Happy Birthday WKYC: 77 Years of Legacy of Innovation, Storytelling, and Cleveland Spirit

By Frank Macek

Old WKYC building at E. 6th Street

October 31 isn’t just Halloween in Cleveland—it’s also the day Channel 3 first lit up the airwaves. On October 31, 1948, WKYC—then known as WNBK—signed on as Cleveland’s second television station, following WEWS-TV. Seventy-seven years later, that pioneering NBC signal from Parma has evolved into a multimedia powerhouse that continues to inform, inspire, and connect Northeast Ohio.

When WNBK first went on the air, television itself was still new and experimental. Only a few hundred Clevelanders owned TV sets, and most programming came live from NBC’s studios in New York. The local station filled the schedule with community shows, live news, and sports, all broadcast from a modest downtown facility. Those early engineers, announcers, and producers were true trailblazers, figuring out the technology and storytelling in real time.

In 1954, the station relocated its transmitter to Parma and moved from Channel 4 to Channel 3 to improve signal coverage and reduce interference. The switch strengthened NBC’s presence across Northern Ohio—from Sandusky to Youngstown—and gave Clevelanders the Channel 3 identity that endures today.

Courtesy: Cleveland Classic Media

Then came one of the most unusual chapters in American broadcasting. In 1956, NBC traded its Cleveland station to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in exchange for a Philadelphia property. Under Westinghouse, the station’s call letters were changed to KYW-TV. The swap created years of confusion and legal wrangling between the two companies. After nearly a decade, the Federal Communications Commission reversed the deal in 1965.

When NBC regained control, it needed a new call sign—but Clevelanders had come to know the Westinghouse “KYW” identity. To maintain viewer familiarity while signaling a fresh NBC start, the network chose WKYC-TV, preserving the “KY” and “W” from KYW as a nod to the station’s Westinghouse past while adding “C” for Cleveland.

NBC owned and operated the station for much of the 20th century before selling it to the Gannett Company, which later became Tegna Inc., WKYC’s parent company today. Under Tegna, the station continues to evolve as a modern, multi-platform newsroom—one that serves audiences on air, online, and on every screen imaginable.

Current WKYC Studios in Cleveland

Throughout its 77 years, WKYC has been defined by its ability to adapt. It was among the first in Ohio to broadcast in color, one of the earliest to produce news in stereo, and a pioneer of high-definition newscasts. That spirit of innovation continued with the station’s transformation into WKYC Studios—a state-of-the-art facility on Lakeside Avenue designed to unite television, digital, and streaming storytelling under one roof in early 2001.

WKYC’s cameras have been there for the biggest moments in Cleveland history. The station covered the Cuyahoga River fire of 1969, the Kent State shootings of 1970, and the economic revival that reshaped the city’s skyline. It has told stories of heartbreak and hope—from the Browns’ playoff droughts to the Cavaliers’ 2016 championship parade, from factory closures to the rebirth of neighborhoods once written off.

For more than seven decades, Channel 3 has chronicled not just the news, but the spirit of Northeast Ohio.

That legacy lives through the people who have passed through its newsroom—anchors, producers, photographers, editors, and technicians whose dedication and craft have built one of the strongest journalistic traditions in the Midwest. Names like Tom Haley, Doug Adair, Del Donahoo, Romona Robinson, Tim White, Russ Mitchell, Christi Paul, Jim Donovan, Maureen Kyle, and Jay Crawford represent generations of trusted faces who helped shape WKYC’s on-air legacy. Each one carried the same mission: to tell the truth, reflect the community, and do it with heart.

But it’s the people behind the scenes who keep the heart of Channel 3 beating. The photographers and editors who battle the elements to capture the perfect shot, the engineers who maintain the transmitter and streaming systems, the producers who juggle breaking stories and deadlines—all of them are the invisible backbone of WKYC. Their work is what allows the rest of us to see Cleveland’s story unfold every day.

For WKYC, innovation has always gone hand in hand with storytelling. The station has launched countless local programs that mirrored the region’s energy—from early magazine-style shows like “Montage” to contemporary community features like “What Matters Most” and “Your Voice, Your Stories.” Each new effort has carried the same goal: to give Northeast Ohioans a voice and shine a light on people making a difference.

As technology evolved, WKYC kept pace. When streaming emerged, the station embraced it early—launching full newscasts and special content on YouTube, Roku, and the WKYC+ app. As social media became part of daily life, the newsroom transformed again, sending push alerts, live updates, and instant weather warnings directly to viewers’ phones.

This transition hasn’t diluted WKYC’s journalism—it has strengthened it. The station has participated in Tegna’s VERIFY project, a fact-checking initiative that was dedicated to cutting through misinformation and providing viewers with clarity. In a digital world overflowing with noise, WKYC remains a trusted local voice—grounded in accuracy, transparency, and community trust.

Inside the newsroom, the pace is faster than anything those early WNBK pioneers could have imagined. Reporters shoot, write, and edit their own stories; producers craft television and digital versions simultaneously; and editors turn raw video into powerful visual storytelling in minutes instead of hours. But the spirit is still the same. When the red light goes on, a team of professionals—from studio techs to field crews—work together to bring Clevelanders the truth.

And when the weather turns fierce, that teamwork truly shines. WKYC’s weather team has long been among the most respected in the region—from Wally Kinan and Dick Goddard’s legendary forecasts to Betsy Kling’s leadership as Chief Meteorologist today. Whether it’s a severe thunderstorm or a full-blown blizzard, viewers know Channel 3 will be there with clear, calm, and dependable Weather Impact coverage.

Over time, WKYC has become woven into the daily rhythm of Cleveland life. Families have shared breakfast and dinner with its anchors. Kids have watched its school closings scroll across the screen on snowy mornings with Tom and Del. Generations have turned to Channel 3 not just for news, but for connection—because WKYC has always felt like part of the family as you "Turned to 3."

Cleveland itself has transformed in the same way. Once an industrial powerhouse and now a city of health care, technology, and culture, Cleveland’s evolution mirrors WKYC’s—resilient, adaptive, and hopeful. When the city has struggled, Channel 3 told those stories with honesty. When the city has triumphed, it’s been there to celebrate. When crisis has struck, it’s stayed on air to serve.

Every October 31, as trick-or-treaters fill the streets, there’s a quieter moment inside WKYC’s newsroom—a shared realization among staff that they’re part of something historic. Seventy-seven years of telling Cleveland’s story is no small feat. The cameras, clothes, and control rooms may have changed, but the mission hasn’t: show up, tell the story, and serve the viewer.

That dedication is what keeps WKYC relevant. From the flicker of black-and-white in 1948 to the crystal clarity of streaming in 2025, the station’s goal has always been the same—to keep Clevelanders informed, connected, and proud of where they live.

So here’s to WKYC—Cleveland’s Channel 3—for 77 years of innovation, resilience, and heart. To the anchors and producers who’ve guided viewers through the big stories. To the photographers and editors who made them unforgettable. To the engineers who kept the signal alive through blizzards, lightning strikes, and power outages. And to the viewers—millions of them across generations—who’ve made WKYC part of their lives.

Because when you strip away the lights, the logos, and the decades, one truth remains constant: WKYC has always been—and will always be—Cleveland’s station.

WATCH: Channel 3's 75th Anniversary Celebration