Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

Time for another installment of "Throwback Thursday" which takes a look back at some of the historical milestones at WKYC Studios. The time machine takes us back to 2005 with a timeline of some of the biggest moments of that year at WKYC. January 2005: AJ Colby joins WKYC-TV from WJW-TV/Cleveland as a freelance meteorologist. February 6, 2005: Eileen McShea’s contract ends, although she remains on the air sporadically through May 2005. March 2005: Paxson Communications announces it will end its partnership with WKYC-TV and puts “The Akron/Canton News” in doubt on WVPX/Channel 23. June 2005: John Friess departs WKYC-TV for KRON-TV/San Francisco. July 4, 2005: WKYC-TV moves “The Akron/Canton News” from WVPX-TV/Akron-Canton to Time Warner Cable Channel 23 at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. (previously 10 p.m.) with anchor Eric Mansfield, reporters Ben Holbert, Joy Benedict and other members of the Channel 3 News team. July 25, 2005: Jacque Smith joins WKYC-TV from...

Sunday marked 30 years since 10-year-old Amy Mihaljevic vanished from a Bay Village shopping plaza. Her disappearance ended in heartbreak and tragedy when her body was found months later in an Ashland County field. Three decades later, her killer remains free and investigators are still searching for answers. RELATED: Amy Should Be Forty: A look back on the murder case of Bay Village's Amy Mihaljevic 3News has launched a podcast to remember Amy, and to take a deep dive into her case. What clues could help detectives finally find justice for Amy? The "Amy Should Be Forty" podcast launched Sunday, Oct. 27, the 30-year anniversary of Amy's disappearance. The five-episode series includes insight and memories from Amy's family, investigators who have pursued her case and former Cleveland Scene crime reporter James Renner. Listen to "Amy Should Be Forty" wherever podcasts are found. Click here to listen on Spotify and here to listen on Apple. ...

Hard to believe it's been 30 years since one of Channel 3's most successful morning programs went off the air. "AM Cleveland" was launched as a challenger to WEWS Channel 5's "The Morning Exchange" when the show debuted on May 9, 1983, with newcomer Scott Newell who joined WKYC from WXIA-TV in Atlanta. The show aired weekdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. with a live studio audience and periodically would do remote shows from various malls around northeast Ohio, many of which no longer exist today. Newell reminds us that Pierce Brosnan from "Remington Steele" and "James Bond" fame was the very first guest on the show in 1983 from the studios at 1403 E. 6th Street. By 1986, AM Cleveland surpassed "The Morning Exchange" in ratings. However, the show would end its run on March 31, 1989, after 6 terrific years and thousands of guests. Recently, a 30 year reunion was held at the WKYC Studios now located at 1333 Lakeside Avenue...

As you know, we celebrated our 70th year on the air at Channel 3 last October and will always remember our first broadcast on Halloween night, October 31, 1948 as WNBK-TV Channel 4. A good part of our history comes from those early years when WNBK-TV moved from Channel 4 to Channel 3. The station would then become KYW as part of a station swap between NBC and Westinghouse that would eventually be un-done by the FCC several years later. At that point, KYW-TV changed call letters to what they are today: WKYC. Let's take a look at the first 35 years that was celebrated in 1983 and hosted by former WKYC anchor Judd Hambrick. Enjoy! 71 years is just one week away!

Check out these classic photos from 2007 of the Channel 3 helicopter called "Chopper 3" flying over the skies of northeast Ohio. The helicopter was used to gather news and provide live reports from major breaking news events. Often, you would see a reporter doing a live broadcast from the helicopter during one of our live newscasts. Sadly, the helicopter was grounded because of the high expenses involved with maintaining, fueling and providing insurance. The advent of new technology, like drones and cellular backpacks, would forever change the way we would cover news at WKYC. Chopper 3 Chopper 3 Chopper 3 Dan Bowman with Mike Harris (Photo courtesy: Bob Keyes) Bob Keyes (Photo Courtesy: Bob Keyes)

WKYC Studios President and General Manager Micki Byrnes announced today that Emily Mayfield will join WKYC as a special correspondent for the 3News team. Emily Mayfield “We are thrilled to welcome Emily to the 3News family,” said Byrnes. “Emily’s passion for Northeast Ohio, genuine curiosity and her gift of connecting with people in the community will come to life in her stories for WKYC Studios. When Emily moved to Cleveland, she wanted to explore all that her new home had to offer. We look forward to sharing what she’s discovered!” “Emily brings her love of life, energy and infectious personality to everything she touches,” said Director of Content Adam Miller. “From identifying innovative trends in the health and wellness space to showcasing the hottest, most interesting spots in Northeast Ohio, Emily’s reports will give viewers a front row seat to Cleveland through the lens of various experts in their fields.” Emily’s reports will air on “Lunch Break with Jay Crawford” at...

Special to the Director's Cut Blog from wkyc.com Senior health correspondent Monica Robins is sharing her own medical journey with 3News viewers. 3News has some personal news to share about a member of our family. Monica Robins came to us in 1998, and has been our senior health correspondent for much of that time. Monica Robins. Courtesy: wkyc.com Monica recently took a leave of absence to prepare for her own medical journey. It's a journey she wanted us to share with you tonight. You can watch more on What Matters Most at 6 p.m. and What's Next at 11 p.m. You can also hear more of Monica's thoughts in the video below. This summer, Monica's world turned upside-down. For years, she had been dealing with a nagging problem in her left eye, first thought to be allergies, then possibly an autoimmune disorder. But an MRI revealed something far more serious: a tumor, pressing against her eye and brain's left hemisphere. This type of tumor is a meningi...

Beginning this Monday, October 7th, WKYC Studios launches "Lunch Break with Jay Crawford" at noon on 3. The show will feature Jay with various co-hosts including Hollie Strano, Maureen Kyle, Alexa Lee and other popular 3 on-air personalities and special guest hosts. You'll never know who is stopping by to join Jay on set. Also joining Jay will be our new WKYC Studios digital anchor Stephanie Haney with the day's hottest stories and latest social media chat. For viewers of ESPN, you know Jay Crawford ( @jaycrawfordCLE ) best from his on-air work on several different shows over the years. In 2003, the sports network came calling and Crawford launched his popular show "Cold Pizza" that became ESPN’s "First Take" in 2007. Within five years, Crawford was on to the "SportsCenter" division to host the midday program where he remained until 2017. Stephanie Haney ( @stephaniehaney )  is a northeast Ohio native and former DailyMailTV...

Tis the season for your holiday favorites and WKYC Studios and NBC have a whole host of popular favorites to air in November and December. Here is a list of what you can expect this year: Wednesday, November 27 th 9:00pm – 11:00pm: A SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE THANKSGIVING   Thursday, November 28 th 9:00am – 12:00pm: THE 93 RD ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE    12:00pm – 2:00pm: THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA 2:00pm – 5:00pm: THE 93 RD ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE (repeat from 9 am) Friday, November 29 th 8:00pm - 10:00pm: THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA (repeat from Thursday)  Saturday, November 30 th 8:00pm – 11:00pm:  MOVIE: IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE                                                           Tuesday, December 3 rd 8:00pm ...

Since it's a Victory Monday for the Browns, let's check out some flashback pictures of our Monday night show that aired on October 8, 2007 called "The Point After" when Channel 3 was the television home of the Cleveland Browns The show aired every Monday night at 7 pm with the radio voices of the Cleveland Browns Jim Donovan and Doug Dieken, plus Tony Grossi of the the Plain Dealer and former Browns head coach Sam Rutigliano. The show was directed by current WKYC Studios Production Manager Allen Wohl and produced by sports director Jeff Yakawiak.  

Time for another installment of "Throwback Thursday" which takes a look back at some of the historical milestones at WKYC Studios. The time machine takes us back to 1986 with a timeline of some of the biggest moments of that year at WKYC. 1986: Channel 3’s “Hickory Hideout” goes into syndication on other NBC owned stations including WNBC-TV/New York, WRC-TV/Washington D.C., WMAQ-TV/Chicago, KCNC-TV/Denver and KNBC-TV/Los Angeles until 1981. 1986: Obie Shelton joins WKYC-TV from WEWS-TV/Cleveland as a weekend sports reporter. 1986: WKYC-TV becomes the first local station to broadcast in stereo. Early 1986: WKYC-TV gets its first satellite truck and brands it “Skycom” that allows the station to broadcast live from any point in the continental U.S. May 2, 1986: WKYC-TV announces Jim Donovan will become play-by-play announcer on the Browns’ exhibition games on WKYC-TV in the fall along with commentary by Reggie Rucker. Donovan will also host “Browns ’86,” Cha...

We are always on the look out for classic WKYC gems. Let's flashback to February 28, 1993, for Channel 3 News at 11 pm with Tony Harris, Liz Habib, Eileen McShea and Chuck Galeti.

Check out some of the pictures of our new WKYC Studios that debuted on Sunday, September 22nd following Sunday Night Football. This is Studio A today.

Really excited and proud to be part of the debut of the new "3 News" tomorrow night after the Browns game that I'll be directing on our premiere show. Please give us a watch Sunday night and let me know what you think. http://bit.ly/newWKYC #newWKYC Our debut will start after Sunday Night Football, then starting Monday September 23 at 4a, we think you’ll notice a big difference in the stories we tell and how we tell them. Yes, we’ll always cover the big and breaking news of the day, but we’re also going to focus on stories that matter to you and those you care about. We’re also more committed than ever to find information that can make a difference in your life. Whether it’s keeping your family safe with must-see consumer reports and investigations, growing your career in Cleveland with learning and job opportunities or finding new ways to have more fun in your life, we want to help you, your friends and your family live your best lives. Our shows will als...

You see the bus on TV. Now you can see it in person at the WKYC Studios in downtown Cleveland as the NBC Sunday Night Football bus has arrived. Here are some pictures thanks to our ace photographer Mark Smilor. Don't forget, the Browns and Rams play this Sunday night only on Channel 3!

WKYC's sister station group expanded greatly on Thursday! From the TEGNA press release: ---------- Tysons, VA – TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) today announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of 11 local television stations, including eight Big Four affiliates, from Nexstar Media Group for $740 million in cash. The acquisition adds complementary markets to TEGNA’s existing portfolio of top network affiliates, including four affiliates in election battleground states. TEGNA now owns or operates 62 television stations across 51 markets, reaching more than 38 percent of U.S. television households. The acquired stations include: WTIC/WCCT — FOX/CW affiliates in Hartford-New Haven, CT WPMT — FOX affiliate in Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, PA WATN/WLMT — ABC/CW affiliates in Memphis, TN WNEP — ABC affiliate in Wilkes Barre-Scranton, PA WOI/KCWI — ABC/CW affiliates in Des Moines-Ames, IA WZDX — FOX affiliate in Huntsville-Decatur-Florence, AL WQA...