Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

SNL enters its 38th season on September 15 with host Seth MacFarlane. The Emmy Award-winning comedian and "Family Guy" creator recently directed and lent his voice to the blockbuster feature film, "Ted," starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis. Frank Ocean will also make his SNL debut alongside MacFarlane. Ocean released his studio debut album "Channel Orange," in July 2012 to widespread critical acclaim. He originally gained notoriety within the industry for his writing collaborations with top artists like Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Beyonce. Joseph Gordon-Levitt returns on September 22 for his second time as host. The Golden Globe nominated actor will next be seen in "Looper" and Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," due out later this year. Mumford & Sons will make their debut as musical guest on September 22. The Grammy nominated group's second studio album, "Babel" will be released on September 24. Their debut album,...

Published reports say The Tonight Show has laid off about two dozen workers and host Jay Leno has taken a large pay cut to save the jobs of other staffers. The moves are part of a restructuring to save money at NBC. NBC Universal imposed the cutbacks Friday, according to reports in The Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times. Both newspapers cited an unnamed person familiar with what happened. The layoffs and Leno's salary concessions were first reported by Deadline Hollywood, a website that tracks the entertainment industry. NBC Universal declined comment. The network has been losing money, increasing the pressure to cut expenses under corporate parent Comcast Corp. A spokesman for Leno says the late-night show host did what he thought was necessary to protect his staff. Source: The Associated Press

Last night’s pre-season Browns game on WKYC did an impressive 21 Household Rating and the highest Men 25-54 number since 2008 or when demographics became available. The game was by far the most watched program of the night, averaging 429,000 viewers, and the Adults 25-54 rating was higher than any of the preseason games of 2011. “Football is back! And like fans all over Northeast Ohio, we really enjoyed watching the Cleveland Browns beat the Green Bay Packers,” said Brooke Spectorsky, President and General Manager of WKYC. “The preseason games on Channel 3 have always garnered excellent ratings, and this year looks to be even more exciting. I know Jim Donovan and Bernie Kosar are really looking forward to calling next Friday’s first home game against the Eagles.” The HD production of Browns preseason includes a crew of over 30 technicians and production personnel, 10 cameras, 8 channels of video replay, live aerial coverage from the Goodyear blimp and unique access to players and...

By Frank Macek It's time for another behind the scenes look at what's happening inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. The second Browns preseason game will air tonight on WKYC, Channel 3, with the Pregame Huddle at 7:30 p.m. followed by the game at 8 p.m. against the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, Jim Donovan is under the weather and will not be doing the play by play this evening. Jim's current illness is unrelated to his bone marrow transplant last year. Andrew Catalon will fill in for Jim on tonight's broadcast next to Bernie Kosar. "Live on Lakeside" made its debut on Monday, our brand new weekday morning show that airs from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. with anchors Hollie Strano and Michael Cardamone. The show features frequent news segments, along with plenty of entertainment and lifestyle news. The fourth hour of the "Today Show" moved to 10 a.m. and now airs live, instead of on tape delay. Channel 3 welcomes new producer Maggie T...

WKYC's Chris Tye with NBC's Matt Lauer As we head into the final stretch of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Channel 3 News journalists Chris Tye, Amanda Barren and Jennifer Lindgren share some of their personal photos of the action behind the scenes. The three have brought us some remarkable stories about our local athletes and cultural elements of British society. Click on the picture for our photogallery or the following link: on.wkyc.com/MmAXz3 You can also watch the video below where Chris Tye goes behind the scenes at the "Today Show" to see how they are handling their live coverage weekday mornings.

Today Show in London The London Olympics are a huge boon to NBC's struggling "Today" show. The Nielsen ratings company says the NBC morning show eclipsed ABC's "Good Morning America" by more than 1.6 million viewers last week. "Today" broadcast from London all last week, taking advantage of NBC's status as holder of the rights to the very popular Olympics. "Good Morning America" had beaten "Today" in the ratings for five weeks prior to the London trip. NBC has sought to use the trip to get morning viewers used to its new co-anchor, Savannah Guthrie. Source: The Associated Press

Channel 3 will be adding even more Browns coverage to our lineup this year with the addition of "Browns Insider" beginning in September. The show will air on WKYC every Saturday morning from 10:30 until 11 a.m. beginning September 8th, following Channel 3 News Weekend Edition from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. The show will replace "It's About You" that will return after the Browns regular season. The program is hosted by the Browns' Jamir Howerton, and will feature a weekly one-on-one interview with Head Coach Pat Shurmur, conducted by Browns Senior Editor Vic Carucci. Other content will consist of interviews with members of the Browns coaching staff, as well as features on current and former players. WKYC will once again present "Browns Pregame Huddle" with Jim Donovan and Dave Chudowsky every Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. and "Browns Tonight" with Dave Chudowsky every Sunday night at 11:30 p.m. right after Channel 3 News at 11. In...

Click photo to view our photogallery By Frank Macek Channel 3 News has a slightly new look this week as we debut our brand new anchor desk to coincide with the Olympics on NBC. The set contains a brand new desk that will offer more intimacy between guests and our reporters and anchors. Another major change includes the banner above the set which now presents our facility as more of an "Information Center" than a traditional newsroom. The television station now has several on-air and on-line platforms that make us more of a content provider than ever before. Our ace photographer Ryan Haidet put a photogallery together of the new set. Click on the picture to see the whole gallery or visit http://on.wkyc.com/QbqWZd

As part of our 2012 London Olympic coverage, we have put together a new on-air image campaign called "See the Possible." Click on the spots to watch a sampling:

With the Olympics just a few days away, WKYC has launched a fun game on our WKYC Facebook page called the "Olympic Challenge". This challenge lets you match wits with your friends by answering Olympic themed trivia questions and making predictions on the outcome of various events. You will earn points and bragging rights based on how well you do. Through Thursday evening, we are offering everyone who signs up to play during the Olympics a chance to win an iPad on our main Facebook page @ http://on.fb.me/OcgbCI You must be at least 18 years old and agree to the Official Rules and Privacy Policy. Also, Channel 3 has set up a brand new Twitter page that lets you follow all the Olympic action in real-time for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. WKYC's Chris Tye, Amanda Barren and Jennifer Lindgren are in London now and are tweeting behind the scenes tidbits and more as they cover the Games for  Channel 3 and USA Today. Just follow us on Twitter @ WKYCOlym...

WKYC, Channel 3, will start a special 5 p.m. newscast with Russ Mitchell and Kris Pickel starting Monday, July 30th. The newscast will replace Dr. Phil for 2 weeks during the 2012 Summer Olympics and will feature the entire Channel 3 News team.

NBC will air two "Saturday Night Live" prime-time election specials, and it's leaving the door open to cult-favorite comedy "Community" to return after next season's abbreviated run. NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt announced Tuesday that the "SNL" specials will air Sept. 20 and 27. (SNL airs at 11:30 p.m. on WKYC) He says "Community," which hovered near cancellation before being renewed for 13 weeks, could live beyond next season if it proves itself in its new Friday slot. Greenblatt told reporters at the Television Critics Association conference that he would love nothing more than for "Community" to continue. He also says he was proud that NBC was in third-place last season among adults 18 to 49. It's the network's best performance in eight years. Source: The Associated Press

By Frank Macek It's time for another behind the scenes look at what's happening inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. The 2012 London Summer Olympics are now just 9 days and counting until the Opening Ceremonies on Friday, July 27th, 2012 at &3;0 p.m. Channel 3 will be your official local television home of the games with special reports from Channel 3's Chris Tye, Amanda Barren and Jennifer Lindgren who leave next week for the trip across the big pond. Once again this year, we'll be airing the "Olympic Zone" with Jim Donovan and Dave Chudowsky from 7:30 until 8 p.m. leading into our prime time coverage each night. Your blogger will be directing the weeknight shows Monday through Friday. Speaking of Jim Donovan, we have been getting many emails of concern since Jimmy hasn't been seen on the air over the last few weeks. You can relax as Jim is just enjoying a long vacation this year and will be back on Monday, July 23rd, in time for th...

WKYC TV 3’s President and General Manager Brooke Spectorsky announced today that on Monday, August 13th the station will launch its new show “Live On Lakeside”. Hosted by Hollie Strano and Michael Cardamone, the new show will be a mix of news, weather, entertainment, lifestyle and advertiser friendly segments. Airing from 11a.m. – 12:30p.m., the show will also feature News Anchor Amanda Barren, Meteorologists Bruce Kalinowski and Marcus Walter, Arts, Culture and Entertainment Reporter Karina Mitchell, Lifestyle and Features Reporters Joe Cronauer and Desiray McCray, “Ways To Save” Anchor Matt Granite and a host of other contributors. “We felt strongly that the time had come to re-examine what we were offering our daytime viewers and come up with a fresh approach that would be interesting and viable on all the station’s platforms,” said Spectorsky. “We feel that the combination of Hollie Strano and Michael Cardamone will be a winner with viewers and advertisers alike.” “Live On ...

Special to the Director's Cut By Lynn Elber, AP Television Writer NBC says "The Voice" is teaming a crooner and a country singer for the show's new season. The network said Monday that Michael Buble will serve as adviser to coach Blake Shelton's team of contestants when the singing contest returns in September. Buble, who described himself as a "big Blake fan," said he's having a terrific time working with Shelton and his singers. Buble started taping his appearances on "The Voice" Monday in Los Angeles. NBC has yet to announce advisers for the show's three other coaches, Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green and Adam Levine. Kelly Clarkson, Jewel and Baby Face were among last season's advisers, guiding contestants in their choice of songs. "The Voice" is back for its third season Sept. 10.

We've partnered with Erie Island Coffee to create a special Channel 3 News Today coffee. A portion of the proceeds from every bag will go to the Cleveland Foodbank to help fight hunger. Click on the promo to learn where you can get your best of morning brew:

Virgil Dominic Distinguished veteran newsman Virgil Dominic will serve as Channel 3’s Interim News Director it was announced today. “I can’t think of anyone better positioned to help guide our staff through the coverage challenges of the Summer Olympics and fall’s Prime Time launch than Virgil. He began his career at WKYC as a main anchor and set the tone for the region’s rich history of journalistic excellence,” stated President and General Manager Brooke Spectorsky. “For the past six years, he has been with us as a talent mentor and consultant, and we see this as a continuation of that vision.” Dominic studied radio and television journalism at the University of Tulsa and served in the U.S. Air Force as a public information officer. He honed his broadcast skills at the NBC affiliate in Oklahoma before coming to WKYC-TV in 1965. He moved to Atlanta in 1972 to turn around its ailing ABC affiliate and came back to Cleveland to work for WJW-TV in 1976, propelling the station to a...

Joe Cronauer Joe Cronauer is joining Channel 3 News Today from 4:30 - 7 a.m. as a lifestyle and features reporter. Joe will scour the area looking for unique, unusual, fun, community based, interesting stories that he knows will get viewers talking. His first day on air will be Monday, July 9th. Joe Cronauer has been seen and heard on Cleveland airwaves for the last 22 years.He’s been up and down the radio dial as part of "The Brian and Joe Radio" Show heard on WONE, WENZ, WMMS and WMVX and has recently been heard filling in for Trapper Jack on WDOK. In 2008, he was inducted in the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. His television appearances started when he was just 10 years old when was asked to appear on the classic Cleveland show “Barnaby”! Years later – Joe would host his own children’s show called “What’s Your Math Problem” on WVIZ Ideastream. In 2001, Joe began filling in for another Cleveland classic - Fred Griffith, on “15 Minutes with Fr...

Special to the Director's Cut Blog By Gary Levin, USA TODAY Ann Curry said a teary goodbye to her Today show colleagues and viewers Thursday as NBC prepared to announce her replacement, Savannah Guthrie, as early as Friday. Curry, 55, is exiting amid a ratings downturn at the still top-rated morning show and a perceived lack of chemistry with co-host Matt Lauer. Her abrupt departure comes little more than a year after Curry -- the show's former news reader -- took over for Meredith Vieira. "This is not as I expected, to ever leave this couch after 15 years, but I am also grateful," she said, choking up with emotion as she announced the news at 8:50 a.m., without the congratulatory tributes that accompanied Vieira's sendoff. "For all of you who saw me as a groundbreaker, I'm sorry I couldn't carry the ball to the finish line, but man, I did try." As she had told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview Wednesday, Curry said on air she has won ...

By Frank Macek The rumor mills are a buzzin' this evening as the New York Times is reporting that "Today" show co-host Ann Curry will likely announce her departure from the show on Thursday morning. Sources says NBC has been in talks with Curry about vacating her chair beside Matt Lauer who recently signed a new contract to continue with the show. Ratings are likely to blame as "Today" has seen the gap tighten between NBC's morning cash cow and ABC's "Good Morning America." However Nielsen ratings show ratings have improved for "Today" since the news first got out about NBC's intentions to dump Curry. NBC is said to have its eyes set on Savannah Guthrie, who is widely expected to replace Curry. Guthrie has been serving as co-host of the 9am hour of "Today" with Natalie Morales and Al Roker, as well as the show's Chief Legal Editor. Stay tuned on this one.

Russ Mitchell By Frank Macek Channel 3 Evening 6 & 11 PM Anchor and Manging Editor Russ Mitchell has been honored with two Salute to Excellence Awards that were awarded at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) conference last week in  New Orleans. Russ joined Channel 3 News earlier this year from CBS News where he worked for nearly 20 years, first as co-anchor of Up to the Minute, an original co-anchor on Saturday Early Show and most recently anchor of the CBS Sunday Night News and primary substitute for Scott Pelley. His two NABJ awards were earned last year at CBS. The first was in the "Television - General Assignment: Short Form" category for "Anniston Freedom Riders Anniversary", along with his CBS News colleagues Alturo Rhymes, Patricia Shevlin and Jared Kindestin. The second award was in the "Television - Feature: Long Form" category for "Harry Belafonte," a segment that aired on...

Ohio is a crucial state in the 2012 Presidential election and Channel 3 is the place to be for Northeast Ohio's best political coverage. Click to watch our on-air promo:

Betsy Kling Congratulations to WKYC Chief Meteorologist Betsy Kling for being named 2012 Hattie Larlham Circle of Caring Honoree. An Ohio native, born and raised in Copley, Betsy Kling has given much of her time and talent to Hattie Larlham. Since 2004, she has hosted the Have a Heart for Hattie Fashion Show and Luncheon and the Circle of Caring gala. Betsy has also twice hosted a televised auction benefiting Hattie Larlham. These commitments to Hattie Larlham and the children and adults with developmental disabilities it serves, earned Betsy the Media Award for Service in 2005. Betsy is a member of the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association and has earned the prestigious seal of approval from both organizations. Betsy Kling joined the WKYC news team in March 2003. To secure you, your company’s or your organization’s sponsorship of the 2012 Circle of Caring, please contact Hattie Larlham for the Circle of Caring sponsorship opportunities ...

Special to the Director's Cut Blog David Bauder, AP Television Writer Only a year after becoming Matt Lauer's co-host on NBC's "Today" show, Ann Curry may soon be losing that job. A source with knowledge of the show who spoke on condition of anonymity because the source was not authorized to speak on the matter said Wednesday that NBC is discussing a plan to ease Curry out of the co-hosting role. The New York Times first reported these discussions on Wednesday. Savannah Guthrie, who co-hosts the show's third hour, is at the top of the list of Curry's possible replacements. NBC News executives did not immediately return requests for comment. Today" lost in the ratings this spring for the first time since 1995 after a string of 852 consecutive weeks. Since then, "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America" have been trading wins

CLEVELAND -- It's been one year since Channel 3 News and Sports Anchor Jim Donovan underwent a life changing operation. Today, on the one-year anniversary, he is sharing his story as a way of giving thanks to his medical team at UH and all the listeners and viewers who supported him during his journey. In June 2011, Jim had a bone marrow transplant to knock out leukemia. Unknown to most viewers and even colleagues, he had quietly battled the disease for nearly a decade. When Jim announced his leave of absence to WKYC viewers, he promised he would be back better than ever after beating his cancer. True to his word, just months after the procedure Jim returned to the radio broadcast booth for the Cleveland Browns games and returned to WKYC shortly thereafter. In this 3-part series for Channel 3 News at 6, 7 and 11 p.m., Jim takes us back to University Hospitals to thank the doctor, nurses and administrators who helped him through the bone marrow transplant and the most diffic...

NBC is rolling out its fall season lineup with the help of the Olympics rings. NBC announced Thursday that sneak peeks of its new prime-time schedule will piggyback on network coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. The unveiling will begin with commercial-free previews of NBC's new comedies "Go On" on August 8, after the evening's Olympics coverage, and of "Animal Practice" on August 12, following the Olympics' Closing Ceremonies. "Go On" and another comedy, "The New Normal," premiere in their regular time slots on Sept. 11, with a sneak peek of the comedy "Guys With Kids" airing Sept. 12. The drama "Revolution" premieres on Sept. 17 and "Chicago Fire" debuts on Oct. 10. September 5: NFL Kickoff Special 2012 (regular season) at 730 pm; Sunday Night Football (regular season) at 830 pm September 9: Football Night in America (regular day/time) at 7 pm; Sunday Night Football (regular day/time)...

On Tuesday, June 13th, we further expanded our evil Macek Media Empire by launching the "Director's Cut 2" blog. This new blog will feature stories about other local and national television, cable, satellite and digital technology from our WKYC partnerships with The Associated Press, NBC, and Gannett Broadcasting and Community Publishing. Many of the articles will come from our partners, but we'll continue to write local stories when necessary. Our research has found there is a wider audience available for other types of television content which we hope to provide on DC 2. Of course, the original Director's Cut Blog will continue as usual focusing on events and happenings at WKYC, Channel 3. And Macek Media Watch on Facebook will focus more on local broadcasting including radio, television and print. Here are the links for our blogs and platforms: Director's Cut Blog Director's Cut 2 Blog Macek Media World

It's been one year since our Jim Donovan underwent a successful bone marrow transplant. We are so thankful and blessed to be able to share his story with you. Come along tomorrow night at 7pm as he visits the doctors and nurses who helped save his life and see the special message he has for you. Here's a preview of the story coming up Thursday Night:

ConnecTV today announces the largest-ever rollout of a social media platform for television with backing by the leading U.S. broadcast companies. The platform synchronizes social engagement, complementary content and program promotions with television programming from any source, in any market across national cable networks, regional sports networks and local stations affiliated with ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CW and MyNetworkTV. The coast-to-coast rollout establishes ConnecTV as the most dynamic and engaging social network for television viewers in the U.S. How ConnecTV works:  ConnecTV is the only social network that works across all channels and all shows for both real-time and time-shifted television viewing. ConnecTV delivers a rich content experience that syncs instantly with the show you’re watching and delivers complementary play‐by‐play stats, news, information and quotes that can be shared with friends and followers—all with a single touch. Viewers can also invite speci...

Special to the Director's Cut Blog By Gary Levin, USA TODAY The increasing usage of digital video recorders, which easily allow viewers to postpone viewing of their favorite shows, has vastly complicated the math of TV ratings, new Nielsen data shows. And it explains how ABC's Modern Family ultimately eclipsed Fox's American Idol among key young-adult audiences. In final season rankings out Monday (Nielsen's time-shifted rankings are delayed by about two weeks), Family, already one of TV's top shows, added an average of nearly 5 million viewers in the seven days after new Wednesday episodes aired against Idol. That's the biggest gain for any series, for a total of 16.7 million viewers. Among viewers ages 18 to 49, the comedy jumped 48% when factoring in delayed viewing, while Idol's performance show gained just 17%. But viewers rarely delay reality shows, news, awards telecasts and sports programming by more than a day. Sitcoms and dramas are most pr...