Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

By Frank Macek UPDATE: 12/25 Due to the weather and breaking news, NBC has canceled Tom's visit to Cleveland today. ------------------------- NBC Nightly News will have a distinctly Cleveland backdrop on Monday, December 15, as anchor Tom Llamas brings the network’s flagship evening newscast to the city for a live broadcast at 6:30 p.m. The visit includes time at WKYC Studios and is part of Llamas’ broader effort to tour the country and connect directly with NBC’s local affiliates. Llamas’ Cleveland stop places Northeast Ohio squarely on the national stage—something the city continues to earn through its relevance to stories shaping the country. From economic reinvention and health care to climate resilience and the evolving media industry itself, Cleveland offers a real-world lens on national issues. Broadcasting live from the city reinforces NBC News’ commitment to grounding its reporting in the communities where those stories live. The visit to WKYC carries particular weight. C...

By Frank Macek The Cleveland Crunch are entering a new chapter in their modern revival, thanks to a new partnership that will bring all of their home games exclusively to WKYC+. Beginning January 10, 2026, every match played at the Wolstein Center will stream live on the platform, giving fans across Northeast Ohio a direct and convenient way to follow the team. It’s a move that reflects both the Crunch’s growing momentum and WKYC Studios’ continued expansion of its digital footprint.  For the Crunch, the agreement is more than a broadcast arrangement. It signals the team’s commitment to reconnecting with longtime fans while introducing indoor soccer to a new audience.  The Crunch hold a nostalgic place in Cleveland sports history, dating back to their championship years in the National Professional Soccer League. Since the franchise relaunched, the organization has focused on rebuilding its identity and reestablishing indoor soccer as a staple of Cleveland’s sports culture. A ...

By Frank Macek Jennifer Lindgren (via LinkedIn) When Jennifer Lindgren walked into the WKYC newsroom in August 2010, she arrived with the energy of a journalist who knew exactly where she wanted to go. She had already put in the mileage—working in Columbia, South Carolina at WLTX and later in Jacksonville at WTLV—but Cleveland became the city where she sharpened her voice, tested her limits, and proved just how versatile a reporter could be. For those of us who remember her time at Channel 3, Jennifer wasn’t just a reporter on the roster. She was a one-woman production house, a journalist who could do it all before “MMJ” became an industry buzzword. Her role at WKYC was, in many ways, ahead of the curve. Jennifer wasn’t simply reporting the news. She was shooting it, editing it, writing it, producing it, and then standing in front of the camera to deliver it. On her official WKYC profile at the time, she described herself as “a wearer of many hats,” and she wasn’t exaggerating. She’d h...

By Frank Macek The great unraveling of the local television broadcasting workforce didn’t happen in one dramatic moment. It didn’t arrive with a corporate memo, a breaking-news ticker, or a major newsroom shakeup. It happened slowly, quietly, and then all at once.  Over the last decade—especially in the last five years—I’ve watched the industry I love lose people at every level and from every corner: producers, directors, photojournalists, anchors, engineering veterans, editors, creative staff, and digital teams who once saw broadcasting as a lifelong career. The exits are no longer surprising. They’re expected. And more than that, they’re telling us something we’ve been reluctant to confront. Why are so many people walking away from an industry once defined by loyalty and longevity? In my view, the answer isn’t simple, but it is unmistakable: local TV no longer looks like the business many of us signed up for. The job changed, the expectations changed, the economics changed, and i...

By Frank Macek WKYC viewers are in for a true holiday treat this Friday, Nov. 28, as we unwrap one of our biggest seasonal streaming events yet. Immediately following Front Row Friday, our streaming app WKYC+ will present an exclusive broadcast of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s stunning “Christmas Eve and Other Stories Live” concert — streaming only on our platform from 7:30 to 9 p.m.  This holiday classic, known for its mix of rock, orchestra, storytelling, and dazzling production, has become a benchmark of the season for fans across the country. Now, viewers can enjoy the full experience from home, free and on demand. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra has long been a powerhouse of holiday entertainment, blending soaring guitar riffs with sweeping symphonic arrangements in a way that makes their music instantly recognizable. “Christmas Eve and Other Stories,” their debut album and one of the bestselling Christmas records of all time, laid the foundation for what their live shows would ...

By Frank Macek Major League Baseball’s new media agreement with NBC marks one of the most significant shifts in the sport’s national broadcast landscape in years, restoring a legacy partnership while reshaping how fans will watch many of baseball’s biggest moments. Beginning with the 2026 season, NBC returns to MLB coverage with a package that blends historic broadcast presence and modern streaming strategy, placing select games on both the NBC broadcast network and Peacock.  For longtime fans who remember NBC’s iconic baseball coverage through the 1990s, the move represents both a nostalgic return and a strategic adjustment for today’s multiplatform audience. Here in Northeast Ohio, all NBC-network MLB broadcasts will air locally on WKYC, Cleveland’s NBC affiliate. Under the agreement, NBC regains rights to several high-profile MLB events. Among the most notable additions is Sunday Night Baseball, which NBC will air during weeks without network conflicts. ESPN still retains its lo...

By Frank Macek WKYC is unwrapping a bit of holiday nostalgia with a look back at our Holiday Values Magazine, a seasonal tradition that once showcased the station’s community spirit and promotional flair in the early 1990s. These rare vintage photos, recently shared with us by former Director of Advertising & Promotion Dan Klintworth, offer a vivid window into an era when WKYC’s branding, events, and on-air talent were captured in festive, magazine-style spreads delivered to viewers each winter. Klintworth, who served at WKYC from 1984 to 1995 during both NBC and Multimedia ownership, preserved these images for decades. His generosity in sending them back home to WKYC gives us an invaluable look at the station’s creative legacy—a time defined by bold graphics, spirited promotions, and a newsroom buzzing with holiday energy. These photos not only celebrate our past but also remind us how deeply WKYC’s traditions continue to resonate today. Enjoy a trip to the past. Channel 3 News ...

By Frank Macek One of Northeast Ohio’s most familiar faces is returning to local television. Veteran meteorologist Mark Johnson will join WKYC Channel 3 as a meteorologist beginning Monday, Nov. 10, bringing his trusted voice, decades of forecasting experience, and deep connection to the community back to viewers across the region. Johnson will deliver weather updates weekdays during WKYC’s 5, 7, and 11 p.m. newscasts, adding his expertise to one of Cleveland’s most respected weather teams.  For those who grew up watching him interpret lake-effect snow, spring storms, or summer heat waves, his return marks the homecoming of a beloved broadcaster whose calm authority has guided viewers through some of Northeast Ohio’s most unpredictable weather moments. Mark Johnson is more than just a forecaster — he’s part of Cleveland’s television history. A lifelong Northeast Ohio resident, Johnson first stepped onto the Cleveland airwaves in 1993, launching a career at WEWS-TV that would span ...

By Frank Macek In every newsroom, there are the familiar faces viewers see each day—the anchors, the reporters, the meteorologists guiding us through another unpredictable Cleveland forecast. But the real heartbeat of a station like WKYC lies with the people you rarely see: the photographers and editors. They are the unsung heroes who make the stories come alive, the ones who quietly transform chaos into clarity and turn everyday news into something that connects us all. At WKYC, the photographers are often the first to hit the road and the last to come back. When the rest of Northeast Ohio is tucked inside avoiding the blinding snow, these men and women are out there—battling the elements with cameras slung over their shoulders, trudging through drifts and ice to capture the story for the evening newscast. The cold cuts through layers of clothing, the wind howls across the lakefront, and yet, they stand firm, focused on getting the perfect shot that will help viewers understand the ...

By Frank Macek Old WKYC building at E. 6th Street October 31 isn’t just Halloween in Cleveland—it’s also the day Channel 3 first lit up the airwaves. On October 31, 1948, WKYC—then known as WNBK —signed on as Cleveland’s second television station , following WEWS-TV. Seventy-seven years later, that pioneering NBC signal from Parma has evolved into a multimedia powerhouse that continues to inform, inspire, and connect Northeast Ohio. When WNBK first went on the air, television itself was still new and experimental. Only a few hundred Clevelanders owned TV sets, and most programming came live from NBC’s studios in New York. The local station filled the schedule with community shows, live news, and sports, all broadcast from a modest downtown facility. Those early engineers, announcers, and producers were true trailblazers, figuring out the technology and storytelling in real time. In 1954, the station relocated its transmitter to Parma and moved from Channel 4 to Channel 3 to improve si...

By Frank Macek WKYC's & NBC’s 2025 holiday lineup sparkles with music, nostalgia, and tradition.  The season begins with Wicked: One Wonderful Night , a star-studded musical celebration featuring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.  Thanksgiving brings Countdown to the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade , the parade itself, and the beloved National Dog Show Presented by Purina . December shines with Christmas in Rockefeller Center hosted by Reba McEntire, followed by Christmas in Nashville .  Animated favorites return, including How the Grinch Stole Christmas , Frosty the Snowman , and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer . Holiday fun continues with the Password Holiday Special , A Motown Christmas hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey, and Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Spectacular . Classic films and faith close the season with It’s a Wonderful Life and the traditional Christmas Eve Mass , before the 137th Rose Parade ushers in the New Year. Here's a preview of ...

By Frank Macek Silas Tsang WKYC Studios has added a new name to its award-winning 3News team, as journalist and producer Silas Tsang joins as Investigative Producer. Tsang comes to Cleveland from WTOL in Toledo, where he spent the past several years producing some of Ohio’s most notable investigations and earning recognition for his commitment to transparency and public accountability. While at WTOL, Tsang worked closely with lead investigator Brian Dugger to build the station’s 11 Investigates brand into a recognized source of hard-hitting reporting. His work has been praised by colleagues and management alike for its depth, accuracy, and impact. WTOL’s news director said “his dedication and drive have left a lasting mark” on their newsroom — a sentiment that reflects his relentless pursuit of truth and commitment to ethical journalism. Among his many accomplishments, Tsang was the first to uncover a critical court document that kick-started the investigation into Cedar Point’s poli...