Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

Please excuse a little shameless, self promotion this week as I reach a personal milestone in my career. It's an exclusive "behind the scenes" look at this special time for me. This month marks my 10th anniversary as a full time director at Channel 3. Former WKYC Production Manager Rich O'Dell (now GM at Gannett station WLTX in Columbia, SC) hired me as a part-time, weekend & fill-in director in 1995 after spending my first year here working as a studio technician. Initially, I was assigned duties as the weekend 6 & 11 PM and fill-in director on the newly expanded morning news. Plus, I often directed the "Tom and Del" or "Del and Tom" Show (Those two always fought over whose name would come first.) In 1997, long-time WKYC Director John Oven retired and moved to sunny Florida - and I was promoted to full time status. John's favorite phrase when something went wrong, was always "don't worry - it's on its way to Mars, men....

Last week, I mentioned by way of note from our Mailbag that WKYC has gotten a couple of new signs. Also, I promised a few pictures. So, here you go: This is the new sign on the side of the building mentioning Channel 3 HD, SportsTime Ohio, wkyc.com and Weather Plus - This new sign is along the street in front of the building -

According to new study from Nielsen, HDTV owners are generally satisfied with the picture quality of the programming they receive. However, the figures also show those same owners are less than thrilled about HD programming choices currently available. About 85% of the queried HD households ranked picture quality as "above average" or "excellent" while only 39% gave those ratings to programming selections. The study also found owners who frequently watch HDTV at home gave the following responses about the types and networks they watched most for each: Sports (42.8%) - Most watched ESPN HD Movies (38.0%) - Most watched HBO HD Scripted Dramas (28.1%) - Most watched CBS HD Documentaries (23.8%) - Most watched Discovery HD Scripted Comedies (19.4%) - Most watched CBS HD Reality Programming (11.1%) - Most watched Fox HD Music (9.6%) - Most watched PBS HD Read the entire study, CLICK HERE Courtesy: Nielsen.com

This month, we feature former WKYC Medical Reporter Eileen Korey in our "Where Are They Now?" feature here on the Director's Cut Blog. Eileen first joined WKYC in 1984 as Medical Reporter and left the station in the summer of 1992. Eileen recently told us what's she has been up to lately. "I have been at MetroHealth as Vice President, Communications since January 2005, where I am in charge of a staff that handles internal communications, media relations, marketing, advertising, development communications, community relations, senior services, creative services (including audio and video production), diversity, and pastoral care. I am part of the senior team, reporting directly to the President and Chief Executive Officer. I am passionate about the work we do at MetroHealth and constantly impressed with the commitment of the people here. The patients and staff are inspiring, and I am tremendously fulfilled by my job. Before MetroHealth, I spent ten years in charg...

From: Doug in Cleveland Q: Hi Frank, I was driving past your building on my way to the Browns game on Sunday and noticed the sign has changed...a little remodeling going on? A: Actually yes - we are installing a new sign on the station to highlight the many programming channels we are now...including WKYC, Sportstime Ohio, WKYC.com and Weather Plus. I'll post a picture in the next few days after the electrical workers are done installing it. If you would like to ask us a question, send your email to: fmacek@wkyc.com

Sony Corp announced on Monday that it will launch an ultra-thin, flat 11" TV this December. The new 3mm TV will be the world's first based on organic light-emitting diode or OLED technology. "Some people have said attractive products are slow to come at Sony despite its technological strength," said Sony President Ryoji Chubachi at a news conference in Tokyo. "I want this world's first OLED TV to be the symbol of the revival of Sony's technological prowess." The new TV will have an average life span of about 30,000 viewing hours - roughly half of Sony's LCD TVs. This breaks down into about 8 hours of daily use for 10 years. It it difficult at the moment to make larger panels the company addded, limiting the appeal of the otherwise promising, next generation TV sets.. The price tag will be about 200,000 yen ($1740). The new set will go on sale in Japan first on December 1st. Overseas dates have yet to be announced.

Channel 3's Main Control Room "A" Technical Director Running the Sony 9000 HD Production Switcher Audio Engineer operating our new Wheatstone 5.1 Surround Sound Audio Board The Deko 3000 Graphics Playback Machine Camera Operator running 3 robotic cameras using a touchscreen in the studio Eric & Romona Anchoring from the "Tech Center" with Floor Director Behind the Anchors during the Newscast In Back of the Studio during the Newscast Mark using the chromakey for Main Weather Another Shot of Mark in the Chromakey

If you watch both "Channel 3 News" at 6, 7 & 11 PM and the "Akron Canton News" at 6:30 & 10 PM this week, you'll notice Eric Mansfield anchoring both. Eric is filling in for Tim White. I have gotten a number of emails about how Eric can be in Cleveland, then back in Akron so quickly between shows. No, we don't own a Star Trek transporter (though I suspect our engineers are secretly working on that). Eric added that I should share that he and Mark Nolan carpool. (Mark is always located in Cleveland and does weather for both newscasts.) Truth be known, we are cheating this week...Eric is really here in the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. You see him anchor on Channel 3 at 6 PM, then walk over the chromakey to anchor the Akron Canton show at 6:30. Remember, the newsroom is in Akron which is where Eric normal anchors from. But the control room operations are always handled here in Cleveland. Then at the end of the 6:30 show, Eric walks back over to the Ch...

Sunday's Indians clinch of the AL Central was a huge ratings winner for WKYC which carried the game in High Definition: According to a press release issued by WKYC Monday: "Yesterday (Sunday) was a great sports story in Cleveland as the Indians captured the American League Central Division title and an outstanding day for Channel 3 Sports and SportsTime Ohio as the high-definition broadcast of the game topped the ratings," announced WKYC President and General Manager Brooke Spectorsky. "Fans stayed glued to their sets and generated an outstanding 14.25 rating/29 share (530,000 persons 2+) and peaked at a 23 rating/42 share (855,000 persons 2+). "After the game, SportsTime Ohio cameras and Cchannel 3 stayed with the Indians post game and finished with a 10.4 rating/18 share for the 45 minutes of celebration", added Spectorsky. "These numbers just reinforce that Cleveland is all about sports, and throughout the year, Channel 3 and STO have given fans ove...

This is a group of classic Channel 3 Promos from around 1995, courtesy of the "Director's Cut" archives. This latest batch includes cameos from Judd Hambrick, Dawn Stensland, Jeff Maynor, Kate Laurie, Paul Orlousky, Joe Mosbrook, Steve Keeley, Donna Terrell, Chuck Galeti and Tom Beres among others. Special thanks to WKYC Editor Sarah Montgomery for helping us get the videos to the web. Feel free to post your own comments and share your memories. Just click on the videos to watch. If you can't see the video on this page, CLICK HERE

My colleague at WUSA-TV in Washington D.C. , Scott Rubens, has started his own "behind the scenes" blog called The Director's Chair which takes a look inside Channel 3's Gannett sister station in the nation's Capital. Because I welcome friendly competition and the exchange of ideas, I'd like to share this blog with you. Scott has been directing WUSA's 6 & 11 PM newscasts for the past 10 years and offers yet another perspective on how it is to work behind the scenes in local television. WUSA-TV is the largest of our Gannett TV group stations...and is often referred to as the "Station of the Gods" - because our Corporate staff is also located there. You may also recall that former WKYC News Director Randal Stanley went to WUSA in the same capacity before moving to NYC with his wife and family. Over the next couple of days, be sure to check out Scott's blog... http://www.wusa9.com/news/columnist/blogs/directorschair.aspx

NBC.com is launching a new service to allow users to download full episodes of NBC shows directly to their desktops. Using NBC Direct, due out for Windows PCs in October, will eventually be like setting your Tivo's Season Pass in that you can "subscribe" to a show once then automatically receive it each week. The software client will store each ad-supported episode for up to one week, after which the license expires. Heroes, The Office, Life, Bionic Woman, 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno will be available at launch. Future plans include developing DRM-protected versions of shows that can be downloaded to an iPod, installing a P2P system to enable high definition downloads and experimentation with download-to-own, rental and subscription models.

CNBC will launch a hi-def simulcast version of its business cable channel in October, signing an initial carriage agreement with DirecTV. CNBC HD+ will feature a full line up of programming shot in HD including "Power Lunch," "Street Signs" and "Closing Bell."

SportsTime Ohio (the regional sports network done in partnership with WKYC) announced Tuesday that the network has partnered with Time Warner Cable to sign a one year television deal with the Ohio High School Athletic Association. SportsTime Ohio will have exclusive rights to televise eight (8) football playoff games, six (6) football championship games, eight (8) boys' basketball playoff games, four (4) boys' basketball championship games, and four (4) girls' basketball championship games. In addition, STO has exclusive distribution of a minimum of four (4) other OHSAA events to be determined. SportsTime Ohio will carry these events live and tape delayed throughout Ohio. A partnership with Time Warner Cable has been forged to distribute statewide coverage of these events, including the full Cincinnati and Dayton DMAs. Through this partnership, OHSAA programming will air in all 12 DMAs in Ohio reaching 3.1 million homes. Time Warner Cable's "Local on Demand" s...

Channel 3 Reporter Mike O'Mara steps into the spotlight in this month's "Get to Know Team 3" feature. Mike is a four time Emmy award recipient and has been honored many times by the Press Club of Cleveland for his reporting excellence. We recently sat down with Mike and threw a couple of questions his way: Q: You started your broadcasting career in radio, much like I did. First you worked in Toledo, then you went on to Detroit, what were some of the positions you held? Mike: I started as disc jockey doing the night shift at WMHE 92-5 FM. Then I added vacation relief shift at the same time in Detroit (WRIF) from 10am - 2pm. The Toledo station then moved me to morning show and made me music director and then program director. When I made the transition to television, I was hired as a reporter, photographer and editor. I had to quickly learn how to shoot film and tape and edit both mediums. A few months later, the news management made me weekend anchor, producer, w...

Update: 9/19/07 Keith is at home and recovering well. He plans to return to his MSNBC show on Friday and Sunday Night Football this weekend. ------------------------------------------ MSNBC's & NBC Sunday Night Football's rising prime-time star Keith Olbermann was still hospitalized Monday after undergoing an emergency appendectomy Friday. Mr. Olbermann's appendix apparently ruptured Wednesday, but he wrote it off as a stomach ailment and soldiered on. Though still feeling ill, he nonetheless reported for work Thursday night, when he anchored MSNBC's analysis of President Bush's prime-time address on the war in Iraq. It wasn't until Friday afternoon that he decided it was time to seek medical attention, according to an MSNBC spokeswoman. Mr. Olbermann's medical emergency benched him from NBC's "Football Night in America" Sunday, but it's hoped he may be able to return to "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" some time this week. In...

President Bush's speech to the nation Thursday Night, September 13th, was the very first ever broadcast in High Definition from the Oval Office at the White House.

According to a just-released Knowledge Networks study, access to high-definition television (HDTV) programming significantly affects viewing behavior, making users more selective about what they watch and more likely to plan viewing in advance. High-definition (HD) reception does not seem to make consumers more likely to watch commercials, though; while they find HDTV ads more "relevant," they are just as likely to click away from them as regular ads. The report indicates that, while 20% of homes now have an HDTV set, less than two-thirds (61%) of those homes have true high-definition reception. But the effects of having HD programming are substantial; among those who get high-definition reception signals: *One-third always check their HD channels first when channel surfing or checking for a program *About half "always" make the effort to watch in HD if a program is simulcast in both standard definition and HD *About 70% plan their viewing ahead of time, compared wi...

WKYC Presents Special "Race for the Cure" Live Coverage: Friday, September 14th On Friday evening at 7 pm, WKYC Health Anchor Monica Robins will guide viewers through a new race route and timeline and provide practical information including where to park Saturday morning. Saturday, September 15th Our live on-air and web coverage begins on Channel 3 and wkyc.com at 9 a.m. *Live video at 9 a.m. *Finish Line camera at 9:40 a.m. *Email us your photos all day! CLICK HERE For more details about "Race For the Cure or to donate to this worthy cause, visit neohiorace.org or call (216) 791-CURE (2873)

Congratulations to WKYC's Monica Robins. She was one of the 2007 recipients of Lakewood, Lutheran and Fairview Hospitals' Community Service Awards. Monica's dedication to providing you with health care information.... and her committment to local health organizations is what made her a standout to receive the honor.

September 11, 2001 As a Director, it was the hardest day of my career so far - trying to hold back your feelings, your emotions, your anger - while being on-the-air with non-stop live coverage of the tragic events in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Whether you agree or disagree that six years after the fact, we - the media - still do too much coverage of the anniversary, it's worthy of looking back on that day behind the scenes at WKYC. At 9 am, the phone rang. A friend called to ask me if I had seen the jet crash into the World Trade Center. "It had to be an accident," I said to myself still half awake - perhaps it was just a small commuter plane and wasn't that big a deal. I was not comprehending what I was hearing. After all, I was on vacation and news was the furthest thing from my mind. Then I get the second call...about a second plane and realized this is something bad. I jumped out of bed, turned on the TV and couldn't believe what I was watching. It...

Channel 3 News won the most local Emmys out of any station in our area at the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Lower Great Lakes Chapter held Saturday Night at the Hilton Garden Inn. Among the winners were WKYC's Jennifer Murphy, Kim Wheeler, Mike O'Mara, Paul Thomas, Dennis Goulden and Greg Hickey. WKYC's former Chief Engineer, Rex Rickly, was inducted into the Silver Circle that honors 25 years of service and committment to the broadcast industry. Congratulations also goes to SportsTime Ohio, who received their very first Emmy Award. For a complete list of winners: CLICK HERE