Why WKYC will be off the air for a while on Saturday, August 31, 2019

Special to the Director's Cut Blog

from wkyc.com

Safety concerns during antenna installation mean we will be off-air for a significant amount of time.As we continue installing our brand new antenna, today brings another big moment in this project. One that means we will be off the air for several hours Saturday.

Starting around 8 a.m., crews will be adding and/or removing more wiring on our tower. This work will position them near our auxiliary antennas, which emit dangerous levels of radio frequency signals. To protect the workers during this phase of construction, we have to power down our signal. We will have the signal restored in time for our 6 p.m. news.

Because the work they will be doing is time-consuming, we will be dark for several hours. This will impact anyone using an antenna or whose cable/satellite provider receives our signal over-the-air (including Dish and DirecTV), meaning you will not be able to watch us during this period of time.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have rescanned for us previously and got our signal, you DO NOT need to scan your TV again. You will receive our signal once we power back up.

This project has been mandated by the FCC. Thousands of stations across the country are affected by this transition, including many here in Ohio. We're very sorry for this disruption and are working as quickly and safely as possible as we can.

We will let everyone know as soon as we are at full power. And rest easy Browns fans, we will be back up before the first primetime game on September 16th.

Until then, we thank you for your patience and your loyal viewership.

You can learn more about this project at wkyc.com/rescan.

Throwback Thursday: WKYC in 2009

Time for another installment of "Throwback Thursday" which takes a look back at some of the historical milestones at Channel 3.

The time machine takes us 10 years in the past to 2009 with a timeline of some of the biggest moments of that year at WKYC.

February 16, 2009: WKYC-TV enters a video pool sharing agreement with WOIO-TV & WUAB-TV/Cleveland.

March 5, 2009: Conan O’Brien visits WKYC-TV after being named new host of the “Tonight Show.”

March 17, 2009: Longtime WKYC-TV and WTAM-AM personality Tom Haley dies at age 88 on St. Patrick’s Day at Lakewood Hospital after a brief illness.

March 23, 2009: WKYC-TV parent company Gannett announces that because of bad economic conditions, all Gannett employees (include WKYC-TV employees) will be required to take a week of unpaid leave in April, May or June of 2009.

April 3, 2009:  Carole Sullivan departs WKYC-TV and follows her husband, Mike Sullivan, to San Diego. She was previously the co-anchor of “Channel 3 News at 7” with Eric Mansfield.

April 6, 2009: Monica Robins replaces Carole Sullivan as co-anchor with Eric Mansfield of “Channel 3 News at 7” while continuing her medical reports and anchoring the noon newscasts.

June 1, 2009: Conan O’Brien takes over for Jay Leno as host of the “The Tonight Show” at 11:35 p.m.

June 5, 2009: Abby Ham departs WKYC-TV and returns to WBIR-TV/Knoxville.

June 11, 2009: WKYC-TV fires up its new RF Channel 17 transmitter for a day of testing before the switch on June 12^th.

June 12, 2009: WKYC-TV shuts down regular programming on its analog signal at 10 a.m. and moves to a new digital signal on channel 17. WKYC-TV remains a “Nightlight” station until July 12, 2009 to inform viewers of the change to digital television.

June 16, 2009: WKYC-TV drops “TV” from its official call sign.

September 14, 2009: WKYC-TV begins to air “The Jay Leno Show” weeknights at 10 p.m. after Conan O’Brien replaces Leno “The Tonight Show.”

October 29, 2009: WKYC-TV begins coverage of the gruesome discovery of 11 women at the home of Anthony Sowell at his own 12205 Imperial Avenue Mount Pleasant Neighborhood of Cleveland.  Sowell was arrested on October 31, 2009 and went on trial in 2011. He was convicted on July 22, 2011. He remains on death row at the Chillicothe Correctional Institute.

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This timeline is based on station archives and various newspaper stories. If you feel something is in error, please let me know and we'll make any necessary corrections. Email me at Email me at fmacek@wkyc.com

WKYC Rewind: Action3News at 11 pm on October 3, 1982

We are always on the look out for classic WKYC gems. This time, we flashback to October 3, 1982, for Action 3 News at 11 pm Nightside with Leon Bibb, Sheryl Browne, Paul Edmunds on weather and John Henk with sports. Enjoy!

 

Throwback Thursday: WKYC in 1969

Time for another installment of "Throwback Thursday" which takes a look back at some of the historical milestones at Channel 3.

The time machine takes us 50 years in the past to 1969 with a timeline of some of the biggest moments of that year at WKYC.

April 7, 1969: “NBC Newsday 90” debuts from 6 to 7:30 p.m. with anchor Virgil Dominic, Wally Kinnan (weather) and Jim Graner (sports). Ron Becker will aid Dominic with the news. 6 to 6:30 p.m. is the top local news, national headlines, weather and sports. At 6:30 p.m., “The Huntley-Brinkley” airs. At 7 p.m. the local news continues with activities of nearby cities like Akron, Canton, Massillon and the like.

June 1969: WKYC-TV General Manager Arthur Watson departs the station to become president of the radio division of NBC in New York.

June 1969: Neal Van Ells returns to WKYC-TV and becomes vice president and general manager. He was previously at KNBC-TV/Los Angeles and WKYC-TV station manager from October 1965 until May 1968.

June 22, 1969: WKYC-TV covers what becomes a national story of an oil slick near Republic Steel on the Cuyahoga River that catches fire. While the 'burning river' is still often used by outsiders to chide our city, the fire resulted in the Clean Water Act, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and the creation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
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This timeline is based on station archives and various newspaper stories. If you feel something is in error, please let me know and we'll make any necessary corrections. Email me at fmacek@wkyc.com

Channel 3 Memories: Your Photos Volume 2

Time for some more classic Channel 3 photos. This batch features some of our various news anchor teams over the year here at WKYC.

All pictures are courtesy of Bob Keyes.

If you have any pictures you would like to share for the blog, please email me at fmacek@wkyc.com

    Weeknight Team: (Back) Al Roker (weather), Mona Scott (weather)
(Front) Doug Adair (anchor), Amanda Arnold (anchor), Tom Ryther (sports)

    Weekend Team: (L-R) Leon Bibb (anchor), John Henk (sports), Sheryl Browne (anchor), Paul Edmunds (weather)

(L-R) Steve Taylor (sports), Connie Dieken (anchor), Tom Sweeney (anchor), Terry Burhans (weather)

Thanks to you, 2019's Clear the Shelters was a huge success

Special to the Director's Cut

By Ann Geyser, wkyc.com

The final total is in and 399 animals were adopted from 24 shelters and rescues to families across Northeast Ohio.

The goal was simple: find forever homes for as many dogs, cats and other animals living in shelters across Northeast Ohio.

We hit a home run.

This year, final numbers show that 399 animals were adopted from 24 shelters and rescues on last Saturday.

Brianna took home a dog from City Dogs in Cleveland. She told our Dorsena Drakeford that when she met the dog she adopted, he licked her face and she knew right there and then, this would be her new forever friend.

Clear the Shelters was a nationwide effort, started by NBC and Telemundo stations across the country. This was the fifth year for the event and since it started, over a quarter-million pets were adopted to loving homes.

Last year, WKYC and local shelters and rescues were able to get 347 pets adopted and this year, we added dozens more to that total. It’s also good news for the shelters and rescues who despite giving animals great care, know that dogs and cats have a much better life with a family to call their own.

RELATED: LOOK | How 'Clear the Shelters' shaped out across Northeast Ohio

Throwback Thursday: WKYC in 1979

This week is our first installment of "Throwback Thursday" which takes a look back at some of the historical milestones at Channel 3.

The time machine takes us 40 years in the past to 1979 with a timeline of some of the biggest moments of that year at WKYC.

January 15, 1979: Al Roker joins WKYC-TV from WTTG-TV/Washington D.C. as weeknight 6 & 11 p.m. weather anchor and replaces Bob Zappe. Roker was supposed to debut a week earlier, but he waits until WKYC-TV’s new weather radar system was installed and tested. Al is credited with naming the weather computers “Ethel & Fred” after the characters Ethel & Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy”.

January 19, 1979: Leon Bibb joins WKYC-TV from WCMH-TV/Columbus as a general assignment reporter. He is Ohio’s first black anchor.

January 27, 1979: Leon Bibb and Sheryl Browne become the new co-anchors of the weekend evening editions of “Action3News” along with weatherman Ron Allen and sportscaster Paul Warfield.

May 25, 1979: WKYC-TV airs its final “5:30” show as it prepares to expand the evening news to one hour the following Monday. Both Mona Scott and Ed Miller move to prominent roles in the new newscasts at 6 p.m.

May 28, 1979: Channel 3 adopts an hour weekday evening newscast from 6 to 7 p.m. with co-anchors Doug Adair and Amanda Arnold, followed by NBC Nightly News at 7 p.m.

June 3, 1979: Channel 3 adds a Sunday evening 6 p.m. newscast with Leon Bibb and Sheryl Browne as co-anchors.

June 4, 1979: WKYC-TV adds “TV” to its official call sign according to FCC records.

July 3, 1979: Dave Patterson joins WKYC-TV from WEWS-TV to become co-anchor of the 6 p.m. news with Doug Adair and serves as host of a daily, hour-long interview and variety program from 9 to 10 a.m. which will replace the “Zap” show.

August 1979: John Henk joins WKYC-TV from KSTP-TV/Saint Paul, as a weekend 6 & 11 p.m. sports anchor and replaces Paul Warfield.

August 27, 1979: “The Dave Patterson Show” debuts on WKYC-TV at 9 a.m. to become direct competition for the “Morning Exchange” on WEWS-TV/Cleveland.

October 10, 1979: John Chancellor once again becomes solo anchor of “NBC Nightly News” with Brinkley again providing commentaries until his departure for ABC News in 1981 to become host of “This Week” on Sunday morning.

December 13, 1979: Joe Pelligrino joins WKYC-TV from WXYZ-TV/Detroit as weeknight sports anchor replacing Tom Ryther in early January 1980.

December 14, 1979: Tom Ryther departs WKYC-TV due to family issues in Minneapolis.

December 21, 1979: Amanda Arnold departs WKYC-TV for KHOU-TV/Houston.

December 24, 1979: Mona Scott joins Doug Adair on the 11 p.m. newscast, replacing Amanda Arnold.

1979: Quentin Bradford joins WKYC-TV as a reporter.

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This timeline is based on station archives and various newspaper stories. If you feel something is in error, please let me know and we'll make any necessary corrections. Email me at fmacek@wkyc.com

LeBron James I PROMISE School opens new Kaulig Companies Media Lab in collaboration with WKYC

A state-of-the-art media lab that gives students a real world taste of the news business was unveiled Wednesday, August 14, 2019, at the I PROMISE School in Akron -- and the very first person to sit down for an interview was LeBron James.

James is back in his hometown to help unveil several new amenities at the I PROMISE School, including the Kaulig Companies Media Lab, an experiential learning center designed in collaboration with WKYC.

Inside the media lab, James took part in an exclusive interview with WKYC's Amani Abraham alongside Matt Kaulig, chairman of Kaulig Companies Limited, which sponsored construction of the fully equipped broadcast facility.

The lab will provide students hands-on learning opportunities to report news and create content on both broadcast and digital platforms.

Check out exclusive video of the new media lab:

Watch Amani Abraham's exclusive chat with LeBron and then a quick tour of the new facility with Matt Kaulig from Channel 3 News at 7:

Get more exclusive coverage at WKYC.com

• EXCLUSIVE | LeBron James sits down with WKYC's Amani Abraham to discuss I PROMISE School, setting an example for kids
• What is LeBron James' go-to Swensons order?
• LeBron James discusses family, says parenting is about 'setting an example'

WKYC Weather Education Day is Saturday, August 17th

This Saturday, August 17th, join the Channel 3 Weather team of Betsy Kling, Michael Estime and Matt Wintz for Weather Education Day at the Great Lakes Science Center in downtown Cleveland.

It's a fun day of learning about the weather and seeing all that the Great Lakes Science Center has to offer.

Then on Sunday, the event continues with more interactive displays and fun for the whole family. (Note: Our Channel 3 Weather Team is only there on Saturday)

For more information, watch the video below or go to our click the event page at: https://www.facebook.com/events/648858418942379/

Excuse the dust: We're installing our new TV antenna today

It’s a good news/bad news kind of thing. 

The good news is that the reconstruction of our antenna will take a major step forward today as a helicopter lifts the final section to the top of our tower.

The new WKYC antenna waiting for a flight to the top of the tower on Tuesday

The bad news is that while this takes place, we will have to shut down our transmitter periodically throughout the installation. 

This means that folks who receive our signal via an antenna or digital converter box, and some cable and satellite customers, will not be able to watch WKYC or our subchannels during these down times.

We do apologize for the signal loss and would like to remind viewers that the frequency switch that necessitated all this tower work was mandated by the FCC. Thousands of stations across the country are affected by this transition, including many here in Northeast Ohio. 

We are doing everything we can to get back to full power as soon as possible and believe that will happen in the next couple of weeks. Once we are back broadcasting at full strength, we will let everyone know. And rest easy Browns fans, we will be back up before the first primetime game on September 16th.

Until then, we thank you for your patience and your loyal viewership.

For more about the rescan project, please visit www.wkyc.com/rescan.

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"Bubba" getting ready to hoist our new WKYC (and WVIZ) antenna up to the top of our broadast tower today. Thanks to Joe Tucci for the pictures! 

"Bubba" swapping out antennas on the big tower today in Parma (below). Back to full power before the end of the month on WKYC! Pictures courtesy: Adam Kenyon

Channel 3 Memories: Your Photos Volume 1

One of the things I hope to do this time around with the Director's Cut Blog is to create a collection of photos and videos from years past.

This time, Bob Keyes who worked worked at WKYC as a jack of all engineering trades, provided us with these pictures we hope you enjoy.

If you have any pictures you would like to share for the blog, please email me at fmacek@wkyc.com

Coming up Thursday, August 15, on the Director's Cut Blog, we'll go back in time and share the top happenings from 40 years ago at Channel 3! Don't miss it as part of our new "Thursday Back Thursday" series.

Anchor/Reporter Dale Solly with Director Kim Hollett in "A" Control at 1403 E. 6th Street

David Patterson in Hollywood with Bob Mackey

Doug Adair and Dave Patterson promo for "Action 3" News at 6 p.m.

Award-Winning Investigative Journalist Rachel Polansky joins WKYC Studios

WKYC Channel 3 President and General Manager Micki Byrnes announced today that investigative journalist Rachel Polansky will join the growing WKYC team.

“As journalists, investigative reporting and breaking news that matters is at the heart of what we do each day,” said Byrnes. “I’m thrilled to announce that Rachel will be joining our investigative news team.”

Over the last three and a half years at NBC affiliate WBBH in South Florida, Rachel has uncovered fraud and corruption and influenced change in local and state laws.

“Rachel’s tenacity, hunger for purposeful storytelling and desire to right what’s wrong is impressive,” said Director of Content Adam Miller. ““We are looking forward to Rachel’s impactful reporting and multi-platform contributions as she works to ultimately strengthen the Northeast Ohio community”

Rachel Polansky 

"I am so happy to be joining Channel 3’s investigative team, working among some of the best journalists in the business,” said Polansky. “I became an investigative reporter to shine a light in dark places, to hold the powerful accountable and ultimately, to help people. I can’t wait to continue to do what I love in Cleveland, and I look forward to reporting on issues that impact viewers throughout Northeast Ohio."

A three-time Edward R. Murrow Award-Winning Investigative Reporter, Rachel is most proud of her work that has enacted change at a local and statewide level. In 2019, two years after she began reporting on contractor fraud — and after she exposed issues with the way the current construction laws were written — a local lawmaker teamed up with a state attorney to re-write the law. Both spoke exclusively with Rachel and credited her with bringing these issues to the forefront. In June 2019, the governor signed that bill into law.

When she's not reporting, you can find Rachel at a yoga studio or working out with her husband, Dominic. Rachel enjoys spending time with her family and cheering on Penn State, her alma mater.

TEGNA officially welcomes WTHR-TV and WBNS-TV & WBNS-AM/FM to the broadcast family

TEGNA announced Thursday morning the company has officially closed on the purchase of WTHR-TV/Indianapolis and WBNS-TV & WBNS-AM/FM from the Dispatch Broadcast Group.

"WTHR in Indianapolis and WBNS in Columbus are the dominant TV stations in their markets, with an excellent reputation for outstanding local journalism," said Dave Lougee, president and CEO of TEGNA, in an email to company employees.

WBNS-TV/Columbus will join WKYC-TV/Cleveland and WTOL-TV/Toledo in reaching more than two-thirds of the television households in Ohio.

.@WTOL11Toledo and @wkyc have a very special message for their new Ohio neighbors. Welcome @10TV and @971thefan to the @TEGNA family! pic.twitter.com/QUyjOQfNwm

— TEGNA (@TEGNA) August 8, 2019

WBNS Radio is the flagship home of Ohio State athletics and other major sports teams across Ohio.

TEGNA paid $535 million in cash for the stations in a previously disclosed announcement on June 11, 2019.

DailyMailTV’s Stephanie Haney joins WKYC Studios as Digital Correspondent

WKYC Channel 3 President and General Manager Micki Byrnes announced today that Northeast Ohio native and DailyMailTV correspondent Stephanie Haney will return to Cleveland to join the WKYC team.

“Lawyer, writer, producer, host…Stephanie brings a unique skill set to Channel 3,” said Byrnes. “She’ll drive engaging new content to all of WKYC’s platforms.”

Stephanie Haney 

Stephanie is an Emmy-winning correspondent from the nationally syndicated magazine show DailyMailTV. Her additional on-camera credits include hosting roles on The Travel Channel, and guest appearances on OWN, TNT, Spike, NFL Network, Fox Sports, and The History Channel. She's been published by The Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, DailyMail.com, and POPSUGAR to name a few.  

She is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and California. She moved to Los Angeles after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.

“Stephanie’s passion and knowledge of the law will be an integral piece of our digital coverage as we dig deeper into the issues that matter most to our viewers. From pop culture to politics, she has a natural ability to connect with both a digital and television audience,“ stated Director of Content Adam Miller.

“In all the places I've lived, from Los Angeles to New York City, I've always found my greatest sense of community among Ohioans,” said Haney. “Now, I'm thrilled to say I get to do that in Cleveland as part of the incredible team at WKYC. Growing up in Canton, Northeast Ohio has always been home to me. I'm excited to explore it again now, not only with fresh eyes, but through the experiences of all the people who let us in to tell their stories.”

Driven to bring people information that empowers and uplifts, Stephanie approaches every story and source with empathy and understanding. Her knowledge of the law and passion for justice combine seamlessly with her love of popular culture, a mix which is more relevant than ever due to the fact that so many stories have a legal and social angle.

After earning her Master of Science in Journalism from the University of Southern California, graduating magna cum laude as an Annenberg Fellow, Stephanie produced for ABC's Good Morning America in addition to working on Diane Sawyer's American Dream project. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio University, cum laude, where she double majored in both Political Science and Sociology/Criminology.

Had us over the air, then lost us? There's a reason

By Frank Macek

We have gotten many phone calls and emails from those of you who live in our outlying areas of northeast Ohio wondering why you've suddenly lost WKYC using their over the air antenna. This coming after we asked you to rescan your television sets last Friday.

WKYC Technical Engineers Randy Betke & Chris Rieithmiller firing up the

new transmitter in Parma on August 2nd, 2019

The good news is this is temporary.

On August 2nd, WKYC made the transition to a new digital channel with a brand new transmitter as part of an FCC mandate following a spectrum auction that allowed television stations to give up their channels or move to new ones.

As of Friday, the now "virtual" Channel 3 moved from digital channel 17 to digital channel 19 and this is when you would have likely lost us if you use an over the air antenna and live in an outlying area away from Cleveland.

During this transition phase, we are using a side mount antenna on the main tower, but lower to the ground and with less power. This keeps our signal from going as far as if it were on the top of the tower.

After the August 2nd transition occurred, we began work on the top mounted antenna. Once that work is finished, we'll be able to return to our main antenna and you'll once again be able to receive us in our fringe signal areas.

Keep an eye on wkyc.com or the Director's Cut Blog and we'll let know when we are ready to go at which time you'll need to again rescan your over the air television sets to get the new WKYC digital signal.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at fmacek@wkyc.com

NOTE: A point of clarification was made to the original article regarding the location of the antennas.

WKYC Studios adds 3 new personalities to the team

As you may have heard recently on my social media pages and wkyc.com, the WKYC Studios have added three new faces to the Channel 3 family including Jay Crawford, Mark Naymik and Mike Polk Jr.

All three have recently made their debuts on the air and will be expanding their roles in the coming months.

Let's do a quick introduction to all three.

Jay Crawford

Jay Crawford is returning to his Ohio roots to join the WKYC Studios as host of a new noon show that will debut next month, then become host of the new 5 p.m. newscast that will come sometime in 2020 on Channel 3. Jay is originally from northwest Ohio where he graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1987.

Jay Crawford

For viewers of ESPN, you'll know him best for his on-air work on several different shows over the years. In 2003, the sports network came calling and Crawford launched his popular show "Cold Pizza" that became ESPN’s "First Take" in 2007. Within five years, Crawford was on to the "SportsCenter" division to host the midday program where he remained until 2017.

“When I began my TV career it was always my goal to one day work in the Cleveland market,” said Crawford. “After 15 years of living in the northeast and covering sports at the network level, I am absolutely thrilled to be coming home to work in and cover the community I love. I anxiously await launching the latest phase of my career at WKYC-TV and expanding my broadcasting and digital experience into the fast-paced world of news.”

Before joining the sports network, Jay held posts as either sports director or sports anchor at WFTS-TV/Tampa; WBNS-TV/Columbus; WTIC-TV/Hartford, CT; WYVN-TV/Martinsburg, WV and WYMT-TV/Hazard, KY.

According to WKYC Director of Content Adam Miller, Crawford "has signature smarts, quick wit, and passion for Cleveland" that will translate into some great television on Channel 3 beginning this fall with live interviews, telling relevant stories and engaging with our viewers in real-time.

Crawford lives in Chagrin Falls with his wife Tracy.

Mark Naymik

Naymik joins the WKYC Studios from the Plain Dealer and cleveland.com where he has covered some of northeast Ohio's biggest newsmakers.

Mark Naymk

From columns about the poor quality of Cleveland’s lakefront parks that pressured the city and state to turn over management to the Metroparks, to stories that brought to light the financial and real estate details of Cleveland’s bid for Amazon’s second headquarters, Mark’s journalism has made a difference. And at times, his reporting sparked federal investigations, including one several years ago into the company that managed Cleveland’s JobCorps Center.

"Though I started my journalism career more than 20 years ago with just a pen in my hand, I have come to rely on the power of broadcast and digital news platforms to cover and connect with our community in real time,“ said Naymik. “Channel 3 presents the best of both worlds. I can’t wait to contribute to the WKYC team and plan to try many new approaches to storytelling with enterprising and thorough reporting backing it up. I look forward to hearing from WKYC's viewers and readers and promise to listen first -- and then ask a ton of questions on their behalf."

In his free time, Mark enjoys spending time with his wife, writer and professor Jacqueline Marino, and their two daughters, Stella (15) and Charlotte (11). His hobbies include home improvement, mountain biking and snowboarding. Mark and his family live in Northfield.

Mike Polk Jr.

You know him best from his viral video sensation of "Factory of Sadness" that has over 2.4 million views and counting, Mike Polk Jr. has also joined WKYC Studios.

Mike Polk Jr.

According to WKYC President and General Manager Micki Byrnes, “Mike is one of the most well-established and successful figures in the Cleveland comedy scene and we’re excited that he’ll be bringing a fresh perspective and smart sense of humor to the local news cycle on a daily basis."

Polk was born in Warren, Ohio and attended Warren John F. Kennedy High School. He graduated from Kent State University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in communications and psychology. His roots in Northeast Ohio run deep: his father’s entire family is from Brunswick and his mother’s family is from Lakewood. Mike has lived in Lakewood since he graduated from college.

“I was as surprised that WKYC offered me this gig as I'm certain everyone else is, and I told them as much. But for the life of me I could not manage to talk my way out of this tremendous opportunity. I love this city. It's a great place, for all of its nicks and dents and, to a certain extent, because of them. Cleveland's a real city with real history. It has a lovely soul and lots of interesting stories and people, past and present, and I look forward to exploring and presenting all of this to folks in a fun way,” said Polk.

Polk has worked in broadcast and digital media for more than a decade including HBOLab, an online version of HBO and the comedy video website Funny or Die. In 2012, Polk became a weekly contributor on WJW Channel 8’s The Rizzo Show. In 2016, Polk joined The Plain Dealer, writing a periodic column about pop culture and humor. He has written a book called "Damn Right I'm From Cleveland: Your Guide to Makin' it in America's 47th Biggest City.” He hosts a weekly comedy variety show at Pickwick and Frolic in Cleveland.

Welcome to Jay, Mark and Mike!

WKYC Studios improves our over-the-air signal on August 2, 2019

Special to the Director's Cut Blog
Published from wkyc.com

You might have to rescan your TV starting today, Aug. 2, in order to watch WKYC programming after we fired up our brand new transmitter and changed digital channels at 12:39 a.m. Friday morning as part of a FCC and government mandate for some televisions across the country. Today was our turn!

Need help? We're hosting a free phone bank until midnight Friday at 866-393-2525.

This project may affect antenna customers based on things like the type of TV or antenna you have, the position of the antenna, your house's location, the construction of your house or atmospheric conditions. (Cable, satellite and streaming customers will be unaffected.)


Below we rounded up some frequently asked questions regarding a rescan.

What is it?

If you watch TV with an antenna or use a digital convertor box, this will affect you. On Friday, Aug. 2, you’ll need to re-scan your TV so you can keep watching WKYC on 3.1, Justice Network on 3.2, Cozi TV on 3.3 and Quest on 3.4.

Why do I need to Re-Scan?

If you want to keep watching your favorite shows on WKYC including Dr. Phil, Ellen, the Today Show, Nightly News and NBC’s prime time line-up, you’ll need to re-scan.

How do I do it?

We've included a number of links here with easy-to-follow, step-by-step, illustrated instructions to SOME of the most popular brands of televisions.

LG

https://www.lg.com/pa_en/support/product-help/CT20273031-1412240986783-others

Panasonic

http://www.panasonic.com/mobile/consumer/quick-start-guide/2012/1/en/021.asp

Philips

https://www.usa.philips.com/c-f/XC000010118/how-to-perform-a-channel-search-in-my-philips-tv

Samsung

https://www.samsung.com/in/support/tv-audio-video/how-to-scan-the-available-channels-in-samsung-smart-tv/

Sony

http://docs.esupport.sony.com/imanual/LA/2013/XBR-X907A/ltn-dvbt_uen/c_digi_europe_co_datuning.html

Toshiba

https://support.toshiba.com/support/viewContentDetail?contentId=4009239

Vizio

https://support.vizio.com/s/article/Channel-Scan-Auto-Scan-Master-Channel-List-No-Signal?language=en_US

I don't see my brand listed. What do I do?

Even among manufacturers, each television has its own steps for rescanning. Every remote is different, too, and often the words ENTER, OK, or SELECT are interchangeable. The process is essentially the same.

In general, you need to get into the brains of your television to TELL it what you want to see. If you still have the owner's manual for your TV or converter box, now would be a great time to find it. We have included links here to popular television brands. You can use those links to find your model of television (usually shown on the rear of your set) to get the manual that matches.

To begin scanning for channels, use your remote to find the MENU or SETUP or SETTINGS function. The UP/DOWN and LEFT/RIGHT buttons help you move from step to step through the on-screen menu.

GENERAL GUIDE

1 – Press the MENU button on your television or converter box remote.

2 – Go to SETUP or SETTINGS.

3 – Go to INSTALLATION or SYSTEM or CHANNELS.

4 – Go to AUTOPROGRAM, AUTOSCAN, AUTOTUNING, PROGRAM CHANNELS, or SCAN CHANNELS.

5 – Press ENTER, OK, or SELECT to start the scan.

6 – Some televisions may warn you that starting a scan will reprogram your channels. That's OK! Reprogramming your tuner is exactly what you want to do to access the upgrades and new channels.

7 – Once the scan starts, it can take just a few minutes or 15 – 30 minutes to complete. DON"T stop the process once it starts.

8 – At this point, your scan should be done. Many televisions quit the process on their own, with others, you may need to select OK or EXIT on your remote.

NOTE: Some manufacturers have you use the LEFT/RIGHT arrow to access menu functions. Sometimes they throw you a curve ball and make the CHANNEL UP/DOWN and VOLUME UP/DOWN double as menu navigation. It can be a bit tricky, but if you're familiar with your television remote, you already know this stuff.

Tip: Make sure your antenna has a clear, 360-degree view with no obstructions. If you are using a rabbit-ears style of indoor antenna, you may need to adjust it to maximize your digital signal. Unlike the "old days," if the digital signal is too weak, your tuner will not be able to decode and display the channel.

What now?

If all has gone according to plan, you’ll are now getting a stronger WKYC signal, which means a better picture for all your favorite shows on Channel 3! If you are still having issues, you can call our phone bank until midnight Friday at 866-393-2525.

The Director's Cut Blog is back!

As we head into August, I have decided to bring back the Director's Cut Blog that features a behind the scenes look at the WKYC Studios.

Since our last post March in 2018, I have gotten near weekly requests urging me to consider bringing back the blog. Many of my readers have said they found it useful in not only learning more about the current happenings of Channel 3, but also the history behind the station.

Even though idled for more than a year, the blog continues to receive a significant number of views per day.

Our alums have enjoyed finding out what's new since they left the station. Our viewers like to hear what's happening inside the station and behind the scenes. And, I like to give some opinion on topics that matter to me as a broadcaster and for our industry.

Today is a very exciting time for our business, our local television market and most importantly -  our television station.

One of my main focuses moving forward will be to deal with the history of WKYC in greater detail. For the past six months, I have been doing extensive research about the station's past as we head toward our 75th anniversary coming in 2023.

For me personally, I have been part of this television station for the past 25 years and look forward to the next 25 years in whatever role I am needed. Perhaps that will be directing our daily newscasts or working in other areas as I continue to grow professionally. I also love radio and one day wish to return to doing some on-the-air work as well.  And, I like to write and this will give me the opportunity to do so once again on my own terms.

WKYC is undergoing a major transformation in 2019 that will you see in the many months ahead both behind the scenes and on the air. We now live in a 24/7 "digital first" environment that not only brings you our over the air broadcasts into your home, but also on social media and your mobile devices.

You are about to see many new faces on the station and will see more as we get set to launch a new 5 p.m. newscast in 2020. My pledge is to once again share the stories about what's happening at our station and help you get to know our personalities so they become like family.

So, starting immediately, look for new, regular updates from the WKYC Studios and I thank you for still being part of this fun journey for me.