Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

By Frank Macek Saturday night was one of those nights that reminds you why we do what we do. The station came home with multiple Emmy Awards, and it's hard not to feel proud of the talented individuals and teams who earned that recognition. These aren't just trophies — they represent countless hours of storytelling, dedication, and a commitment to journalism that truly matters to our community. Here's a moment to celebrate each of the winners. •Peter Fleischer took home the Emmy in Promotion/News for his Kirtland Cult Killing Documentary. Peter's work on this project was nothing short of extraordinary — tackling one of the most haunting chapters in Northeast Ohio's history with the care and rigor it deserved. Well done, Peter. •Lindsay Buckingham earned the Emmy in Reporter Features/Human Interest for "Heartstrings." If you've seen the piece, you already know why it won. Lindsay has a rare gift for finding the humanity in every story, and "Heartst...

By Frank Macek Cleveland’s rich tapestry of history and transformation has a new storyteller—and it’s someone who knows the city better than most. WKYC Studios has launched a new series titled "Then and Now with Leon Bibb," and it’s a powerful blend of journalism, personal narrative, and a heartfelt tribute to the places that shaped Northeast Ohio in conjunction with the Cleveland Public Library. As someone who’s worked alongside Leon, I can tell you this: no one delivers a story quite like him. With a voice that’s as familiar as it is trusted, Bibb brings both reverence and insight to every location he visits. His new series isn’t just a walk through old buildings or long-forgotten photos—it’s a rediscovery of Cleveland’s soul. A Journalist's Legacy Leon Bibb made history as Ohio’s first African American primetime news anchor. After decades delivering the day’s top stories to viewers across the region, Leon retired from the anchor desk in 2017—but journalism never left h...

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." View this post on Instagram A post shared by WKYC Cleveland (@wkyc3) 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 t...

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 i...

By Frank Macek @maceknewsnation Check out these classic promos featuring the Channel 3 News Team featuring the main talent of Leon Bibb, Doreen Gentzler, Shane Hollett and Kevin Mackey from Cleveland State University from 1986. How many of these do you remember on the air? Our special thanks to David Hrvatin at WKYC for digitizing these promos here at WKYC Studios.

We are always on the look out for classic WKYC gems. This time, we flashback to October 3, 1982, for Action 3 News at 11 pm Nightside with Leon Bibb, Sheryl Browne, Paul Edmunds on weather and John Henk with sports. Enjoy!  

Time for some more classic Channel 3 photos. This batch features some of our various news anchor teams over the year here at WKYC. All pictures are courtesy of Bob Keyes. If you have any pictures you would like to share for the blog, please email me at fmacek@wkyc.com     Weeknight Team: (Back) Al Roker (weather), Mona Scott (weather) (Front) Doug Adair (anchor), Amanda Arnold (anchor), Tom Ryther (sports)     Weekend Team:  (L-R) Leon Bibb (anchor), John Henk (sports), Sheryl Browne (anchor), Paul Edmunds (weather) (L-R) Steve Taylor (sports), Connie Dieken (anchor), Tom Sweeney (anchor), Terry Burhans (weather)