Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

Do you know Northeast Ohio's roads like the back of your hand? Can you work around a traffic jam in a jiffy? Then you could be Channel 3's next morning Traffic Reporter! We're searching for a fresh face to join the team, so if you've the got roadway knowledge and a great morning attitude, join Pat Butler and the WKYC crew for TRAFFIC TRYOUTS on Saturday, July 13. Auditions will be held at the Channel 3 Studios, 1333 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland. For your chance to tryout or more information, please go to: http://on.wkyc.com/traffictryout Disclaimer: 1 reservation per email address, please. You must be 18 years of age. These are tryouts only and do not guarantee full or part-time employment.

McLEAN, VA and DALLAS, TX – JUNE 13, 2013 – Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) and Belo Corp. (NYSE: BLC) jointly announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Gannett will acquire all outstanding shares of Belo for $13.75 per share in cash, or approximately $1.5 billion, plus the assumption of $715 million in existing debt for an enterprise value of approximately $2.2 billion. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, represents a 28.1 percent premium to the closing price of Belo common stock on June 12, 2013. The combination creates a broadcast “Super Group,” catapulting Gannett into the nation’s fourth-largest owner of major network affiliates reaching nearly a third of all U.S. households.  The acquisition nearly doubles Gannett’s current broadcast portfolio from 23 to 43 stations, including stations to be serviced by Gannett through shared services or similar sharing arrangements. Upo...

By Frank Macek It's time for another "behind the scenes" look at what's happening inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. Congratulations to Channel 3 Reporter Sara Shookman on her first place award in the Press Club of Cleveland's "2013 Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards." Sara won for her report called "Superstorm Sandy: From the edge of the storm." Sara also received a 2nd place honor for her human interest story "Hometown Tour with Dee Haslam." Channel 3 News welcomes Grant deBruin as our new weeknight 11pm producer. deBruin comes to WKYC from our sister station in Buffalo, WGRZ-TV, where he’s currently producing the 5am newscast.  WGRZ has grown to the #1 station in that market with a strategy of asking tough questions and being unwavering advocates for viewers and the community. Grant will bring that winning approach to our news coverage. Channel 3 will holding a station sponsored Health & Wellness Expo at the ...

Congratulations to several WKYC journalists on earning Emmy awards from the Lower Great Lakes Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS). This year's 44th annual awards were presented Saturday, June 1st, at Windows on the River in Cleveland with a reception held afterward at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. The Lower Great Lakes Chapter has a mission to serve its members, recognize excellence and promote the highest standards in television professionalism for stations and broadcast entities Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. The following awards were won by WKYC on Saturday: Newscast-Evening - Market 1-20 Channel 3 News at 6 - Russ Mitchell, Anchor/Sara Shookman, Reporter/Danielle Fink, Assignment Editor/Maureen Kyle, Reporter Breaking News Chardon School Shootings - Erin Kenney, Anchor; Chris Tye, Anchor; Russ Mitchell, Anchor; Lisa Lowry, Assignment Manager; Danielle Fink, Assignment Manager; Maureen Kyle, Reporter; ...