• In January of 2012, TVNewser told you that CNN was seeking to trademark the term “Magic Wall.” Well, it seems that the channel eventually thought better of the plan. A new filing with the US Patent & Trademark office shows that CNN abandoned its plans to seek the trademark.

• Speaking of trademarks, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly is seeking a trademark on the phrase “USA Strong” for use on paraphernalia like shirts, hats pens and mugs. O’Reilly previously sought trademarks on other America-related phrases.

• At its upfront presentation today, NBC officially named Seth Meyers as the next host of its “Late Night” franchise, taking over for Jimmy Fallon, who is going to the “Tonight Show.” They start in February, tied to the next Winter Olympics.

Former NFL star Michael Strahan will be the new co-host of the syndicated talker “Live! with Kelly” come September 4. B&C’s Ben Grossman first reported the news.

Strahan effectively replaces Regis Philbin, who left the show in November of last year. Since that time “Live!” has experimented with a slew of guest hosts who took over the chair next to Kelly Ripa, including Strahan, “SNL” performer Seth Meyers and singer Josh Groban. The LA Times‘ Joe Flint reports that Strahan will remain as a contributor to Fox’s NFL coverage on the weekends, even as he hosts “Live!.”

The National Hockey League announced a tender process Monday for international media rights to live NHL games throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The open bidding process will run from May 17 to June 8 and the foreign rights would run from 2011-12 through 2014-15 seasons.

According to the NHL, 26 percent of its players come from outside of North America. Since 2007, the NHL has staged more than 35 exhibition and regular season games in Europe attended by over 400,000 fans.

Seeming to put politics aside for a few hours — not one but two GOP governors stopped in to the MSNBC After Party last night at the Italian Embassy in Washington DC: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — often the target of MSNBC’s opinionated hosts — and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (right, meeting NBC News correspondent Luke Russert for the first time). Palin, as we reported yesterday, was the guest of Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren.

As MSNBC host/mixologist Rachel Maddow made a drink for “Glee’s” Jane Lynch, MSNBC boss Phil Griffin, worked the room. It’s his after party afterall. And not missing an opportunity to synergize, Cee lo Green, of NBC’s “The Voice” was the entertainment.

In addition to Van Susteren, we spotted Bret Baier from Fox News chatting with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie. NBC News president Steve Capus and “Today” show EP Jim Bell — who’d both just returned from London covering the Royal Wedding and sharing ratings info on his Blackberry. Looks like “Today” was #1 again on Royal Wedding day. (Final numbers later on TVNewser).

Eliot Spitzer in tow with CNN’s chief communicator Christa Robinson; Roland Martin, David Bohrman, and Sam Feist also of CNN and ABC’s Jim Sciutto.

We chatted up CNBC’s Rick Santelli, in from Chicago, Carl Quintanilla and Hampton Pearson. NBC’s Janet Shamlian, and Kelly O’Donnell and MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan and Contessa Brewer, now almost four months along. Ed Schultz was proud to tell us he’s overtaken Anderson Cooper in the ratings at 10pm, in just his third month on the air. “Big news,” says big Ed.

Meanwhile, over at the Bloomberg/Vanity Fair party, tipsters tell us Jake Tapper, Dave Price, John Dickerson, Chris Isham, Gayle King, and Seth Meyers [who'd poked fun at the thought that the Bloomberg party was a hot ticket], were still in full party mode at 2:15am. “The patio is still packed,” we were emailed. “They started serving breakfast snacks.”

Twenty-two years on NBCUniversal’s “The More You Know” public service campaign is still kicking. And this week it debuted a redesigned look incorporating the new Comcastic NBCUniversal logo.

Brian Williams, Seth Meyers, Alec Baldwin and Ken Jeong are among the NBC stars participating. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama also taped spots about education and childhood obesity.

Little known fact (unless you go to Wikipedia a lot) Tom Brokaw hosted the first “The More You Know” PSA in January 1989. Here’s a behind-the-scenes video of this season’s tapings:

(l-r) Williams, Ralph Roberts, Burke

At noon today, NBC Universal (now called, apparently NBCUniversal) held a town hall meeting in the “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” studio, where new CEO Steve Burke was interviewed by “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams.

They were joined by special guests, including Comcast founder Ralph Roberts, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts (from Los Angeles), SNL’s Seth Meyers and others.

During the Q&A session, Williams asked Burke about the departure of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC.

“This was a decision made by NBC News management, Steve Capus and Phil Griffin,” Burke said.

He also reiterated that Comcast had not yet assumed any control over NBC Universal, and thus could not make any personnel decisions, but that Comcast execs were aware of what was happening.

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If I told you the Dallas Cowboys were generating the most social media presence on the web, you wouldn’t be surprised, right?

But what if I told you right behind the Cowboys were … the Detroit Lions.

Yes, the same Lions origination that has won two games since 2008, are runners-up in Networked Insights social media rankings.

The rankings were determined by using an algorithm that analyzes the conversations of 300 people on the web and 17 million websites over the past 30 days.

“My expectations was the (Washington) Redskins would be tops, since they are the (second-most valued team (at $1.55 billion), according to Forbes,” said Dan Neely, CEO of Networked Insights.

According to Neely, the Lions finished second in the study thanks to several overall No. 1 draft picks that generated online conversation and a loyal fan base.

I have a feeling that online conversation surrounding the Lions was more negative than positive. And after an 0-2 start, the same could be said for the Cowboys.

The entire Top 10 list is below: Read more

> Brian Williams joined Suze Orman, Seth Meyers, Elizabeth Edwards and others on a panel to discuss who would be Time Magazine’s Person of the Year (hmm, I wonder). FishbowlNY has the details and video.

> CNBC’s Erin Burnett anchors “The Russian Gamble,” a series of special reports from Red Square in Moscow on Monday. She is schedule to appear on the NBC Nightly News on Sunday and Today and Morning Joe on Monday as well.

> A tipster pointed us to the 10am hour of the Today show this morning, as Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb were getting on-air facials made of bird poo. Thanks, tipster.

A tipster emailed yesterday afternoon asking, “What happened on Huckabee? None of the guests you said would be on were on,” referring to this Thursday post which said guests on Huckabee would include Lorne Michaels, Bill Maher, Richard Dreyfuss and Kelsey Grammer.

The program was preempted on Saturday at 8pmET by an economic town hall edition of Huckabee. But it did air at MidnightET and again on Sunday at 8pmET. Mike Huckabee interviewed each of the guests (except Grammer) during that program.

And if you missed it, Huckabee teased part two of the Michaels interview (with SNL head writer Seth Meyers) for next week’s program.

Click continued to see Huckabee’s interview with Maher…

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