Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

Learn more @http://bit.ly/Vote107 It's been 16 years in the making, a Cleveland school levy that might actually pass and Cleveland Municipal School District CEO Eric Gordon knows why. Channel 3 is joining many other individuals, businesses and organizations throughout Northeast Ohio in educating voters about the impact that a strong school system will have on the economic future of our region. While the decision on the school levy lies with Cleveland voters, Channel 3 recognizes the importance of making certain that every eligible voter has all the facts before they visit the polls. Every day we will bring you stories that ask the hard questions, provide in-depth information, and show you what's working in the school district and what is not. It's not our goal to tell voters how to vote, but we want them to have all the facts. We are dedicating space on wkyc.com to all the reports on Issue 107 . In addition to in-depth information, we also have an extende...

By Frank Macek Here is a look at some of the news from our parent network, NBC, with regards to what you see on WKYC, Channel 3... Executive Producer Jim Bell disputes reports that have been circulating about "Today" show host Matt Lauer being difficult to work with as the show experiences as decrease in ratings. In a report by the Associated Press, Bell calls Lauer "the heart and soul of NBC's morning news show and that negative stories about him have been hard to deal with." Ratings for the popular morning show have been challenged against ABC's "Good Morning America" since Ann Curry was replaced by Savannah Guthrie. The September 17 premiere of NBC's new Monday drama "Revolution" has set time-shifting records for the network and for a debuting series on any network. In "live plus three day" ratings from Nielsen Media Research that count time-shifted viewing through the first three days after a show's live tele...

Karina Mitchell Karina Mitchell has joined the WKYC team as the Arts, Culture & Entertainment Contributor to "Live on Lakeside" and will be also providing content to Channel 3 News on a regular basis. Karina brings 8 years of national broadcast experience as an entertainment, lifestyle and feature contributor to CBS News in New York, as well as a fill-in headline news anchor for CBS Mobile News and reporter for CBS News.com. She has covered a variety of news making events, including the stock market crash in 2008 and the 2008 presidential race. More recently, she hosted "Showbuzz" a weekly movie review show and blog. Karina has interviewed some of the biggest names in entertainment, music and fashion - Sir Anthony Hopkins, Madonna, Vera Wang, Angelina Jolie, Justin Timberlake, Tom Cruise and Phil Collins to name a few. Prior to that position, she was a General Assignment Reporter for News 12 in New York, shooting, editing and reporting her own pieces. ...

By Frank Macek It's time for another "behind the scenes" look at what's happening inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. This week, WKYC morning anchor Erin Kennedy traveled to New York City to represent Channel 3 News in "Education Nation." The third annual event is sponsored by NBC News and is being held at The New York Public Library. "Education Nation" is a summit where parents, educators, and students met with leaders in politics, business & technology to explore the challenges and opportunities in education today. Watch for Erin's reports all this week on Channel 3 News Today from 4:30 a.m. until 7 a.m. and during Channel 3 News at 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.educationnation.com Channel 3 will air the Browns vs. Ravens game on Thursday night at 8 p.m. on your "Official Home of the Cleveland Browns." Thursday's special programming schedule will include: Channel 3 News at 6, the Pregame Huddle at 6:3...

By Frank Macek NBC Weatherman Al Roker was back in town Tuesday evening as part of the Dave Thomas Celebrity Cookoff at Benihana's in Beachwood and will bring the entire nation the weather from the West Side Market in Cleveland on Wednesday morning as part of the market's centennial anniversary celebrations. As many of you know, Al is a Channel 3 alumnus. He started working for NBC when WKYC was an owned and operated station in 1978. He remained with us for 5 years before being promoted to the network's flagship station, WNBC-TV, and moving back home to New York City where he was born. Today, Al is the main weather anchor for the "Today Show" and hosts "Wake Up With Al" on "The Weather Channel" from 6 a.m. until 7 a.m. Our own WKYC Chief Meterologist Betsy Kling had the chance to interview Al before the cookoff this evening and shares his funny senses of humor. Click the video to watch:

Make your child a star! Your child, or children, can be a famous "Bus Stop Forecast" kid and appear in our  morning and evening newscasts on Channel 3 News! We're giving 10 lucky families the opportunity to attend one of our recording sessions here at Channel 3 and tour our studios. For complete rules and to enter, just go to our Channel 3 Facebook page .

Special to the Director's Cut Blog By Bill Keveney, USA TODAY The star constellation is shifting at The Voice. Usher and Shakira will join the NBC singing competition as coaches for spring's fourth season, taking the place of Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green, who will take that cycle off. Aguilera is releasing a new album and going on tour, while Green is developing new music and a scripted series for NBC based on his life. Current coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton will be back for Season 4. "We are thrilled to welcome Usher and Shakira," NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt said in a statement. "Doing two back-to-back cycles of this show requires a tremendous amount of time, and we are happy to accommodate the commitments made by Christina and Cee Lo. The participants on our show benefit from our coaches' expertise and their continued success in the music business allows for significant contributions to the contestants."...

Gannett, parent company of WKYC-TV, announced today that it has acquired Mobestream Media, maker of the Key Ring consumer rewards mobile platform (“Key Ring”) available on all major smartphones. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. More than five million users have downloaded the free Key Ring app to scan and store existing loyalty cards, join new rewards programs and get mobile coupons and other promotional offers delivered to their smartphones. With Key Ring, consumers have a simple solution to access their digital coupons, digitize their loyalty cards, join new loyalty programs, manage their accounts online and share their cards and offers through their social networks and email. Consumers also receive location-based mobile coupons and other promotional offers. “Mobile coupons are a fast-growing segment of the national and local marketing sector. Key Ring has led the way with consumer adoption of its smartphone app and developed key relationships with small and mid-s...

Russ Mitchell (L) and Dan Rather (R) By Frank Macek WKYC Anchor Russ Mitchell sat down with his longtime CBS News colleague Dan Rather at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte on Wednesday to get Dan's take on this year's presidential election. As many WKYC viewers know, Mitchell is the former anchor of the CBS Evening News weekend editions and The Early Show on Saturday, and national correspondent for CBS News Sunday Morning , the CBS Evening News , and The Early Show. Mitchell joined the staff of WKYC as Managing Editor of Evening News and lead anchor of the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on January 16, 2012 Rather is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel AXS TV. Before that, he became embroiled in controversy about a disputed news report involving President Bush's Vietnam-era service in the National Guard and subsequently left CBS Evening News in 2005, and he left the network altogeth...

NBC’S “The Biggest Loser” kicks off in early January 2013 with the return of Jillian Michaels and a big, bold mission: to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic head on by featuring kid participants (ages 13-17) for the first time ever in addition to adult contestants. Michaels will join popular returning trainers and top fitness experts Bob Harper and Dolvett Quince. Season 14 will also feature special celebrity guest stars and additional surprises that will be revealed closer to the premiere. In addition to being one of the top health and fitness experts in the country, Michaels is a best-selling author who co-owns and runs her health and fitness empire Empowered Media with business partner Giancarlo Chersich. She whipped contestants into shape for 10 seasons on “The Biggest Loser,” and returns in season 14 as a new mother of two, a life change that has made her more committed than ever in helping kids who are struggling with weight issues. “As a former overweight teen, I know first...

TV viewership for last week's Republican National Convention dropped sharply from 2008. But the convention was a hit online and on social networks, the latest evidence of the political conversation's gradual migration from traditional media to the Web. There are many reasons this year's conventions may be less compelling than in 2008. Four years ago was a historic election that saw Democrat Barack Obama become the first black presidential nominee and then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin emerge as Republican Party star. Hurricane Isaac drew at least some attention away from the largely surprise-free GOP gathering in Tampa, Fla., last week. Little news also is expected at this week's Democratic convention in Charlotte, N.C., where Obama will be nominated for a second term. Source: The Associated Press PHOTOGALLERY: Click the picture to see a photogallery of Channel 3 News at the Republican National Convention last week.

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 ...