Thursday, October 31, 2019

Throwback Thursday: WKYC in 2005

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

The time machine takes us back to 2005 with a timeline of some of the biggest moments of that year at WKYC.

January 2005: AJ Colby joins WKYC-TV from WJW-TV/Cleveland as a freelance meteorologist.

February 6, 2005: Eileen McShea’s contract ends, although she remains on the air sporadically through May 2005.

March 2005: Paxson Communications announces it will end its partnership with WKYC-TV and puts “The Akron/Canton News” in doubt on WVPX/Channel 23.

June 2005: John Friess departs WKYC-TV for KRON-TV/San Francisco.

July 4, 2005: WKYC-TV moves “The Akron/Canton News” from WVPX-TV/Akron-Canton to Time Warner Cable Channel 23 at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. (previously 10 p.m.) with anchor Eric Mansfield, reporters Ben Holbert, Joy Benedict and other members of the Channel 3 News team.

July 25, 2005: Jacque Smith joins WKYC-TV from WJW-TV/Cleveland, as a reporter and fill-in anchor for the morning show.

August 2005: Ben Holbert departs WKYC-TV to become Director of Communications for Omega Psi Phil Fraternity, Inc./Atlanta.

September 8, 2005: WKYC-TV joins with all local Cleveland televisions for a special telethon called “Hurricane Katrina: Northern Ohio Responds” from 7 to 8 p.m.

September 12, 2005: “Good Company” debuts at 10 a.m. with Eileen McShea (who returns to the station), Michael Cardamone, Fred Griffith and Andrea Vecchio. Hollie Strano is no longer part of the show.

December 2005: WKYC-TV and the Cleveland Indians form a new company called “Fastball Productions” to produce Indians broadcasts for 10 years from the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. Time Warner is the first to air the new network called “SportsTime Ohio.”

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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

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

WKYC Studios Offers the Podcast "Amy Should Be Forty"

Sunday marked 30 years since 10-year-old Amy Mihaljevic vanished from a Bay Village shopping plaza.

Her disappearance ended in heartbreak and tragedy when her body was found months later in an Ashland County field.

Three decades later, her killer remains free and investigators are still searching for answers.

RELATED: Amy Should Be Forty: A look back on the murder case of Bay Village's Amy Mihaljevic

3News has launched a podcast to remember Amy, and to take a deep dive into her case. What clues could help detectives finally find justice for Amy?

The "Amy Should Be Forty" podcast launched Sunday, Oct. 27, the 30-year anniversary of Amy's disappearance. The five-episode series includes insight and memories from Amy's family, investigators who have pursued her case and former Cleveland Scene crime reporter James Renner.

Listen to "Amy Should Be Forty" wherever podcasts are found. Click here to listen on Spotify and here to listen on Apple.

It's currently ranking in the top twenty of iTunes's True Crime Charts.

WATCH | 3News podcast about the murder of Amy Mihaljevic is one of the top listens on Apple! Narrator Andrew Horansky joined Stephanie Haney recently to discuss the case.


Tuesday, October 29, 2019

"AM Cleveland" staff reunites after 30 years

Hard to believe it's been 30 years since one of Channel 3's most successful morning programs went off the air.

"AM Cleveland" was launched as a challenger to WEWS Channel 5's "The Morning Exchange" when the show debuted on May 9, 1983, with newcomer Scott Newell who joined WKYC from WXIA-TV in Atlanta.

The show aired weekdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. with a live studio audience and periodically would do remote shows from various malls around northeast Ohio, many of which no longer exist today.

Newell reminds us that Pierce Brosnan from "Remington Steele" and "James Bond" fame was the very first guest on the show in 1983 from the studios at 1403 E. 6th Street.

By 1986, AM Cleveland surpassed "The Morning Exchange" in ratings. However, the show would end its run on March 31, 1989, after 6 terrific years and thousands of guests.

Recently, a 30 year reunion was held at the WKYC Studios now located at 1333 Lakeside Avenue on October 19th with many of the original show members from on-air and behind the scenes.

The reunion included a tour of station given by current WKYC Production Manager and one of former AM Cleveland Directors, Allen Wohl. The group also watched the last show in 1989, then had dinner at Hodge's on Euclid in Downtown Cleveland where they all shared great memories.

Check out the staff when the show aired and 30 years later in 2019.
(L-R) Al Wohl, Scott Newell, Mary Alice O'Brien, Barbara Tranchito, Betsy Braverman Alexander, Kim Scott Sowinski, Rich O'Dell, Darlene Kreckal)

(L-R) Al Wohl, Jane Hirz, Scott Newell, Darlene Kreckal Lurie, Barbara Tranchito, Sandra Leigh Serio, Kim Scott Sowinski, Rich and Sue O'Dell, Mary Alice O'Brien-Mecke, Alan Kopit

Scott Newell today with a picture of Scott Newell then. (Photo: Rich O'Dell)
Here is one of the shows from "AM Cleveland" back in 1985 when it was broadcast live at Cedar Point.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

WKYC Rewind: Channel 3's First 35 years

As you know, we celebrated our 70th year on the air at Channel 3 last October and will always remember our first broadcast on Halloween night, October 31, 1948 as WNBK-TV Channel 4.

A good part of our history comes from those early years when WNBK-TV moved from Channel 4 to Channel 3. The station would then become KYW as part of a station swap between NBC and Westinghouse that would eventually be un-done by the FCC several years later.

At that point, KYW-TV changed call letters to what they are today: WKYC.

Let's take a look at the first 35 years that was celebrated in 1983 and hosted by former WKYC anchor Judd Hambrick. Enjoy!

71 years is just one week away!





Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Remember When? Chopper 3

Check out these classic photos from 2007 of the Channel 3 helicopter called "Chopper 3" flying over the skies of northeast Ohio.

The helicopter was used to gather news and provide live reports from major breaking news events. Often, you would see a reporter doing a live broadcast from the helicopter during one of our live newscasts.

Sadly, the helicopter was grounded because of the high expenses involved with maintaining, fueling and providing insurance. The advent of new technology, like drones and cellular backpacks, would forever change the way we would cover news at WKYC.

Chopper 3

Chopper 3

Chopper 3


Dan Bowman with Mike Harris (Photo courtesy: Bob Keyes)

Bob Keyes (Photo Courtesy: Bob Keyes)




Monday, October 21, 2019

Emily Mayfield will join the WKYC Studios team as a special correspondent this Fall

WKYC Studios President and General Manager Micki Byrnes announced today that Emily Mayfield will join WKYC as a special correspondent for the 3News team.
Emily Mayfield

“We are thrilled to welcome Emily to the 3News family,” said Byrnes. “Emily’s passion for Northeast Ohio, genuine curiosity and her gift of connecting with people in the community will come to life in her stories for WKYC Studios. When Emily moved to Cleveland, she wanted to explore all that her new home had to offer. We look forward to sharing what she’s discovered!”

“Emily brings her love of life, energy and infectious personality to everything she touches,” said Director of Content Adam Miller. “From identifying innovative trends in the health and wellness space to showcasing the hottest, most interesting spots in Northeast Ohio, Emily’s reports will give viewers a front row seat to Cleveland through the lens of various experts in their fields.”

Emily’s reports will air on “Lunch Break with Jay Crawford” at 12 p.m., “Front Row” at 7 p.m. and across all our digital platforms this fall and throughout the holiday season.

Emily (Wilkinson) Mayfield is a Nebraska native who graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2013. She moved to Los Angeles, California where she began her career as a Patient Coordinator for a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon.

During this time, she established a large and loyal following on Instagram sharing health and beauty information. She recently relocated to Cleveland, Ohio with her new husband Cleveland Browns’ Quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Monday, October 14, 2019

3News' Monica Robins shares personal news on her battle with a brain tumor

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

Senior health correspondent Monica Robins is sharing her own medical journey with 3News viewers.
3News has some personal news to share about a member of our family.

Monica Robins came to us in 1998, and has been our senior health correspondent for much of that time.
Monica Robins. Courtesy: wkyc.com

Monica recently took a leave of absence to prepare for her own medical journey. It's a journey she wanted us to share with you tonight. You can watch more on What Matters Most at 6 p.m. and What's Next at 11 p.m. You can also hear more of Monica's thoughts in the video below.

This summer, Monica's world turned upside-down. For years, she had been dealing with a nagging problem in her left eye, first thought to be allergies, then possibly an autoimmune disorder.

But an MRI revealed something far more serious: a tumor, pressing against her eye and brain's left hemisphere.

This type of tumor is a meningioma. The encouraging news is that most are benign. But the location of Monica's tumor, on top of her optic nerve and carotid artery, makes removing it more complicated.

As a journalist who has spent much of her career advocating for others, Monica is now urging us all to make health a priority. She's committed to practicing what she preaches.

"If anything, I want people to learn that it's OK to put yourself first. If you are the primary care giver, and oh gee, I'm the health reporter, I take care of everybody, in my head. If I don't take care of me, I can't take care of anyone. So you need to find that balance," Monica said.

Meditation, regular exercise and clean eating are all part of her plan to be strong, mentally and physically, before she heads into surgery.

Since the tumor is slow-growing, Monica's been able to put off surgery for a few months, allowing her to take care of herself. If the entire tumor can't be removed, there is a chance Monica will need radiation to stop the growth of what's left behind. Or, her doctor may decide to watch and wait to see what happens. Either way, Monica has a long road ahead, with many MRIs in her future.

"I have to be in the best place I possibly can, because I want to be back," Monica said. "I want to be back in January. I want to be back ready to rock and roll. I want to be back, ready to share the rest of the story with you guys."


Friday, October 04, 2019

"Lunch Break with Jay Crawford" begins Monday at noon on 3

Beginning this Monday, October 7th, WKYC Studios launches "Lunch Break with Jay Crawford" at noon on 3.

The show will feature Jay with various co-hosts including Hollie Strano, Maureen Kyle, Alexa Lee and other popular 3 on-air personalities and special guest hosts. You'll never know who is stopping by to join Jay on set.

Also joining Jay will be our new WKYC Studios digital anchor Stephanie Haney with the day's hottest stories and latest social media chat.

For viewers of ESPN, you know Jay Crawford (@jaycrawfordCLE) best from 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.

Stephanie Haney (@stephaniehaney)  is a northeast Ohio native and former DailyMailTV correspondent who joined WKYC Studios in early September and is already making a name for herself on the world wide web.

Check out some behind the scenes photos of rehearsals this week.






Tuesday, October 01, 2019

WKYC Studios and NBC release list of holiday specials


Tis the season for your holiday favorites and WKYC Studios and NBC have a whole host of popular favorites to air in November and December.

Here is a list of what you can expect this year:

Wednesday, November 27th
  • 9:00pm – 11:00pm: A SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE THANKSGIVING 

Thursday, November 28th
  • 9:00am – 12:00pm: THE 93RD ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE   
  • 12:00pm – 2:00pm: THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA
  • 2:00pm – 5:00pm: THE 93RD ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE (repeat from 9 am)

Friday, November 29th
  • 8:00pm - 10:00pm: THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA (repeat from Thursday) 
Saturday, November 30th
  • 8:00pm – 11:00pm:  MOVIE: IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE                                                        

Tuesday, December 3rd
  • 8:00pm – 8:30pm: HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS 

Wednesday, December 4th
  • 8:00pm – 10:00pm: 87TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS IN ROCKEFELLER CENTER 

Thursday, December 12th
  • 9:00pm – 11:00pm: A SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (repeat) 

Monday, December 23rd
  • 8:00pm – 10:00pm: A SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (repeat) 

Tuesday, December 24th
  • 8:00pm – 11:00pm: MOVIE: IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE   
  • 11:35pm – 1:00am: CHRISTMAS EVE MASS                                                                 

Wednesday, December 25th
  • 8:00pm – 8:30pm: HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS                                         
  • 8:30pm – 11:00pm: MOVIE: HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS 
Tuesday, December 31st
  • 8:00pm – 10:00pm: A TOAST TO 2019!                                                              
  • 10:00pm – 11:00pm: NBC NEW YEAR’S EVE SPECIAL (WT)                                       
  • 11:30pm – 12:30am: NBC NEW YEAR’S EVE SPECIAL CONTINUED (WT)
  • 12:30am - 1:30am: THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON                       
  • 1:30am - 2:30am: LATE NIGHT SETH MEYERS                                                              
  • 2:30am-3:00am: A LITTLE LATE WITH LILLY SINGH                                          

Wednesday, January 1st, 2020
  • 11:00am – 1:00pm: 131ST ANNUAL TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE