, which

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“Early Today,” which airs before the early morning news on NBC affiliates, is celebrating 8 years and more than 2,000 shows today. Nine staffers, including EP Andy Jones, have been with the show the entire time — a lifetime in TV news, especially working the overnight/early morning hours. This morning, anchor Veronica De La Cruz gave a shout out to the original staffers. “Early Today” has been in its present form since 2004, originating from MSNBC studios, first in Secaucus, NJ and since 2007, at 30 Rock. From 1999-2004 the show originated from CNBC headquarters and before that it was known as “NBC News at Sunrise” and anchored by Ann Curry. Past anchors of “Early Today” include Natalie Morales, Amy Robach, Contessa Brewer, Kristine Johnson, Dan Kloeffler and Christina Brown.

Time for the results of the TVNewser Challenge. One year ago, we asked, and you answered, making predictions for the Year in TV News. And just to let you, we’ll publish our 2012 TVNewser Challenge tomorrow afternoon.

Where will Katie Couric be working at the end of 2011?

CBS News — 38%
CNN — 12%
Her own syndicated show — 13%
Some combination — 18%
None of the above — 19%

Most of you said she’d still be at CBS News. But by April, she’d decided to leave the Tiffany network and landed a deal with Disney/ABC to develop her own syndicated show — which 13% of you said would happen. She’s also working on projects for ABC News.

How many of CNN’s primetime programs (Parker Spitzer, Piers Morgan Tonight, AC360) will be airing in the same timeslot, if at all, at the end of the year?

0 — 11%
1 — 40%
2 — 43%
3 — 6%

43% of you were right on this one. Two of CNN’s shows: “Piers Morgan Tonight” at 9pm and “Anderson Cooper 360″ at 10pm are in their same timeslots. Although AC360 is a reair of the 8pmET show, which replaced “Parker Spitzer,” which was renamed “In the Arena” in February after Parker left.

Will Fox Business Network or Bloomberg become rated by Nielsen in 2011?

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“Now with Alex Wagner,” the newest addition to the MSNBC daytime lineup, will debut on Monday, the network announced today.

Wagner’s show will replace the 12pmET hour of “MSNBC Live” that has rotated fill-in anchors since Contessa Brewer‘s departure in August. Dana Haller, an MSNBC special events producer, will serve as executive producer.

Guests on Monday’s debut include Dan Rather and MSNBC host Al Sharpton.

The full release from MSNBC is after the jump.

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MSNBC political analyst Alex Wagner is getting her own show, TVNewser has learned.

At some point in the next few months, the channel will debut a new NoonET program hosted by Wagner, who was most recently with the Huffington Post, and before that worked for Politics Daily. Dana Haller, who has been working on special events for the channel, will serve as executive producer.

According to a memo sent to staff by VP and executive editor Yvette Miley obtained by TVNewser, the new program will “feature regular contributors who will explore what’s driving the day’s political stories.” It will replace MSNBC Live, which typically airs in the time period. The channel has had a number of anchors filling in during that time period in recent months, following the daily anchoring departure of Contessa Brewer.

Miley’s full memo to staff, after the jump.

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Mark Whitaker, Jim Walton, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, Piers Morgan and Ken Jautz

Last night CNN feted its newest anchor, Erin Burnett, at Robert restaurant at The Museum of Arts and Design in Columbus Circle, just a few hundred feet from CNN’s NYC headquarters. Overlooking Columbus Circle and the southwest corner of Central Park, guests watched the city fade into night, while clips of Burnett preparing for her show played on a loop on TV sets spread throughout the space.

Just after 7:30 PM, CNN/U.S. executive VP Ken Jautz and CNN managing editor Mark Whitaker made some brief remarks. Jautz commented that Burnett is extremely passionate about news, and that anyone expecting a curt reply when asking her what she is working on is in for a long conversation.

Burnett then addressed the crowd and thanked them for their support. Her manager John Ferriter was in attendance, as was her fiancee David Rubulotta. Jautz and Whitaker got shout-outs, as did CNN Worldwide president Jim Walton and CNN ad sales chief Greg D’alba, both of whom were working the room.

The party also drew a packed room of boldface names:

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