Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

By Frank Macek I remember the first time I heard the voices on NPR drifting through my family’s kitchen like a warm breeze. I was eight years old. It was early morning, and the smell of coffee filled the air while Bob Edwards calmly shared the news of the world on "Morning Edition." That moment stuck with me. It was the first time I realized news didn’t have to shout at you to get your attention. It could be gentle, thoughtful, and full of truth. It could invite you in. Public media has always done that. And now, it’s under threat. Recent legislation by former President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) isn’t just a budget line being slashed. It’s a deeper cut — one into the heart of our civic life, our culture, our identity as a nation that values knowledge, empathy, and community. Let’s be clear: public media isn’t a luxury. It’s a lifeline. And if we allow that line to be cut, we all lose. Whether...

We couldn't divulge this secret until it was official, but since Ohio Media Watch and FCC datbase are both reporting it, we'll making a quick mention of it. WVIZ is indeed going to making a move of their broadcast location from the WNCX tower in North Royalton to the WKYC facility in Parma later this year. After a long running dispute between WVIZ and CBS Radio, their current tower owner, the station has come to terms with WKYC owner Gannett about working with WKYC to build a brand new tower that will support both station's digital broadcasting antennas. WKYC's old tower will be razed after the February 17, 2009 transition date according to WKYC Director of Engineering, Mike Szabo. This will finally give viewers of WVIZ-DT a much clearer signal since the station has been broadcasting from a mini tower on the old studios on Brookpark Road. As we have told you in the past, WKYC will be busy this year building out another new digital transmission facility that will move W...