Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

The Investigator, Tom Meyer Congratulations to WKYC's Investigator Tom Meyer who is a finalist in the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors 2013 radio and TV contest. Tom's works being voted upon include Best Continuing Coverage: "Castro Exclusives" and Best Enterprise Reporting: "Bad Medicine." The awards will be announced at the annual banquet May 18th in Columbus.

Special to the Director's Cut from wkyc.com Robin Swoboda has decided to leave WKYC-TV. Swoboda's last day on the 7 p.m. news will be Friday, February 28. The announcement was released by President and General Manager of WKYC, Brooke Spectorsky, Tuesday afternoon. Spectorsky said "It's exciting for her, but sad for us. Robin Swoboda has decided she'd like to do something new with her life." She joined Channel 3 in March 2011. She and reporter Chris Tye were teamed as co-anchors of the 7 p.m. newscast. In 2012, Jim Donovan replaced Tye as her co-anchor.

Starting Monday February 7, NBC's daytime coverage of the Winter Olympics in Sochi will cause us to shuffle daytime programming on Channel 3. NBC's daily coverage of the games airs from 3 to 5pm every weekday until February 21 so here's what our daytime line-up will look like during the Olympics: 11am - Family Feud 11:30am - Entertainment Tonight Noon - Ellen 1pm - Days of Our Lives 2pm - Dr. Phil 3-5pm - Olympic Coverare 5-6pm - Channel 3 News at 5 6pm - Channel 3 News at 6 6:30pm - NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams 7pm - Channel 3 News at 7 7:30pm - The Ozone. Channel 3's Olympics Zone show Unfortunately we will not be able to re-air missed episodes of Bethenny, The Doctors or Rachel Ray. Live on Lakeside will go on hiatus until the Olympics have ended. All shows will be back in their normal time slots on Monday February 24.

Special to the Directors Cut from wkyc.com Del Donahoo Del Donahoo was an integral part of the Channel 3 WKYC family from the day he walked through the door here on July 1, 1968. Del celebrated his 90th birthday on Nov. 15, 2013, and he passed away Wednesday morning. People throughout Northeast Ohio knew Del and, as WKYC's Tom Beres said today, "He was a kind, decent man." He was an important part of the Channel 3 family. From 1981 to 1998, Del co-anchored the "Today in Cleveland Show" with Tom Haley. His wife, Martha, even became part of the show, with her now famous coffee and Tom's incessant criticism of it. Haley passed away March 16, 2009. While at the University of Iowa, Del met his future bride, Martha, who was a student at Drake College. They were married in 1948. Martha passed away in October, 2006, and the couple had two children and four grandchildren. Together in Del's Folkswagon, Del and Martha attended just about every para...

Tiffany Tarpley WKYC-TV has announced Tiffany Tarpley will be joining the Channel 3 News team as a multimedia journalist (MMJ), according to Channel 3 News Director Brennan Donnellan. Tiffany will report as part of Channel 3 News Today, anchored by John Anderson and morning meteorologist Hollie Strano from 4:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. Tiffany is a Lorain, Ohio, native, so she is returning home from Milwaukee where she currently reports weeknights for WDJT-TV/CBS58. Before that, she worked at WUPW-TV in Toledo and at the Fox/CBS duopoly in Lima, Ohio. "I'm excited about the opportunity to work in my home market and join the talented team of journalists at WKYC," she tells the Director's Cut Blog. She is also a graduate of Bowling Green State University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism and was honored as a Broadcast Journalism Student of the Year. Her other studies included Lorain County Community College for two years. In ...

WKYC-TV is a proud supporter of this year's Homeless Stand Down to be held January 25th from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Cleveland Public Auditorium. This important, 23rd annual event helps provide food, clothing and other items to homeless individuals who are in dire need of assistance here in own community. In addition, the program provides medical, dental and other much needed services for the homeless and those in transitional housing. Donations are now being accepted for such items as new blankets, socks, boots and personal items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shaving cream, razors, shampoo, lotion, hand cleaners and feminine hygiene products. You can drop off your donation at the Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, 2592 West 14th Street during the following times: *Saturday, January 18th from 1 - 3 p.m. *Sunday, January 19th from 1 - 3 p.m. *Monday, January 20th from 10 a.m. - noon and 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. *Tuesday, January 21st from 5:30 - 7:30 ...

Ultra High Definition televisions, curved screens, giant displays—those are a few of the biggest trends for TVs at this year's CES. Have a look:

McLEAN, VA – Gannett Co., Inc. (parent company of WKYC-TV) announced today that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Belo Corp. for $13.75 per share in cash, in addition to the assumption of $715 million of outstanding debt, for a total transaction value of $2.2 billion.  The combination with Belo nearly doubles Gannett’s broadcast portfolio and creates the largest independent station group of major network affiliates in the top 25 markets, including stations to be serviced by Gannett under shared services and similar arrangements. Gannett now reaches approximately one-third of all television households in America. It also significantly expands the company’s geographic reach and revenue diversity. Gannett will become the #1 CBS affiliate group, the #4 ABC affiliate group, and will expand its already #1 NBC affiliate group position. Gracia Martore, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gannett, said, “We are thrilled to combine these two storied media c...

By Frank Macek It's time for another "behind the scenes" look at what's happening inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center as we get ready to wrap up 2013. The November sweeps period was a solid one for WKYC-TV/3 as Channel 3 News at 6 & 11 PM won the conveted 25-54 age demographic (NSI overnights. Nov 2013. A25-54). According to WKYC President/General Manager Brooke Spectorsky, "While we were extremely fortunate to have Dr. Phil land the Michelle Knight interview, our numbers even without those nights still won the time period. Other top rated stories included an expose of local doctors and medical professionals who had been suspended and/or stripped of their licenses and an investigation into tanker cars carrying toxic chemicals through local neighborhoods." Under the leadership of WKYC News Director Brennan Donnellan, Channel 3 News is putting a strong emphasis on investigative and enterprise reporting which viewers have responded positively...

WKYC will once again present special programming during the Christmas holiday. Here is a list of what will air on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on Channel 3. Please note, all programming is subject to change. December 24th: 08:00 p.m.    It’s A Wonderful Life 11:00 p.m.    Channel 3 News at 11 PM 11:30 p.m.    Christmas Eve Mass from St. Peter’s December 25th : 01:00 a.m.    The First Noel 03:00 a.m.    The Spirit of Christmas 04:00 a.m.    Masters of Illusion Christmas 05:00 a.m.    Christmas Liturgical 06:00 a.m.    Jim Brickman: Sending You A Little Christmas 07:00 a.m.    Today Show 11:00 a.m.    Hollywood Christmas Parade 01:00 p.m.    Days of Our Lives 02:00 p.m.    Masters of Illusion Christmas 03:00 p.m.    Miracle at Gate 213 04:00 p.m.    Meet John Doe 06:30 p.m.    Jim Brickman: The Magic of Christmas...

WKYC Sports Anchor and radio voice of the Cleveland Browns, Jim Donovan, spent this Thanksgiving with his family. And, that family got a little bit bigger this year. This weekend, Jim got to say thanks in person for the first time to the man who saved his life — his bone marrow donor.   Click to watch this heartwarming story of a new connection...a new bond for life.

A familiar face from NBC stopped by the Channel 3 studios today. Jimmy Fallon, from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, was here to chat and we had a chance to sit down with him. He spoke about his upcoming appearance on Saturday Night Live and how he feels about taking over the iconic Tonight Show early next year. Click to watch his interview the Russ Mitchell and Kris Pickel:

Dave Lougee Dave Lougee, president of Gannett Broadcasting (parent company of WKYC-TV) was honored today by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) with a First Amendment Leadership Award. The award is given annually by the Radio Television Digital News Foundation to a leader who has made significant contributions to the protection of the First Amendment and freedom of the press. The award will be presented on Wednesday, March 12 in Washington, DC.  “From his experience leading a newsroom to his current role overseeing Gannett’s broadcast division, Dave has always been a strong leader and advocate for free speech. This award has been given to some of the most influential journalists of our time and shines a spotlight on the rights we hold dear. Dave, through his leadership, sets a terrific example for our broadcast journalists as they fight to protect First Amendment rights. I congratulate Dave on this important and well-deserved honor,” said Gracia Martore, G...

Starting this Saturday morning on Channel 3 News Today, a new feature titled "7 Minutes with Russ Mitchell" will make its debut. The purpose of "7 Minutes with Russ Mitchell" is to have Channel 3 News' main anchor and managing editor, Russ Mitchell, interview a news maker. Someone we think you'll find interesting, have a great conversation and give you something to think about the rest of the day. According to Mitchell, "These people are fascinating and we could spend hours talking to them, but they're busy and viewers are busy. So we came up with 7 minutes. I have seven minutes to talk to these folks and that is the trick. Condensing complicated or enlightening or entertaining subjects and people down into a seven minute interview." The inaugural interview is with Dr. Toby Cosgrove, President and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic. Be sure to tune in this Saturday at 9am as Russ and Dr. Cosgrove talk about the state of healthcare and ...

He's been a mainstay in local Cleveland television for years. Now, our beloved Del Donahoo is about to turn 90 years young in just a few days. Although he's long retired from Channel 3, we are still going to help him celebrate this milestone with your birthday cards and greetings. Please mail your birthday cards to: Mr. Del Donahoo WKYC-TV 3 1333 Lakeside Avenue Cleveland, Ohio, 44114 Or you can post your birthday notes on his Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/del.donahoo We'll deliver the cards we receive here at Channel 3 on his birthday. But, quiet - that part is a secret.

WKYC-TV announced today it will re-air the exclusive Dr. Phil interview with Michelle Knight this Saturday Night from 7 to 9 p.m. on Channel 3. The highly talked about and extremely emotional show is a two part special that aired this week on Tuesday and Wednesday on WKYC. The special is an exclusive one on one interview between Dr. Phil McGraw and "Miracle in Cleveland" survivor Michelle Knight about the 11 years of hell she endured at the hands of Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro and how she survived along with other survivors Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus. Join us this Saturday night from 7 to 9 p.m., an exclusive interview, you'll only see in Northeast Ohio on WKYC-TV. Other Saturday program changes:    Entertainment Tonight Weekend will air from 1:30 a.m. - 2:30 a.m. (Moved from 7 p.m.)    Saturday Night Live Special will air from 2:30 a.m. - 3:30 a.m. (Moved from 8 p.m.)...

Hundreds of volunteers will join forces on Saturday, October 26th as Northeast Ohio celebrates Make a Difference Day. WKYC is leading the charge on this national day of volunteering. Partnering with the Cleveland Metroparks and BVU: Center for Non Profit Excellence, WKYC is encouraging viewers across Northeast Ohio to join them in helping to make our community a better place to live. Make a Difference Day started more than 20 years ago when USA Weekend Magazine and Points of Light joined together to sponsor the largest national day of community service. It’s grown into a day that has millions of volunteers around the world uniting in a common mission to improve the lives of others. This year WKYC is focusing its volunteer effort on the Cleveland Metroparks. So far more than 500 volunteers have registered to work at various locations across the Metroparks on Saturday, sprucing up and beautifying the park areas enjoyed by so many. The Cleveland Metroparks spans more than 23,000 a...

By Frank Macek It's time for another "behind the scenes" look at what's happening inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. October is here already, the baseball season is just a memory for the Indians this year and we are in the middle of Browns season. Where does the time go? The staff of WKYC will once again join in the nationwide effort of our parent company, Gannett, for "Make a Difference Day" on Saturday, October 26th. This year, we are partnering with the Cleveland Metroparks to make a difference right here in our  own community. You can sign up to volunteer for multiple different projects around the area. Anyone who signs up will be entered to win some great prizes. To get involved, head over to wkyc.com/common/mdday for more information. The all new wkyc.com is coming soon. You'll see our new design launch on Wednesday, October 30th. The new format is especially designed for mobile users and will feature a look very similar to our si...

WKYC is playing host to an inaugural event, guaranteed to bring thousands of people downtown to the brand new Cleveland Convention Center. The station is hosting their first annual Health & Wellness Expo on Saturday, September 7th. The event runs 10 am to 6pm and is free and open to the public and is presented by Cleveland Clinic Children’s, Mace and The Dental Specialty Group. The Expo will focus on all aspects of a healthy lifestyle and is designed to help Northeast Ohio residents learn more about their health in an informative and fun environment. Those who come to the Expo can get free health screenings for cholesterol, blood pressure, BMI and skin cancer, just to name a few. A Health Forum Pavilion will feature panel discussions on trending health topics, plus a cooking stage with area chefs and a demo stage with the latest exercise and dance moves. There is plenty of interactive fun for the whole family. Meet the WKYC-TV team and give weather and sports anchoring a s...

By Frank Macek It's time for another "behind the scenes" look at what's happening inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. August has been a busy month here at WKYC as we are half way through our Browns Preseason coverage. This Saturday at 6 p.m., we'll air the Browns "Pregame Huddle" live from Indianapolis, immediately followed by kickoff of the game at 7 p.m. between the Browns and Colts. Our preseason coverage is once again being directed this year by Emmy Award winning Channel 3 Director Allen Wohl and sports producer Jeff Yakawiak. WKYC welcomed Rona Proudfoot to the Channel 3 News social media team recently. Rona has worked for the Plain Dealer and Elyria Chronicle Telegram in similar roles. Rona will help us grow our WKYC Facebook and Twitter followers, as well as keep you updated about the the latest news every weekday evening on our social media platforms. The station has said goodbye to two familiar, on air faces in t...

Special to the Director's Cut Blog Mike Snider, USA Today All that tweeting that you do while watching your favorite TV shows is having an effect. New research from Nielsen suggests that fans tweeting about programs during live broadcasts can lead to increased viewership. That may seem an obvious finding, but until now the TV measurement firm had only established that there is some link between social media and TV viewing. This new research is the first to show that Twitter activity can influence TV ratings. "That's what we speculate is going on," says Mike Hess, Nielsen's executive vice president of media analytics, "that the tweeters are watching the program and then by sending the tweets out, other people start tuning in as well." Nielsen compared -- minute-by-minute -- the tweets and TV ratings for 211 prime-time TV broadcasts including sports and award shows and 10 episodes each of 20 specific TV series during fall 2012 and spring 2013. ...

By Frank Macek This Thursday at 8 p.m., Channel 3 Sports presents "Voice of the Fan: Cleveland Browns Town Hall," as we get set for another exciting preseason of Cleveland Browns football on WKYC-TV. Channel 3's Jim Donovan modeates this one hour interactive special where you get to ask the tough questions from new Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and other members of the Browns management team including CEO Joe Banner, General Manager Michael Lombardi, President Alec Scheiner and Head Coach Dave Chudzinski. We and The Official Cleveland Browns want to hear from you! You can submit your questions right now by clicking @ http://bit.ly/12YekbF to have them answered during the special. That's "Voice of the Fan: Cleveland Browns Town Hall" airs this Thursday at 8 p.m. and only on Channel 3!

Bethenny Frankel, one of the hottest newcomers to daytime television is coming to Channel 3 starting Monday, September 9th at 3 p.m. The new show has Frankel offering a mix of celebrity interviews and lifestyle tips, geared to a female audience. Although her show has been compared to The Ellen DeGeneres Show , in part due to having DeGeneres as a co-producer, Frankel dismisses the notion: "Ellen has her own fan base and a very different conversation with fans than I do. She's not trying to make this a show like hers." The series debuted as a summer test run on June 11, 2012 on six stations owned by the Fox Televisions Station Group, and will go nationwide across the United States and Canada starting September 9th. On August 26th, WKYC will offer viewers a sneak peek at the show from 11:30 a.m. until noon. The 30-minute program entitled, “No Limits” is hosted by Bethenny Frankel and gives viewers a look at some of her favorite moments from the sixweek tes...

Do you know Northeast Ohio's roads like the back of your hand? Can you work around a traffic jam in a jiffy? Then you could be Channel 3's next morning Traffic Reporter! We're searching for a fresh face to join the team, so if you've the got roadway knowledge and a great morning attitude, join Pat Butler and the WKYC crew for TRAFFIC TRYOUTS on Saturday, July 13. Auditions will be held at the Channel 3 Studios, 1333 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland. For your chance to tryout or more information, please go to: http://on.wkyc.com/traffictryout Disclaimer: 1 reservation per email address, please. You must be 18 years of age. These are tryouts only and do not guarantee full or part-time employment.

McLEAN, VA and DALLAS, TX – JUNE 13, 2013 – Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) and Belo Corp. (NYSE: BLC) jointly announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Gannett will acquire all outstanding shares of Belo for $13.75 per share in cash, or approximately $1.5 billion, plus the assumption of $715 million in existing debt for an enterprise value of approximately $2.2 billion. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, represents a 28.1 percent premium to the closing price of Belo common stock on June 12, 2013. The combination creates a broadcast “Super Group,” catapulting Gannett into the nation’s fourth-largest owner of major network affiliates reaching nearly a third of all U.S. households.  The acquisition nearly doubles Gannett’s current broadcast portfolio from 23 to 43 stations, including stations to be serviced by Gannett through shared services or similar sharing arrangements. Upo...

By Frank Macek It's time for another "behind the scenes" look at what's happening inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. Congratulations to Channel 3 Reporter Sara Shookman on her first place award in the Press Club of Cleveland's "2013 Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards." Sara won for her report called "Superstorm Sandy: From the edge of the storm." Sara also received a 2nd place honor for her human interest story "Hometown Tour with Dee Haslam." Channel 3 News welcomes Grant deBruin as our new weeknight 11pm producer. deBruin comes to WKYC from our sister station in Buffalo, WGRZ-TV, where he’s currently producing the 5am newscast.  WGRZ has grown to the #1 station in that market with a strategy of asking tough questions and being unwavering advocates for viewers and the community. Grant will bring that winning approach to our news coverage. Channel 3 will holding a station sponsored Health & Wellness Expo at the ...

Congratulations to several WKYC journalists on earning Emmy awards from the Lower Great Lakes Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS). This year's 44th annual awards were presented Saturday, June 1st, at Windows on the River in Cleveland with a reception held afterward at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. The Lower Great Lakes Chapter has a mission to serve its members, recognize excellence and promote the highest standards in television professionalism for stations and broadcast entities Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. The following awards were won by WKYC on Saturday: Newscast-Evening - Market 1-20 Channel 3 News at 6 - Russ Mitchell, Anchor/Sara Shookman, Reporter/Danielle Fink, Assignment Editor/Maureen Kyle, Reporter Breaking News Chardon School Shootings - Erin Kenney, Anchor; Chris Tye, Anchor; Russ Mitchell, Anchor; Lisa Lowry, Assignment Manager; Danielle Fink, Assignment Manager; Maureen Kyle, Reporter; ...

The Akron Aeros announced today WKYC-TV’s Jim Donovan is the winner in the television category of its first Media Madness Bobblehead Election. Donovan is scheduled to make a special appearance at Canal Park on Saturday, June 8 when his bobblehead, sponsored by Distillata, will be given out to the first 1,000 fans before the Aeros host the Portland Sea Dogs at 7:05 p.m. Donovan has been with WKYC since 1985 and is the station’s nightly news and sports anchor. He has been the play-by-play voice of the Cleveland Browns since 1999 and has covered a variety of sporting events over the years, including the World Cup and the Olympics.  Donovan also served one season as the play-by-play announcer for the Vermont Reds, the original franchise team that would eventually become Canton-Akron Indians in 1989 and the Akron Aeros in 1997. “We are very excited Jim Donovan won the television bobblehead election and we can’t wait to have him and his giveaway at Canal Park next Saturday,” said...

Tom Beres, WKYC Senior Political Correspondent Our congratulations to WKYC Senior Political Correspondent Tom Beres who was honored Tuesday by the Society of Professional Journalists. Tom was given the Distinguished Service Award, for his contributions to journalism, at a luncheon held at the City Club of Cleveland. Tom has been with WKYC for 34 years and is the longest-tenured reporter at a Cleveland station. The best news is Tom has just signed on for more with Channel 3 News, which means you will continue to see on the air for some time to come. Also honored Tuesday include WTAM-AM/1100's Tom Moore with the Distinguished Service Awared and Tom Hamzik of Padua who won the Philip Porter Scholarship.

WKYC will re-air our much talked about special "Heroin: Old Drug, New Killer Epidemic" on Sunday, May 26th from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Channel 3. “We were approached by a group of concerned citizens in Geauga County who are alarmed at the rate by which young people are dying from this epidemic, said Rita Andolsen, WKYC’s Director of Advocacy & Community Initiatives.  “After looking into the issue, we learned heroin use and subsequent deaths are a problem across our entire region. We decided to put the resources of our station behind the issue and do something about it”. Anchored by medical reporter Monica Robins, the special takes an in-depth look at what’s causing the epidemic and the cost, literally and figuratively, of addiction to the families whose loved ones fall victim to this drug. In Cuyahoga County alone, the number of heroin deaths has increased by 177% from 2007-2012. The statistics in surrounding counties are equally alarming. During this hou...