Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

Special to the Director's Cut Blog By Jennifer Lindgren, WKYC Reporter PEPPER PIKE -- A 2000 graduate of Orange High School is the newest cast member on the long-running live comedy show. Vanessa Bayer, 28, is one of three new featured players to join the cast of the long-running comedy sketch show when it debuts on NBC Sept, 25. Bayer, a Moreland Hills native, graduated in 2000 from Orange High School. In her four years at Orange, Bayer was elected to homecoming court, ran cross country, and was voted by her peers 'Most Likely to Succeed.' Those who knew Bayer say no one would have guessed she'd choose stand-up comedy as a career. "Everyone was really surprised!" said Gail Price, a history teacher at OHS. Yet even a decade later, her teachers and coaches recall Bayer's smart sense of humor. "The one thing she had a talent for, she could imitate people. We would ask her to imitate other teachers and, oh my gosh, was it funny. She could ...

Just a quick note to say we are still here at the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. The station is in the middle of one of the biggest upgrades since we moved into the building back in January 2001. Most of my attention has been focused on training with the new systems and getting up to speed on our new control room equipment that will make our video look much better in the near future. We'll return to our regular blogging in early October after our transition is complete, at which time, I will be sharing the cool new toys we have. As always, thanks for being a loyal "Director's Cut" reader. Hope you are finding NBC's new fall prime-time schedule a little better this year.

NEW YORK -- Veteran NBC newsman Edwin Newman has died. He was 91. His lawyer says Newman died of pneumonia Aug. 13 in Oxford, England. He'd moved there with his wife in 2007 to live closer to their daughter. The family delayed announcing Newman's death so they could spend some time privately grieving. While at NBC from 1952 until 1984, Newman did political reporting, foreign reporting and anchoring. With his rumpled, squinting delivery, Newman impressed his audience not so much with how he looked as with the likelihood that what he'd say would be worth hearing. He turned to writing books in the 1970s, writing a pair of best-sellers on the use and misuse of the English language. Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw described Newman as "always a gentleman and a reassuring presence in our midst." Current NBC anchor Brian Williams says: "To those of us watching at home, he made us feel like we had a very smart, classy friend in the broadcast news business....

Congratulations to several of our WKYC colleagues who are being recognized for their outstanding work here at the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. Channel 3 News Reporter Dave Summers has been named the Society of Professional Journalist (SPJ) "Best Reporter in Ohio" for 2010. The honor is based on a compilation of Dave's work called “A Year of Change." This is the 14th year the SPJ has announced their annual awards which include Ohio's print, broadcast, online, trade and college journalism programs. Also, Cleveland Magazine has tallied the results of their annual "Best of Cleveland" magazine reader's poll and Channel 3 once again sweeps up in several categories. The "Best Morning Show Anchor Team" winners are Channel 3's Mark Nolan and Hollie Strano who are seen weekdays from 5 - 7 a.m. Mark Nolan was also named "Best Male Anchor," while Jim Donovan wins for "Best Sportcaster" and our very own Romona Robinson ...

Channel 3 will once again connect to the community with our annual participation in the Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure." WKYC-TV will have a special half-hour edition of Channel 3 News at 7 on Friday to bring you all the information you need to know. And don't forget, this Saturday's Cleveland "Race for the Cure" is at a new location. It will begin and end at the Cleveland State campus's Wolstein Center. Step off is at 9:15 a.m., with WKYC-TV coverage starting at 9 a.m. Here's all the information about the new course, inside the center and parking. More Race for the Cure coverage The race begins at the Wolstein Center on Prospect Avenue, goes west on Prospect to Superior Avenue, then to W. Huron Road and along Ontario Street, then onto Carnegie Avenue, then back onto Prospect by the Wolstein Center. Susan G. Komen for the Cure Northeast Ohio For those using GPS locators, the Wolstein Center is at 2000 Prospect Avenue E. in Cleveland. S...

By Frank Macek Time for another behind the scenes look at what's happening at the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. We find it hard to believe fall is just around the corner, Browns preseason is already over and a disappointing Indians season is rapidly coming to a close. But, we have plenty of exciting news to share with you this month regarding some changes, improvements and upgrades being made both on-air and behind the scenes at WKYC. Before we get to that, congratulations to my WKYC colleagues Director Allen Wohl and Sports Producer Jeff Yakawiak for some great preseaon Browns coverage on Chanel 3. The station did local production on all four of the preseason games which took our staff and crew months to plan and coordinate. All that effort paid off with network quality games you have come to expect from Channel 3. Also, it was nice to have Jim Donovan and Bernie Kosar back in the broadcast booth again this year providing unique and colorful insight in...