Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

LOS ANGELES - NBC's new hit series "The Voice" is getting the choice post-Super Bowl spot next year, the network said Tuesday. It announced that a special edition of "The Voice" will air Feb. 5 after the NFL championship game. NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt called the post-game slot the best showcase on TV and said the singing contest deserves the exposure. The network's early decision regarding an event eight months away represents a vote of confidence in the freshman program. "The Voice" features judges Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton and the gimmick of initially picking contestants sight unseen. It's been a bright spot for struggling NBC, scoring as the season's top-rated new series among young adults and a draw among all viewers. The series has the right "mass appeal" to match up with the Super Bowl, the year's biggest sports event, Greenblatt said. "The Voice...

By Frank Macek Once again, Channel 3 News is the area's top choice for news, weather and sports at 11 pm, according to the results of May 2011 sweeps that ended Wednesday. Channel 3 News at 11 pm outpaced all competition in the time slot for the all important Adults 25-54 demo, Monday through Sunday and improved the Monday through Friday lead-in from weak NBC programming by nearly 20%. Channel 3 News at 4:30 a.m. also led the pack in early morning news finishing #1 in Adults 25-54. In those same key demographics, WKYC ranked #2 at 5 a.m., #2 at 6 a.m., #2 at 6 p.m. and #2 at 7 p.m. Channel 3 News at 6 p.m. was the only newscast that saw month to month growth during the time period, while the other stations lost viewers in Adults 25-54  Channel 3 News at 7 p.m. was ranked #1 in Women 25-54. Channel 3 News Weekends from 9 to 10:30 a.m. retained its #1 position Dr. Phil finished #1 against stiff news competition at 5 p.m. in Adults 2...

Elwood Edwards, Photo courtesy of Ryan Haidet  By Frank Macek You may not know the face, but you certainly know the voice. If you have ever used America On-Line (AOL) mail, the man whose voice you hear is none other than Channel 3's Elwood Elwards. Elwood wears many hats here at the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center as ENPS and Graphics Supervisor, Editor, Camera operator, audio man and more! Before coming to Channel 3, Elwood was quite busy working with AOL to record several phrases you hear on your computers including "You've Got Mail" and "File's Done." The folks from AOL were here at the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center a few weeks ago to record a little video of Elwood. Click on the video to watch: You’re watching You’ve Got Elwood Edwards . See the Web's top videos on AOL Video

Jim Donovan Channel 3 Sports Anchor Jim Donovan announced today that he is leaving WKYC-TV on a medical leave of absence. Beginning next week, he will begin the process of a bone marrow transplant for treatment of leukemia. "While it's not our normal policy to discuss personnel matters, this is a unique situation and we want to make sure folks understand how much we love, respect and want to support Jim," said WKYC-TV President and General Manager Brooke Spectorsky. "He has been battling leukemia for over ten years, and in partnership with his medical team has undergone multiple treatments. Jimmy is a very private person, and has managed to keep his incredibly hectic schedule and job without most of our staff and viewers realizing the physical and mental effort involved. But now, it's time for him to try and beat this disease once and for all." "I've gone through a lot of treatment for close to 11 years and right now a transplant gives me the...

Ohio Governor John Kasich was in Cleveland today for an exclusive one on one interview with WKYC/TV 3, as we mentioned in our posting yesterday. We go behind the scenes as the Governor arrived at the Channel 3 Studios. Click on the video to watch:

Dick Ebersol Special to the Director's Cut Blog By Rachel Cohen, AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Dick Ebersol has resigned as NBC Sports Group chairman, an industry giant who helped launch "Saturday Night Live" and built the network into the home of the Olympics over the past two decades. "I had a long run and loved every bit of it," Ebersol said in a phone interview with The Associated Press on Thursday. Ebersol said he couldn't agree to terms on a new contract with Comcast, which merged with NBC earlier this year. The network said NBC Sports Cable Group president Mark Lazarus would take over for Ebersol. Ebersol ran NBC Sports since 1989, and his departure comes just three weeks before the International Olympic Committee opens bids on the next set of lucrative Olympic broadcast rights in the United States. "It comes as a complete surprise," said Richard Carrion, the IOC executive board member who negotiates U.S. rights. He said Com...

He’s slashing school and safety force budgets to balance the budget. Now, Governor Kasich takes your tough questions on the tough issues. WKYC 7 PM Anchor Chris Tye will sit down with Governor John Kasich on Thursday. The Governor will be joining us live in studio for an exclusive one-on-one interview. We'll stream the entire interview live on the website, wkyc.com , starting at 1:30 p.m. You can also post your own questions during the interview, or in advance on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/WKYC.Channel3 We'll have extended coverage of the interview Thursday night on Channel 3 News at 6, 7 and 11.

Special to the Director's Cut By Gary Levin, USA Today A new team at cellar-dwelling NBC is bent on reversing the network's fortunes with a new crop of shows with potentially broader appeal. The fall game plan includes The Playboy Club, a '60s-era soap about the famed Chicago hideaway and its ties to mobsters and celebrities; Prime Suspect, a remake of the British detective series starring Maria Bello (ER) in the role first played by Helen Mirren; and Grimm, a cop drama set in a world inhabited by fairy-tale characters. Programming chief Robert Greenblatt, the Showtime executive brought in by NBC's new owner, Comcast, says he sought "bold and original and attention-getting" shows to combat viewers' defection to cable. A big focus is comedy, where NBC has struggled by airing critically acclaimed shows with too few viewers. "We need to grow more comedies on our schedule and not just on Thursday, and we need to make the comedies broader,"...

 Getty Images: Scott Gries NEW YORK -- Meredith Vieira said Monday that she will leave NBC's "Today" show next month to spend more time with her family, and Ann Curry will replace her as host. The turnover at television's top-rated morning show was anticipated. Vieira replaced Katie Couric five years ago, and has talked about wanting more free time. Vieira, 57, has three children and her husband, author Richard M. Cohen, wrote a best-selling book about coping with multiple sclerosis and colon cancer. "Even as I say this and I know that it's the right thing, I'm really sad," she said, fighting back emotion as she made the announcement on the air Monday. Her co-host, Matt Lauer, said that Vieira "has brought class and dignity and talent and a joy of life to this show for the last five years." Transitions are unusual for "Today," as Vieira was still the newbie among the show's core four that included Lauer, Curry an...

Diversity in Northeast Ohio is so important to WKYC and 6 & 11 PM anchor Romona Robinson. That's why once again this weekend, Romona will serve as the Grand Marshall for the annual "Walk, Rock and Run." The event starts and ends at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in downtown Cleveland. All the proceeds benefit the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio's youth programs. The race kicks off at 8:30am, Saturday morning. You can register the day of the race, or in advance online at http://www.diversitycenterneo.org/ Come join us!