Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

By Frank Macek Lynna Lai Last Wednesday night was a big one for 3News. Our own Lynna Lai was inducted into the Press Club of Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, and we couldn’t be prouder of her. If you watch 3News late at night, you already know why. Lynna anchors 3News at 11 p.m. weekdays, along with the Sunday editions at 6 and 11 p.m. She’s also an important part of the 3News Investigates, which means she’s the one digging into the stories that hold people and institutions accountable. Anchoring and investigating are two very different jobs, and doing both at a high level takes real dedication. The induction took place at EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute on Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights. Lynna joined two other honorees in this year’s class. Stan Bullard retired from Crain’s in 2024 after a 38-year career. Over those decades he reported on commercial and residential real estate and related companies, along with the business side of government, law firms and utilitie...

By Frank Macek Election night is always one of the busiest and most exciting nights in any television newsroom. And this year, we're preparing to bring Northeast Ohio viewers an expanded look at the races, results and decisions that will help shape our state's future. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, WKYC will join forces with our sister stations in Toledo and Columbus for "Ohio Votes," a special four-hour election night streaming broadcast beginning at 7 p.m. It's an opportunity to bring together journalists from across Ohio, combining their knowledge of local communities with statewide election coverage to give viewers a broader perspective on what's happening as the votes are counted. And you can watch it all for free through the WKYC app. Bringing Ohio Together on Election Night One of the advantages of being part of a larger television station group is the ability to collaborate on major news events. Election night is a perfect example. By partnering with our sister s...

By Frank Macek College football fans across Northeast Ohio have a big Saturday night ahead as the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the USC Trojans in a matchup that promises plenty of excitement. And here at WKYC Studios, we're getting ready to bring you all the action, from the buildup before kickoff to the final analysis after the game. Whether you're a die-hard Buckeyes fan or simply enjoy a great college football matchup, NBC and WKYC will be your home for Saturday night's coverage. Our coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. with the Primetime Pregame show , setting the stage for Ohio State's showdown with USC. It's an opportunity to get ready for the game, look at the storylines surrounding both programs and build some excitement before the teams take the field. Then, at 7:30 p.m., it's kickoff , as the Buckeyes and Trojans square off in primetime. There's something special about watching Ohio State football on a Saturday night, especially when the game features two p...

By Frank Macek Some names in Cleveland television never really fade. Dick Russ is one of them. If you’ve watched local news in Northeast Ohio over the past several decades, there’s a good chance he has been part of your life at some point, whether you caught him anchoring at midday on Channel 8 or leading the newsroom at Channel 3. So where is he now? Busier than most people half his career length, and still working on behalf of the community he spent decades covering. Let’s start at the beginning, because Dick’s path was a classic climb from radio to television. In July 1974, he started as a news reporter at WHLO radio in Akron. By December 1976, he had moved to WAKR-TV, WAKR-AM and WAEZ-FM, also in Akron, working as a news anchor and producer. That’s the kind of training ground that teaches you everything: how to write fast, how to produce your own work, and how to be ready to go live no matter what the day hands you. Courtesy: NE Ohio TV Memories In November 1979, Dick joined WJW-T...

By Frank Macek If you've seen the phrase "NextGen TV" pop up on a commercial, a billboard, or maybe even your own television's home screen, and wondered what in the world it means, you're not alone. I get asked about this more than you'd think, usually by someone who's worried their TV is about to stop working. So let's clear it up, because there's actually some good news buried in all the technical jargon. NextGen TV is the consumer-facing name for ATSC 3.0, the newest broadcast television standard. Think of it as the next step up from the digital broadcast standard we've all been using since the big DTV transition back in 2009. ATSC 3.0 brings sharper picture quality, including 4K and HDR, better sound, and a more reliable signal that should hold up better in bad weather or when you're farther from the broadcast tower. It also opens the door to things like interactive features and better emergency alerts built right into the broadcast s...

By Frank Macek Mark your remote. Starting Monday, September 8th, the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show is coming to Channel 3 five days a week from 11 a.m. until noon, leading into 3News at Noon with David Greenberg & Brissa Bradfield. The full show will continue streaming on the WKYC app from 10 a.m. to noon each weekday. But as part of the changes, the show will no longer be streamed live on YouTube. Segments from the show will still be published on YouTube after the live show has concluded. If you've never watched the show, here's the quick version: it's the daily deep-dive on the Browns, Guardians, Cavaliers and Ohio State that this city has been craving for years. Sharp analysis, strong opinions, a little bit of chaos — all the ingredients that make Cleveland sports talk what it is. It's a smart evolution for a show that's already built a loyal following since it launched back in 2022, quickly becoming must-watch — or must-listen, if you catch the podcast ...

By Frank Macek Every August, our newsroom rallies around a project that reminds us why local television can be about so much more than headlines, breaking news and weather forecasts. It's called Clear the Shelters , and while it has grown into a nationwide initiative led by NBC and Telemundo stations, the impact is felt one family—and one pet—at a time right here in Northeast Ohio. Throughout the month of August, WKYC is partnering with more than 20 local animal shelters and rescue organizations to help deserving dogs, cats and other companion animals find the loving homes they've been waiting for. It's one of those campaigns that perfectly reflects what local broadcasting is all about: using our platform to make a genuine difference in the communities we serve. The concept couldn't be simpler. Introduce viewers to adoptable pets. Share their stories. Highlight the remarkable work being done by local shelters. Then encourage people who have been thinking about adoption ...

By Frank Macek  If you've heard the term NextGen TV lately and wondered what all the excitement is about, you're not alone. It sounds like another one of those technology buzzwords that most people assume doesn't affect them. But this one actually does. This week marked an important milestone for television broadcasting in Cleveland and across the country. Cleveland officially launched NextGen TV , also known as ATSC 3.0 , becoming one of the last major television markets needed to complete service in all of the nation's Top 25 television markets. While that may not sound like headline news to most viewers, it's a very big deal for those of us who work in television and, eventually, for everyone who watches it. One thing that makes this launch especially interesting is that it required stations that normally compete with each other every day to work together. In Cleveland, WBNX-TV is serving as the market's host station for the new broadcasts, while WJW, WEWS, ...

By Frank Macek Saturday night was one of those nights that reminds you why we do what we do. The station came home with multiple Emmy Awards, and it's hard not to feel proud of the talented individuals and teams who earned that recognition. These aren't just trophies — they represent countless hours of storytelling, dedication, and a commitment to journalism that truly matters to our community. Here's a moment to celebrate each of the winners. •Peter Fleischer took home the Emmy in Promotion/News for his Kirtland Cult Killing Documentary. Peter's work on this project was nothing short of extraordinary — tackling one of the most haunting chapters in Northeast Ohio's history with the care and rigor it deserved. Well done, Peter. •Lindsay Buckingham earned the Emmy in Reporter Features/Human Interest for "Heartstrings." If you've seen the piece, you already know why it won. Lindsay has a rare gift for finding the humanity in every story, and "Heartst...

By Frank Macek Danita Harris There are broadcasters, and then there are broadcasters who change the communities they serve. Danita Harris is very much the latter — and it's why she has been named this year's Distinguished Service Award honoree by the Cleveland Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.  Harris joined us here at WKYC Channel 3 in April 2024 as co-anchor of our morning news broadcasts, bringing with her a résumé that most journalists could only dream about. Before landing in our studios, she spent 24 years at WEWS TV-5, building a reputation that one writer summed up perfectly: "one of Cleveland's most beloved anchors, as well as a prominent inspirational voice in Northeast Ohio." That kind of description isn't handed out lightly — and in Danita's case, it's backed up by a career full of hardware to prove it. Among her many honors are multiple Emmy Awards, an Edward R. Murrow Award, induction into the Ohio Broadcasters Hall o...

 By Frank Macek There's something genuinely exciting about welcoming new talent to a newsroom. After nearly four decades in this business, I can tell you that the energy a new hire brings — the hunger, the fresh perspective, the different set of life experiences — has a way of lifting everyone around them. So it's my pleasure to introduce two journalists who are about to make their mark here at Channel 3. Tyler Madden Let's start with Tyler Madden, who joins us first. Tyler's first day is Monday, June 29, and he's bringing with him a résumé that speaks for itself. Most recently, he spent several years as a reporter at WKRC in Cincinnati, and before that, he was a reporter and weekend anchor at WTOV in Steubenville. It was there that Tyler found himself on the front lines of one of the region's most significant stories in recent memory — the toxic train derailment in East Palestine. Covering a story like that isn't just a professional test. It demands accur...

By Frank Macek I remember the moment streaming felt like a genuine revolution. It was sometime around 2013, and I had just finished watching an entire season of a show in a single weekend. No commercials. No waiting. No cable bill with 300 channels I'd never watch. Just me, a laptop, and unlimited content for the price of a couple of fast food meals a month. It felt like the future had finally arrived. That feeling is gone. And the more I think about it, the more I believe we — the viewers — were never really in control of any of it. Streaming was sold to us as liberation. Liberation from the tyranny of network schedules, from cable bundles crammed full of garbage, from the indignity of watching commercials for the same truck four times during a two-hour movie. And for a while, it delivered on that promise. But somewhere between the rise of a dozen competing platforms, the death of the DVD, and the quiet disappearance of shows we loved, streaming stopped working for viewers. It sta...

By Frank Macek Aidyn Bruns The WKYC weather department is getting some fresh energy this summer, and we couldn't be more excited about it. Please join us in welcoming Aidyn Bruns to the 3News family! Aidyn has joined WKYC Studios as part of Tegna's Summer Internship Program, and her focus is right where her passion lies — weather. A native of Minnesota, Aidyn knows a thing or two about tracking the elements. Growing up in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, where winters are fierce and weather is always a conversation, it's no surprise she developed a deep fascination with meteorology. That passion has driven her all the way to Norman, Oklahoma, where she is currently studying meteorology at the University of Oklahoma — one of the most respected meteorology programs in the country. Heading into her senior year, Aidyn is already building an impressive résumé. At OU, she serves as both a weather anchor and senior producer for "OU Nightly," the university's student-run...

By Frank Macek It was a proud night for the 3News family. WKYC Studios walked away with multiple top honors Friday evening at the Press Club of Cleveland's annual All Ohio Excellence in Journalism awards ceremony, held at the iconic House of Blues in Cleveland. The event brings together journalists and media organizations from across Northeast Ohio to celebrate the region's best work — and 3News had plenty to celebrate. The biggest recognition of the night came for "3News at 11," which earned first place for Best Video Newscast in Ohio in the major market category and awarded to Reporter Sia Nyorkor, Producers Kelly Salandro & Joshua Bailey and Photojournalist Bailey Lustic.  Judges honored the May 2, 2025 broadcast for its storytelling, production quality, and overall excellence — a edition that included powerful in-depth reporting on the arrest connected to the 2013 murder of Cleveland Clinic nurse Aliza Sherman.  It was the kind of journalism that reminds vi...

Patrick Paolini, Courtesy: Fox5 Editdor Note: The following is a press release issued by TEGNA on May 26, 2026 regarding the hiring of Patrick Paolini at TEGNA's new CEO as of June 1, 2026. ------------------- MCLEAN, Va.– TEGNA Inc. today announced the appointment of Patrick Paolini as the company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1. Mr. Paolini will be responsible for TEGNA’s daily operations, revenue-generating business strategies, local journalism and production, and growth initiatives. He will report directly to TEGNA’s Board of Directors. Mr. Paolini brings more than 30 years of local broadcast management experience and a distinguished track record in sales, marketing, and news operations to his new role with TEGNA, including management of large-market television stations. He joins the company from FOX Television Stations, where he has served as Executive Vice President of Advertising Sales since 2023. In this position Mr. Paolini was responsible for ad sales strategy...

By Frank Macek The NATAS Central Great Lakes Regional Emmy Nominations were announced on Tuesday with WKYC earning a total of 28 this year with Senior Broadcast Director Frank Macek (your esteemed blogger) and Senior Health Correspondent Monica Robins being Inductees into this year's Silver Circle Class that honors those with at least 25 years of exceptional broadcasting experience. The Emmy Awards will be handed out on Saturday, June 27th this year. WKYC Nominations from the year 2025 include: •News Excellence:  Julie Flynn, News Director •Evening Newscast - Markets (1-50) "3News at 6: Remembering Office Wagner" Julie Flynn – News Director, Annabelle Childers – Reporter, Kelly Salandro – Senior Producer, David DeNatale – Senior Digital Producer, Joshua Bailey – Producer, Danielle Wiggins – Reporter, Lindsay Buckingham – Reporter, Monica Robins – Reporter, Matthew Lawrence – Videographer, Bailey Lustic – Videographer, Aurora Keag – Director, Craig Roberson – Videographer,...