Planet CLE | Here's How You Can Help Protect Northeast Ohio As We Celebrate Earth Day 2022

Earth Day 2022 promises to be a busy day for WKYC Studios, as we launch a year-long station-wide effort to raise awareness about the urgent need to preserve our environment locally and globally.

On April 22, our “Planet CLE” campaign kicks off with our station broadcasting live from outdoor sites in Cleveland, and a team of reporters sharing stories about the biggest environmental challenges facing Northeast Ohio.

We’ll even partner with the TODAY Show during the 8 am hour and join with teams in other cities to help set a world record for the most plants watered simultaneously.

3News meteorologists Payton Domschke and Jason Mikell will be in Eastlake on Earth Day, helping the Western Reserve Land Conservancy plant trees along a stretch of property that was recently purchased by a public/private partnership in order to conserve it.

Our Earth Day coverage also includes an interview with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb about his environmental agenda and why restoring the city’s parks has become a personal mission for him.

And tune into our What’s Next show at 11 pm on Friday to learn about the monthly “Planet CLE Challenges” we’ll be posing to our viewers in the coming year. For our first challenge, we will encourage our viewers to reduce the amount of driving they do by at least one car trip before May 30, and instead to walk, bike or take public transit.

A recently released United Nations report on climate change warned that nations must drastically change their energy policies and reduce dependence on fossil fuels or the resulting climate change will be catastrophic. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded in its report that the world’s greenhouse gas emissions must peak no later than 2025 and then decline dramatically, in order to avoid extreme weather, rising sea levels and threats to water and food supplies.

Future Planet CLE challenges include participating in community or beach clean-ups, cutting down on use of single-use plastics, curbing water waste, and all sorts of other practices that help preserve the environment.

We hope that our viewers will participate each month and post pictures using the #PlanetCLE hashtag.

To learn more about what individuals can do to preserve our environment, check out our Planet CLE digital guide which offers way to celebrate Earth Day at home including tips for recycling, reducing use of plastics and cleaning up Lake Erie.

Our Planet CLE initiative will stretch far beyond Cleveland’s boundaries; it will share information vital to all our Northeast Ohio viewers. Click here for a calendar of Earth Day events happening across the region, including in Medina, Stark and Richland counties.

A Cleveland Icon: 3News' Leon Bibb Gets Street Renamed In His Honor

Special to the Director's Cut Blog

Leon Bibb on 3/25/22    

By Ryan Haidet, wkyc.com

CLEVELAND — It's a big day for 3News’ Leon Bibb.

City officials honored the Cleveland TV news legend Friday afternoon by dedicating “Leon Bibb Way” at East 105th Street and Parkgate Avenue.

Standing under the street sign bearing his name, Bibb recounted some of his childhood memories growing up at a home just down the street.

“My childhood home was just a comfortable walk from the shores of Lake Erie, which call my family and friends to its wide-sweeping magnitude and its beauty. It was a wonderful childhood on this street, which my parents called a street of dreams. I don’t remember much about moving here when we moved here because I was only 3 years old."

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He did remember, however, arriving to the home in a taxi cab with his mother while his father traveled there in the moving truck because they did not own a car at the time.

"My folks selected this house on Parkgate down the street at 9122 because it was a quiet neighborhood with a good elementary school right across the street," he continued. "My father taught me about following the rules and sticking to what you want to do. My mother taught me about how to be kind. I think about the house on Parkgate Avenue, which was our home through all of my years until I reached the age of 18 and went off to college. I think not only of my blood family, but there was a brotherhood. There was a brotherhood that I shared with my friends here."

We streamed the entire street naming dedication ceremony live, which you can watch in the player below:

Chants of "Leon! Leon! Leon!" were heard in the moments before the street naming dedication began. Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, a relative of Leon's, also said a few words.
“My cousin, Leon, is certainly a titan in the Bibb family and a titan in Cleveland," Mayor Justin Bibb said at the dedication ceremony. "When I think about the contributions he’s made to this state and this city, the biggest thing I think about is one word: Service. He served this country, like my father, in the Vietnam War. He was the first Black anchorman in the state of Ohio. He has always made sure that our family lived up to this legacy of service.”

The honorary designation of Leon Bibb Way was initially announced last October as 3News marked his milestone 50 years in television.

“For 17 years, that's where I grew up,” Bibb said after first learning of the honor last year. “From before kindergarten all the way until I went to college, we lived on that street. My parents bought that house and we lived on that street.”

Former 3News reporter Tom Beres was also there for the dedication.

“I never expected anything like this,” Bibb said. “You know, people say, ‘how did you last 50 years?’ And I say, one day at a time.

Congratulations! We are so proud of you!

Neil Fischer Joins WKYC Studios in April

Neil Fischer

By Frank Macek
@maceknewsnation

WKYC Director of Content Adam Miller has announced Neil Fischer is joining the WKYC family as a Multi-Skilled Journalist starting next month.

A St. Louis native, Neil will join WKYC Studios after the past two years at KAPP-KVEW in Kennewick (Tri-Cities), Washington where he worked as an MMJ, reporter and anchor, covering everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to social justice protests in addition to wildfires that plagued that region. 

Neil is a graduate of Lindenwood University with a B.A. in Communications and Broadcasting, where he hosted a radio show, serving play-by-play for a variety of sports and he also played on the men’s baseball team.

Neil’s natural curiosity, impressive work ethic and genuine passion for storytelling aligns well with the 3News team and our push to continue focusing journalistic efforts around what matters most.

We look forward to Neil joining WKYC Studios and embracing the Northeast Ohio community.

Job openings at WKYC Studios for 3/23/22

By Frank Macek

@maceknewsnation

WKYC Studios has these job openings if you are looking for a rewarding career experience with us at TEGNA Media's Cleveland location.

Current WKYC Job Openings

• IT Specialist
• Visual Storyteller
• Reporter
• Executive News Producer
• Executive Producer
• Digital Content Producer
• Associate Producer
• News Intern
• Content Producer/Editor
• Host
• Director
• Multi-Skilled Journalist
• News Producer
• Editor
• Part-Time Editor
• Weekend Anchor/Reporter
• Director of Digital Content
• On Air Advertorial Host

You can also find other jobs within our parent company on the TEGNA Career Page. 

NOTE: You must applyvia the website. Mailed applications are not accepted.

Follow Frank Macek for new postings on Twitter @MacekNewsNation or on Facebook at fb/frank.macek

WATCH: "What Matters Most" February 2022 Campaign

By Frank Macek
@maceknewsnation

As I've mentioned in previous posts, WKYC Studios recently adopted the tagline of "What Matters Most" just in time for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Check out some of the creative promos we have been running during February. These were created by our wonderful marketing and promotions department here at the station.

Let us know what you think? Please email me at fmacek@wkyc.com 

And thanks for watching 3News: What Matters Most.

"Hey Frank" for February 18, 2022

Frank Macek
@maceknewsnation

I put out the call, and you answered filling my inbox with emails for our first session of "Hey Frank." This gives you a chance to ask questions about the things you see on WKYC regarding our news  product, NBC programming, on-air talent or the station's community outreach programs.

Don't forget, you can email me your questions at fmacek@wkyc.com

So let's get started with our first edition...

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Hey Frank - "How are the ratings? Can you post them for the public to see? - Joseph

Hey Joseph - The station remains very competitive in all our news time periods. We are giving long-time news leader WJW a run for its money in the morning time slots and during the evening. I can not post specific ratings numbers due to Nielsen rules and regulations. Plus, I do not see the daily numbers or put much stock into them. We would rather see trends that develop over a period of time. 

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Hey Frank - "I noticed WKYC has changed the name of your newscast to '3News at 6' from 'What Matters Most." Are your other shows going to change their names too? - Don

Hey Don - The short answer is no. The station recently evolved our station branding to include the tag line of 'What Matters Most' to reflect our station's commitment to bringing our viewers the stories that matter most to them. W gave a new name to the 6 o'clock show to set it apart from that branding. All our other shows will keep their current names including GO!, What's New at 5p, Front Row at 7p and What's Next at 11p.

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Hey Frank - "What's it like when the Olympics are on WKYC. Does it make your life busier? - Josh

Hey Josh - Yes, the Olympics become a full station effort for two weeks. As you know, we do an additional Olympic Zone show at 7:30p Monday through Friday and 7p on Saturday leading into NBC's prime-time coverage. This show focuses on some of our local athletes and behind the scenes stories from Beijing from our partners at NBC. In addition, most of our 11p newscast get bumped to different time slots depending on that evening's scheduled coverage. This Olympics, we have started the late news anywhere from 10:30p until 12:30a. It's a very long two weeks, but we enjoy having the Olympics and get to do fun stuff at the station with employees including our own competitions to celebrate.

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Hey Frank - "Why so many job openings lately at WKYC? Are more people leaving the station?" - Jenny

Hey Jenny - Although some of our station folks have moved on to other stations which is a normal part of television, WKYC is actually in an expansion mode right now as we inch deeper into the streaming world. Many of the open positions are new positions that will be part of this new streaming venture. If you are looking for a new opportunity, WKYC is the place to be right now. Apply!

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Hey Frank - "Why does the station break from the TEGNA brand?  - Jason

Hey Jason - In 2019, the station decided we wanted to experiment with a new feel that was different from what other TEGNA stations were doing. This included new graphics that were built in-house and a new design to the our "3" logo. At the same time, our content shifted away from just hard news stories and became more of a mix of hard news and those that fit the lifestyles of those in Northeast Ohio. This brand continues to evolve as more and more people tell us what interests them, or "what matters most" to them.

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Hey Frank - "You keep posting about your weather tower being called the Al Roker tower. Why did you name it after him? - Mary Lee

Hey Mary Lee - It's all about history! As you probably know, Al Roker was a beloved weather man at WKYC during the early 1980s and still holds Cleveland very dear to his heart, although he now resides in New York and is a staple of NBC's Today Show. When he was in town last year, we decided to honor him by naming our weather tower after him. Hopefully when the weather turns more pleasant, we'll do a little fresh paint job on the tower and put his name (or mug) on the tower. 

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Hey Frank - "You've been doing your blog for many years. Does the station control what you say? - Dawn

Hey Dawn - No. The station has not kept me from posting stories when new talent are announced or other big station news breaks. However, I do not and will not post anything that is confidential to the station or keeps us from having an competitive advantage with other news outlets in town. 

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Thanks for this first batch of questions. Please keep them coming - Frank

WKYC Puts Its Mission Into Words: What Matters Most

Special to the Director's Cut Blog

By David Hrvatin

In late 2019, WKYC took a decidedly bold step and brought our 70-year-old TV station into the modern era. Our entire staff came together to rethink our approach to storytelling and created fresh content to keep up with the changing content preferences of audiences while maintaining the level of journalistic integrity Northeast Ohioans expect from us.

Then the world changed. The COVID-19 pandemic forced us all to take a step back. As a society, we gave a lot of thought to what truly matters most in our lives.

What Matters Most is different for everyone. Sometimes, what matters most is enough to compel change. Change for you, your family, your career, even your health.

For a while now, "What Matters Most” has been the name of our 6 p.m. newscast. But looking at the world around us, we realize those three words should apply to more than just one show. They should apply to everything we do at 3News. They will.

What Matters Most is recognizing real problems and showing practical solutions. What Matters Most is shared by all. The thrill of a win, the power of truth and the beauty of love.

Coinciding with the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, “What Matters Most” becomes more than simply a show title. It becomes a commitment to WKYC’s coverage and community involvement. Most importantly, it’s a dedication to listening to, and serving you. What’s important to you is what matters most to us.

For those wondering what this means for our 6 p.m. newscast, “What Matters Most”, that will now be known as “3News at 6.” For viewers who regularly record this newscast, you’ll want to update your DVR settings to record “3News at 6” when it appears on your program guide.

For seventy-three years, WKYC has operated to serve in the public interest of Northeast Ohio. That will never change. What Matters Most is not for us to say; it is for us to share. Our new tagline is participatory. We encourage you to share your story ideas and what matters most to you by way of emailing whatmatters@wkyc.com. Messages sent to that address go directly into the inboxes of our content and creative leaders.

Submit your questions for a new feature called "Hey Frank"

By Frank Macek
@maceknewsnation

Ever wondered about something you see on the air at WKYC Studios?

Submit your questions and I'll do my best to answer them in an upcoming edition of "Hey Frank."

Keep in mind, I can not divulge station secrets or address rumors, but I will honestly try and answer questions about the programing and people you see on 3.

Please email me at fmacek@wkyc.com. (I will not publish your email addresses on the blog, but would appreciate you providing your first name that I will use as part of the feature format.)

Carmen Blackwell Joins the 3News Team

By Frank Macek

@maceknewsnation

The 3News team has grown a little bigger this week with the arrival of Carmen Blackwell as a weeknight reporter at WKYC Studios.

A New Orleans native, Carmen told us she’s ready to call the birthplace of Rock & Roll her new home and "bring a little taste of the Crescent City to the Land," according to 3News Director of Content Adam Miller.

Carmen Blackwell

Carmen joins our station from KSAZ-TV/Phoenix, Arizona, where she was most recently a weekday morning reporter. 

Graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and Carmen began her career as a weekday morning anchor, reporter and producer at KALB-TV in Alexandria, LA before moving to the FOX affiliate in Phoenix. 

When not reporting, Carmen enjoys spending time with her husband, one-year-old son and Mini Aussie Poo pup named Lola.

Look for Carmen on our evening newscasts beginning next week.

TEGNA Earns Perfect Score for LGBTQ+ Workplace Equality for Sixth Consecutive Year in Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index

TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) today announced that, for the sixth consecutive year, it has received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index (“CEI”), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

“It is an honor to once again receive a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index and be designated a Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality,” said Grady Tripp, vice president and chief diversity officer, TEGNA. “We are proud of the work we are doing to build an inclusive workplace that welcomes employees from diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, and we remain dedicated to supporting equality and equal rights for all.”

The 2022 CEI evaluated over 1,200 companies promoting LGBTQ+-friendly policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families, inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility.

TEGNA proudly supports several diverse causes within the LGBTQ+ community and is an active supporter of NLGJA: The Association of Lesbian and Gay Journalists. TEGNA Foundation has supported students’ participation in the organization’s annual conference for more than six years. In 2021, the TEGNA Foundation provided a grant to support LGBTQ student journalists through Connect, the organization’s journalism training project, which was held during their two-day virtual convention. TEGNA also sponsored a workshop entitled “Reunited: Managing Newsroom Relationships After a Year of Remote Work,” where journalists and managers shared first-hand experience and facilitated discussions with attendees about how to manage, maintain, and grow employee-manager relationships after the pandemic. TEGNA also participated in the conference’s virtual Career Fair and spoke with candidates seeking employment.

The TEGNA Foundation has also supported the Washington AIDS Partnership since 1992, specifically the Health Corps program, a group of 12 recent college graduates who serve at local health care providers or social service organizations. The Foundation also partners with LGBTQ-focused nonprofits in TEGNA’s local markets. In Washington, D.C. the Foundation works with the Latin American Youth Center’s STRIPES program, an after-school education, leadership and awareness-building program focused on LGBTQ ally training and issues related to LGBTQ identity.

More information on TEGNA’s benefits, including parental leave, adoption and surrogacy assistance and mental health benefits is available at TEGNA.com/careers/benefits/.

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NOTE: TEGNA is the parent company of WKYC-TV. The above is a press release issued by TEGNA on January 27, 2022.

Tonight at 7p on 3: A Turning Point

Coming up tonight at 7p on 3, we'll present another edition of "Front Row: A Turning Point."

The belief that when blacks and Latinos move ahead, whites lose ground.

Author Heather McGhee calls it "zero-sum thinking."

We talk with the woman behind the New York Times bestseller "The Sum of Us."

You'll hear her theory as we explore solutions that allow all Americans to prosper together.

Join us tonight at 7p on 3 for our on-going series called "A Turning Point."

Director's Cut Blog EXTRA: 

Upon exploring some issues raised in The Sum of Us by author Heather McGhee, 3News hosted "A Turning Point" panel conversation on Tuesday afternoon connected to the concerns surrounding environmental racism and justice.

3News contributor Chris Webb moderated the discussion on how to be solution-oriented when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion issues, climate justice and building an interracial coalition around environmental issues.

You can watch that panel discussion below from January 25, 2022, presented by wkyc.com:

For more of "A Turning Point," visit our special section on our website: wkyc.com/turningpoint

Evening Anchor Russ Mitchell Celebrates 10 Years at WKYC

By Frank Macek

@maceknewsnation

Congratulations to our own Russ Mitchell in celebrating his 10 year anniversary with WKYC Studios this month.

In December 2011, former WKYC VP/General Manager Brooke Spectorsky announced to the staff Russ would be moving from his role at CBS News to become weeknight Managing Editor and the 6 & 11P anchor on the station in January 2012.

He would replace Romona Robinson who left the station upon the expiration of her contract on December 16, 2011, following a 15 year stint with the station. Most of that time, Robinson was teamed with co-anchor Tim White who also exited in 2008.

Seen as a coup at the time by local media insiders who were shocked the station failed to renew Robinson's contract, Russ left his role as an anchor  and journalist at CBS News to head to Cleveland. 

While based at CBS in New York City since 1992, Russ held a number of roles at the network over the next 19 years including co-anchor of "Up To the Minute," original co-anchor of the "Saturday Early Show," news anchor for the weekday edition of "This Morning," weekend anchor of "CBS Evening News" and a primary weeknight substitute for Dan Rather, John Roberts, Bob Schieffer, Katie Couric and Scott Pelley on the "CBS Evening News"

Said Mitchell of the change: "I've been thinking about going back to local television for a few years... It's been a great run at CBS, but I miss the pulse of a local newsroom, and, being from the Midwest, I miss being part of a community. But I wasn't going to go just anywhere. Cleveland reminds me a great deal of the city where I grew up, and I'm looking forward to bringing my family because I think we're going to have a really good life there, " according to his bio on Wikipedia.

Mitchell was born in St. Louis and graduated with a BA in Journalism in 1982 from the University of Missouri.

Meet the Newer Faces at WKYC Studios

By Frank Macek

@maceknewsnation

As we kick off 2022 and the re-launch of the Director's Cut Blog, I wanted to share with you a few of the new faces you have seen lately on WKYC. Even though the pandemic has disrupted all of our lives, we have been working hard behind the scenes to put together the best team of people to bring you the news, weather and sports you've come to expect from WKYC.

With our team in place, all of us at WKYC Studios are now getting ready for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, The Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Weekend in the CLE. It's going to be a February to remember.

Let's take a look at some of the new people who have joined WKYC Studios in 2021.

Payton Domschke

Payton Domschke

Payton Domschke joined the 3News weather team in December 2021 as our 5th meteorologist.

After spending the last two years on the East Coast with our sister station WVEC - 13News Now, Payton was thrilled to return to her beloved Midwest. She was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, and she is named after famous Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton.

Some of Payton’s other passions include health and fitness, photography, and so much more. She can’t wait to get to know NE Ohio!

Emma Henderson

Emma Henderson

Emma joined WKYC December 1, 2021, from our TEGNA station WTOL-TV/Toledo, Ohio. 

Emma is also an award-winning journalist proud to be reporting in her home state.

Born and raised in the Columbus area, she went to the University of Missouri where she got her start at KOMU 8 News graduating in 2016 with a Bachelor's of Journalism in Broadcast with a focus in Investigative Reporting.

Isabel Lawrence 

Isabel Lawrence

Isabel joined WKYC from NBC15 in Madison, Wisconsin, on November 15, 2021. 

She was a weekday morning anchor at the NBC affiliate before journeying to the CLE.

While Isabel’s 2:30 a.m. alarm will no longer sound five days a week, she'll still be waking up early on Sundays, when she’ll be anchoring GO! During the week, you can catch her reporting for What’s New and What Matters Most.

Jason Mikell

Jason Mikell

Jason joined us from TEGNA station KVUE-TV/Austin, Texas, on September 13, 2021. 

Jason previously worked in the Buckeye State at WLIO in Lima, Ohio, beginning in 2016 as weekend meteorologist and later that year promoted to Chief Meteorologist. 

His love for meteorology began at a very young age growing up in south Mississippi. A self-proclaimed foodie and huge music lover, travel is one of Jason's biggest interests. He looks forward to exploring the many hidden treasures of Northeast Ohio.

Lydia Esparra

Lydia Esparra

Lydia rejoined WKYC from WOIO-TV/Cleveland, Ohio, at the end of August 2021.

Lydia was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, and earned a BA Degree in Telecommunications from The Ohio State University. 

In 1997, she became the first Latina news reporter at a Cleveland television station. In 2012, Lydia received the Robert G. McGruder Diversity in Media Distinguished Leadership Award from Kent State University. In 2014, she was named the “Ohio Television News Anchor of the Year” by the La Voz Media Alliance and received the Coretta Scott King Award from the NAACP 34-AB.

Marisa Saenz

Marisa Saenz

Marisa joined WKYC in March 2021 from KFOX14-TV & KDBC-TV/El Paso, Texas. 

During her time there, Marisa covered international stories, including breaking news of asylum seekers crossing into the U.S. from Mexico, the devastating Cielo Vista Aug. 3 Walmart shooting that left 23 people dead, and the surge in COVID-19 cases in the Borderland that made international news.

While Marisa’s passion lies in telling stories across the board, she’s most passionate in telling investigative pieces that allow her to help solve problems Northeast Ohioans are facing.

Dominic Ferrante

Dominic Ferrante

Dominic Ferrante has lived his entire life on the east side of Cleveland. After a short time in Mayfield, he moved out to Chardon and has lived there ever since. Dominic is most supported by his mother and father, two younger twin brothers and an older sister.

After attending Chardon High school and graduating in 2016, Dominic continued his education at Bowling Green State University. In his free time Dominic loves spending time with his dogs and girlfriend, Morgan. If not there, Dominic can be found on the bike path or flying his drone. 

January Keaton

January Keaton

January Keaton joined WKYC Studios on January 25, 2021.

January is a Lorain native and Kent State University graduate who has worked for more than 15 years in various news markets, beginning behind-the-scenes as a producer right here in Northeast Ohio at both WOIO and later for WEWS' morning broadcast. 

January has also traveled the country as part of the touring cast of an acclaimed musical before eventually returning to her news roots in 2011 as an Anchor/MMJ for WTEN in Albany, New York.

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A special thanks to the writers at wkyc.com for providing the biographical information.