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.)