Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

As the high definition leader in locally produced programming in Northeast Ohio, WKYC is proud to showcase our region's most important natural resource in a year- long effort. Lake Erie: Beyond The Surface is a thirty-minute HD special. It is the last of four programs dealing with the fate and future of our great lake. Under the cold murky water of Lake Erie lie thousands of shipwrecks, evidence of our rich maritime heritage. For centuries, these waters have provided vital shipping lanes, abundant food, and the power to drive industry. But while the water's generosity seemed limitless, the lake itself was not. It's taken decades to reclaim this greatest of resources. We stand by the shores of a cleaner lake, but also at the crossroads of some key decisions. What does the future hold for this lake? Our region? Channel 3 explores the growth of international shipping, lakefront development, how Lake Erie will be managed to ensure its future, the newest environmental threat and...

In case you missed the show on Saturday, you can watch it online right now, or a historic KYW Special Report on the state of Lake Erie from 1964. Just follow the links provided below. As the high definition leader in locally produced programming in Northeast Ohio, WKYC is proud to showcase our region's most important natural resource in a year-long effort. Lake Erie: Beyond The Surface is a thirty-minute HD special that aired on Saturday, February 2nd, at 7pm, and was hosted by AM news anchor Mark Nolan. It is the third of four programs dealing with the fate and future of our great lake. Two hundred years ago, 9 American ships fought off a foreign invader on the waters of Lake Erie. Today, there's a new invasion, this one below the surface. Though the lake is significantly cleaner than in the late 1960's, there are serious concerns that we're sliding back into trouble. The dead zone is growing yearly, every eight months a new invasive species drops anchor, and water-hun...

On the surface, it looks like any other body of water. Yet the 11th largest lake on earth has a deeper story to tell. In its currents flow a timeline of the American dream; its successes, its failures, and its future. The story of Lake Erie is one of environmental recovery, economic resurgence and diversity of purpose. Yet this is a very pivotal time for the lake and our region. While experts believe that the quality of the lake improved dramatically from 1975 thru 1995, the past ten years have been more disturbing. Threatening invasive species, watershed problems and the need for economic utilization force us to learn how to best balance commerce, recreation, homeland security and environmental concerns. WKYC-TV/HD presents Part 2 in our series "Lake Erie: Beyond the Surface." Shot completely in high definition, we explore the economic importance of one of our most precious natural resources. Click on the following links to watch the show on-line, right now: Segment #1 Segme...