WKYC's Director's Cut with Frank Macek

Channel 3 Re-Airs “Heroin: Old Drug, New Killer Epidemic” May 26th

2013-05-16T20:57:00.000-04:00

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 hour long special, medical and mental health professionals weigh in on what’s causing this epidemic and what it’s going to take to stem the tide. Families and recovering users share their stories in the hope they can help saves lives.

A web chat will immediately follow the documentary with a panel of medical professionals that includes: Dr. Ted Parrran, St. Vincent Medical Center, Orlando Howard, Clinical Manager, St. Vincent Medical Center, Christina Delos Reyes, M.D. ADAMHS Board, Dennis Michelson, Drug Treatment Counselor, Lake and Geauga Recovery Centers, and Geauga County Safety Center, Carla and Rob Brandt, founders of “Robby’s Voice”

Channel 3 is working with numerous county drug task forces, law enforcement agencies, hospitals, addicts and their families to provide an in-depth look at the problem. From our documentary, WKYC will create a 15 minute DVD for use in schools, PTA meetings and other educational outreach.

We are asking area schools to partner with WKYC and agree to show this DVD in assemblies or health classes in middle and high schools before the end of the school year or at the start of the next school year.

Call to Courage Benefit To Honor and Assist Gina, Amanda and Michelle

2013-05-15T17:15:00.000-04:00

Channel 3 is partnering with LaVilla Event Center and Clear Channel Media & Entertainment to host a community benefit "Call to Courage" on Thursday May 23rd from 5:30 to 9 pm to assist Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight. Money raised will go to the Cleveland Courage Fund thru The Cleveland Foundation.

LaVilla Event Center at 11500 Brookpark Road is graciously donating their facility and services for the benefit and Party 411 Events is helping to plan the evening’s events. Music will be provided by singer and pianist Mike Petrone and Monica Robins and the Ninja Cowboys, playing a mix of rock, 80's and country. Local singer/songwriter Ashley Nemeh will also perform a song written specifically to honor these three young women.

Area restaurants will be donating their time and talents cooking up some of Cleveland's favorites. Get a taste of the best Cleveland has to offer from Johnny's, Georgetown, Triv's, and numerous others. Tickets can be purchased at the door. General admission is $20 and includes heavy appetizers and soft drinks. A cash bar with wine and beer will also be available and general and valet parking is free.

Dozens of area businesses are donating items for a silent auction and raffle with numerous prizes including concert tickets and meet and greets for Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, Luke Bryan and Rascal Flats. Autographed guitars by Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Little Big Town and STAIND will be up for grabs. Kyrie Irving is also donating a signed basketball, jersey and hat. Dozens of donations are still coming in for both the silent auction and the raffle.

"Call to Courage" will be hosted by WKYC's Robin Swoboda and WTAM's Bill Wills and guests will also have the chance to meet some of their favorite radio and television personalities including WKYC’s Russ Mitchell, Betsy Kling and Jim Donovan, WGAR’s Brian & LeeAnn, Rover and Duji from WMMS and WMJI’s Mark Nolan.

"People across the community and the nation have been touched by this story, this miracle", said Rita Andolsen, WKYC Director of Advocacy & Community Initiatives. "We decided to host this event to give the community a chance to celebrate the courage of Amanda, Gina and Michelle and to give people a way to show their support".

For more information call 216 514-8411 or email Rita Andolsen at randolsen@wkyc.com.

News: Job Openings at WKYC for 5/14/13

2013-05-14T18:02:00.000-04:00

WKYC has job openings if you are looking for a rewarding career experience with us at the market's most "state of the art" digital broadcast center.

Current WKYC Job Openings:

For complete job descriptions and application procedures, be sure to visit our WKYC Career Page or our Maximus Jobs Page for other positions.

Channel 3 Announces Browns Preseason Programming Times

2013-05-14T17:57:00.002-04:00

Once again, WKYC-TV will be your official television home of Cleveland Browns preseason football with a total of four games to be aired during the month of August.

Here is the schedule of times you will see the Browns "Pregame Huddle" and games on Channel 3.

Thursday, August 8th
   7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. - Browns Pregame Huddle
    8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. - Browns vs. St. Louis

Thursday, August 15th
   7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. - Browns Pregame Huddle
   7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. - Browns vs. Detroit

Saturday, August 24th
   7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. - Browns at Indianapolis

Thursday, August 29th
   7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. - Browns Pregame Huddle
   8:00 p.m. to 11 p.m. - Browns at Chicago

During the regular season, WKYC will also air the "Browns Pregame Huddle" on Sunday mornings at 11:30 a.m. and "Browns Tonight" each Sunday night immediately following "Sunday Night Football" on NBC and Channel 3 News at 11 p.m.

NBC Announces Fall 2013 Prime Time Schedule

2013-05-12T18:34:00.002-04:00

NBC has announced its prime-time schedule for the fall of 2013:

Monday
   8 p.m. - "The Voice"
10 p.m. - "The Blacklist"

Tuesday
8 p.m. - "The Biggest Loser"
9 p.m. - "The Voice"
10 p.m. - "Chicago Fire"

Wednesday
   8 p.m. - "Revolution"
   9 p.m. - "Law & Order: SVU"
10 p.m. - "Ironside"

Thursday
   8 p.m. - "Parks and Recreation"
   8:30 p.m. - "Welcome to the Family"
   9 p.m. - "Sean Saves the World"
   9:30 p.m. - "The Michael J. Fox Show"
   10 p.m. - "Parenthood"

Friday
   8 p.m. - "Dateline NBC"
   9 p.m. - "Grimm"
   10 p.m. - "Dracula"

Saturday
   - assorted reruns.

Sunday
   7 p.m. - "Football Night in America"

WKYC News & Notes: 5/10/13

2013-05-10T21:07:00.003-04:00

By Frank Macek

It's time for another "behind the scenes" look at what's happening inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center.

We are just wrapping up a week of one of the busiest news stories of recent memory with the "Miracle in Cleveland." For four days, WKYC brought viewers expanded coverage of this story since it broke Monday night. Our reporters and entire Channel 3 News devoted all of our resources to cover every angle of the story.

Many of our stories went national and several of our reporters appeared on national broadcasts with updates and web stories. WKYC also tapped the vast resources of Gannett Broadcasting and welcomed several journalists to help us cover the story from our stations in Knoxville; Buffalo; Columbia; South Carolina and Washington D.C. who brought their own perspectives on how Clevelanders reacted to this story. And while a large part of this story has played out, we'll continue to follow developments in the coming weeks and months.

Evelyn Theiss

WKYC welcomes two new team members. Evelyn Theiss is joining Channel 3 News from the Cleveland Plain Dealer where she will join our investigative unit, led by "The Investigator" Tom Meyer. Evelyn has worked as a reporter for the PD for the past twenty-three years. During that time, Evelyn has enterprised hundreds of stories on beats ranging from City Hall to healthcare to investigative reporting and has a unique understanding of our city and our region. Also, Ryan Maloney is the newest addition to our WKYC engineering staff. Ryan joins Channel 3 from Industrial Video (now iVideo Technologies) where he spent over 7 years.

Jim Donovan

Our own Jim Donovan was honored with the "Dino Lucarelli Lifetime Achievement Award" Tuesday night at the 25th annual scholar athlete awards banquet. Longtime friend and Browns radio partner Doug Dieken presented Jim the award for being the best at his craft. As most of you know, Jim is a leukemia survivor and awed the attendees with his outstanding speech.

As we mentioned in an earlier post, WKYC was nominated for a number of Emmy Awards this year to be presented on June 1st. In addition, two outstanding people from Channel 3 will be awarded with Golden Circle Awards. Fred Griffith will be honored for 26 years as host of the “Morning Exchange” on WEWS-TV, creating a warm and friendly start to the day while updating viewers on what had happened while they slept. In 2000, Fred moved to WKYC-TV, lending his skills to the station’s “Good Company” program before retiring in 2012.

Dennis Goulden Fred Griffith

Also, Dennis Golden will be honored this year. Since 1959, Dennis has had hands-on experience in all phases of documentary, public affairs and news production that includes expertise in cinematography, videography, research, writing and both on-line and off-line editing. At Channel 3, Dennis is well know for his "Montage" series. Congratulations to both of these outstanding colleagues.

And finally, be sure to watch our newscasts on your iPhone or iPad. Channel 3 just launched an update of our WKYC News app for iPhone users that enables live video streaming. Look for the app in the iTunes store. We'll have a version for Android users coming soon.

WKYC Honored with SPJ Sigma Delta Chi Award for Chardon Coverage

2013-04-29T17:50:00.000-04:00

The Award Winning News Team of Channel 3 News

WKYC has once again been honored with a prestigious award for the station's coverage of the Chardon, Ohio, school shootings on February 28, 2012.

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) recognized the staff of WKYC with a Sigma Delta Chi Award for "Breaking News Coverage (Large - Market Station: 1-50 market)" category.

This was the second award received by Channel 3 News on the heels of a regional Edward R. Murrow Award under the leadership of former News Director Rita Andolsen. Andolsen is currently the station's Director of Advocacy and Community Initiatives.

This year, the Society of Professional Journalists judges selected 84 honorees from nearly 1,700 submissions. Entries included selections from television and radio broadcasts, newspapers, online news outlets and magazines.

The Sigma Delta Chi Awards date back to 1932, when the Society honored six individuals for their contributions to journalism.

According to their website, the current program began in 1939 as the Distinguished Service Awards.

WKYC Nominated For Several Emmy Awards for 2013

2013-04-25T17:59:00.000-04:00

The 2013 Emmy finalists were announced Thursday morning by the Lower Great Lakes Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).

This is the 44th year of the annual awards that will be handed out on Saturday, June 1st at Windows on the River in Cleveland.

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.

Congratulations to the following WKYC journalists on their nominations for the 2012 calendar year:

Newscast-Evening - Market 1-20
Channel 3 News at 6 - Russ Mitchell, Anchor/Sara Shookman, Reporter/Danielle Fink, Assignment Editor/Maureen Kyle, Reporter

Newscast-Morning/Daytime - Market 1-20
Channel 3 News Today - Jennifer Nickels, Executive Producer/Chris Tye, Anchor/Erin Kennedy, Anchor/Brooke Whitney, Producer/Matthew Granite, Reporter

General Assignment Report - Within 24 Hours
Bridge Bombers - Tom Meyer, Reporter
Sidewalk Driver - Jennifer Lindgren, Reporter and Editor

General Assignment Report - No Time Limit
King of the Cul-De-Sac - Tom Meyer, Reporter

Breaking News
Chardon School Shootings - WKYC Team

Investigative Report - Single Story
Sex Traffickers Exposed - Tom Meyer, Reporter/Sarah Bachmann, Editor

Features News - Series
Stories From London - Jennifer Lindgren, Reporter, Photographer, Editor

Health/Science - Single Story
Garbage Juice - Tom Meyer, Reporter/Sarah Bachmann, Editor
A Dangerous Mix - Monica Robins, Producer/Susan Moses, Producer & Writer/Randy White, Photographer

Military: News Single Story/News Series/Feature or Segment
Veterans Commission - Tom Meyer, Reporter/Sarah Bachmann, Editor/Jessie Eck, Graphic Production Artist

Politics/Government
Disciplined With Pay - Tom Meyer, Reporter/Sarah Bachmann, Editor

Societal Concerns
Born Addicted - Susan Moses, Producer/Monica Robins, Reporter/Brandi Brayer, Editor/Lynn Olszowy, Photojournalist
Suburban Heroin - Tom Meyer, Reporter/Sarah Bachmann, Editor

Weather - News Weathercast
Christmas 2012 - "Twas the Night Before the Blizzard" - Betsy Kling, Meteorologist

Promotion - Program Single Spot/Campaign
WKYC See the Possible Campaign - Micki Byrnes, Producer/Monique Jackson, Producer, Stacy Yacobozzi, Producer/Steve Pullen, Videographer

Journalistic Enterprise
Tom Meyer-Reporter - Tom Meyer, Reporter

For a complete list of all this year's nominees, click the following link @ http://bit.ly/12p761A

WKYC Recognized With Regional Edward R. Murrow Award

2013-04-18T18:22:00.000-04:00

By Frank Macek

WKYC is honored to announce the station is the recipient of a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for large market in region seven for our breaking news coverage of the tragic events in Chardon last year.

"Channel 3 was recognized as an indispensable source of emergency information during the height of the crisis," says News Director Brennan Donnellan.

"The station's sensitivity to the tragedy was also recognized by the community in the following hours and days under the newsroom leadership of former WKYC News Director Rita Andolsen," he added. Andolsen is currently the station's Director of Advocacy and Community Initiatives.

WKYC parent company, Gannett Broadcasting, received a total of 45 regional 2013 Edward R. Murrow awards highlighting the excellence in journalism across all of our local broadcast stations.

Gannett CEO Gracia C. Martore explained, "This is the company’s best performance ever in the regional Murrow awards and the largest number of awards won by any station group this year! I couldn’t be prouder of Gannett Broadcasting and the award-winning journalism they have produced. These awards highlight Gannett’s purpose to serve the greater good of our nation and the communities we serve."

The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971.

'Tonight Show' Revs Up For A New Generation

2013-04-04T16:54:00.000-04:00

Special to the Director's Cut Blog
Gary Levin, USA TODAY

It's a generational shift at an icon of late-night TV: NBC's Tonight Show has anointed only its sixth host in its 59-year history. Jimmy Fallon will take over for Jay Leno late next February, the network confirmed Wednesday, after Leno is ushered off the stage for the second time in a 22-year run.

With the handoff, expected just after a promotional push during NBC's Winter Olympics, Tonight will move back to Fallon's base in New York City from Burbank, Calif., its home for more than 30 years. And the show is being placed in the hands of executive producer Lorne Michaels, who created Saturday Night Live and has shepherded projects featuring many of its stars, from 30 Rock to Fallon's current Late Night. But wee-hours talk shows have diminished in stature and ratings, amid huge shifts in television viewing.

Jay Leno (L) and Jimmy Fallon (R)

Cable competitors have sprung up, and recorded shows compete with the nightly monologues. Instead, much of the cultural conversation about Tonight has revolved around who's in and who's out, rather than what's being said. The show clings to its lead as late-night's most-watched, even as NBC struggles in prime time and Today has dropped to second place in the morning hours. But for the first time this winter, Comedy Central's The Colbert Report joined The Daily Show in beating Tonight among young-adult viewers. And both make headlines far more frequently.

"More for performers than the audience, there is sort of an aura of the Tonight Show label," says Ron Simon, curator of the Paley Center for Media, as a destination for celebrities, politicians and other newsmakers and -- less frequently these days -- musicians and comics. But among viewers, its image "has been shattered because of infighting over the last several years," he says. That will be "very difficult" to repair, says Simon, but Fallon's boyish enthusiasm and natural skills as a performer could help. At 38, he's "the right age for it, someone you could see grow before your eyes," just as "Carson went from new kid on the block to elder statesman." 'This is his time' Why is NBC dropping Leno, who still leads the pack, seven months before his contract is up in September 2014?

"Jimmy Fallon is a unique talent and this is his time," says NBC Universal chief Steve Burke in a statement, taking pains to praise Leno, who's 62 and is expected to continue his stand-up career. "His long reign as the highest-rated late-night host is a testament to his work ethic and dedication to his viewers and to NBC." There's been speculation that NBC acted out of fear: that ABC, which installed Jimmy Kimmel, 45, into an earlier 11:35 slot in January, might lure younger viewers away, or that Fallon would bolt for another network if he wasn't promised the Tonight Show brass ring. (NBC declined interview requests.)

The network had been there once before, keeping Conan O'Brien around in 2004 by promising he'd inherit Leno's chair five years later, only to pull the plug when Leno's prime-time show tanked and O'Brien's ratings faltered. Its next step is to replace Fallon at 12:35, where candidates include another SNL veteran and Weekend Update anchor, Seth Meyers. But all programmers must contend with the fact that not many young viewers are watching network talk shows.

Fifteen years ago, ABC, NBC and CBS commanded 21% of the young-adult audience in late night; now they muster a combined 4%. The format is largely broken, says a veteran producer of one, who requested anonymity because he's not authorized to comment publicly. He says the shows' reduced stature makes a transition now easier to accomplish by putting less pressure on a newcomer to produce big ratings.

And Leno helped smooth the way, appearing in a joke-video duet with Fallon Monday night and graciously bowing out in an official announcement Wednesday. "Congratulations, Jimmy," he said. "I hope you're as lucky as me and hold on to the job until you're the old guy." Future growth with Fallon Despite Fallon's relative youth, his audience isn't that much younger, with an average age of 53 compared to 58 for Leno and 56 for Letterman. (Viewers of O'Brien's TBS show, though far fewer in number, are more youthful with an average age of 36, while Colbert and Stewart's are about 42.)

But he brings a skill set lacking in some other, more angst-ridden hosts. He's not a stand-up comedian or acerbic commentator, but a singing, dancing performer, schooled in sketch comedy, who hasn't done many serious interviews but is more adept at engaging his audience with viral videos and social media. That effort is critical as the late night audience ages and shrinks further. "Advertisers find the hipper, cutting-edge environment more attractive," says Tim Spengler, worldwide CEO at ad firm Magna Global, who says the popularity of Fallon's work off the air "portends momentum and potential future growth for the program."

And Simon says the blending of the Tonight Show and SNL "traditions will bring a new flavor" to the Fallon's show in its shiny new studio, to be built near his current home at Rockefeller Center (where he'll displace Dr. Oz). Though, like in many late-night shows, there's irony involved: "SNL started as a reaction against the whole Tonight Show tradition, and now it's part and parcel with it," Simon says.

WKYC Names Dustin Wadsworth Assistant News Director

2013-03-29T17:18:00.003-04:00

Channel 3 News is adding a new face to the WKYC family as Dustin Wadsworth joins the station as Assistant News Director beginning April 29th, announced News Director Brennan Donnellan on Friday afternoon.

Dustin Wadsworth

Wadsworth comes to the WKYC from WMAR-TV/Baltimore, the Scripps owned station, where he helped create a digital-first newsroom, driving content and working on digital media strategy and served in a number of important roles over the past 12 years including News Producer, Executive News Producer and Director of New Media, most recently.

"We were determined to find a leader in digital news, someone who can help guide our overall editorial direction while making our social media, mobile and online channels top priorities, " said Donnellan explaining WKYC's committment to information distribution on all platforms.

Before WMAR, Wadsworth worked for the Sinclair Broadcast Group, Fox Rochester and WBNG/TV in Binghamton, New York as a news producer.

He has a graduate of the State University of New York, Oneonta, and is married with two children and is looking forward to calling northeast Ohio home beginning next month.

WKYC News & Notes: 3/27/13

2013-03-27T22:23:00.001-04:00

By Frank Macek

It's time for another "behind the scenes" look at what's happening inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center.

WKYC's Rita Andolsen (left) receiving award

Channel 3 received a big honor on Tuesday, March 26th, as the station was presented with the "Friends of Education Award" from the Cleveland Metropolitan School district at Glenville High School. Channel 3's Rita Andolsen, Director Advocacy & Community Initiatives, accepted the award honoring all of the station's efforts to inform voters about the Issue 107 school levy that voters passed overwhelmingly back in November.

Our Indians Opening Day coverage is all set and Channel 3 will be the place to be on Tuesday, April 8th, as the Indians welcome the New York Yankees to Progressive Field. Our live coverage will begin with a live 2 hour special called "Tribe Time: Opening Day" at 1 p.m. with Russ Mitchell, Kris Pickel and the entire Channel 3 team. Then at 3 p.m, our "Indians Live" pregame show hits the air followed by the game as the Tribe takes on the Yankees. Catch all the action, all afternoon long on WKYC-TV.

Channel 3 will present a special one hour broadcast on Thursday, April 18th, from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. called "Heroin: Old Drug, New Epidemic." The show will feature WKYC Senior Health Reporter Monica Robins and examines how heroin and other opiate abuse and overdose has reached epidemic proportions throughout Northeast Ohio - now affecting all ages and all socio-economic groups. Dd you know, more people die from drug related overdoses in Ohio than car accidents. On average, that's 4 lives lost per day due to drugs. Monica will have interviews with medical experts, law enforcement officers, addicts and their families who offer insights into the epidemic that often ends badly for users either with jailtime or death.

Dave Summers

Finally, our WKYC team is saying goodbye to a longtime reporter/fill-in anchor at Channel 3 News. Dave Summers has decided to start a new chapter in his career and is joining the team at KNSD-TV/NBC7 in San Diego, California. We are certain that Dave will enjoy warmer weather and be able to get a natural tan. Summers has been with WKYC for nearly 13 years and has been breaking stories and providing excellent coverage of Northeast Ohio. His last day at the station is this Friday, March 30th. We wish him all the best.

Happy Easter from the Director's Cut Blog!

A.J. Ross Joins Channel 3 News Team

2013-03-25T20:09:00.000-04:00

A.J. Ross

A.J. Ross is joining Channel 3 News as a multimedia journalist on April 15th, announced WKYC News Director Brennan Donnellan on Monday.

Most recently, Ross was a freelance reporter in her hometown of Pittsburgh at WTAE-TV and worked as a freelance reporter for the New Pittsburgh Courier newspaper.

Before moving back to Pittsburgh, she was a reporter at WSYX-TV in Columbus where we researched, shot, wrote, edited and reported live for the 5, 6, 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts; an anchor reporter at WMBF-TV in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and a production assistant for ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut.

Ross is a graduate of Howard University.

Look for A.J. on various editions of Channel 3 News.

Follow Director's Cut on Facebook, Twitter and Mobile

2013-03-06T18:16:00.000-05:00

Please don't forget to follow your blogger and Director of Channel 3 News @7 and 11 p.m. weeknights on Facebook, Twitter, RSS and Linkedin for even more updates and daily doses of wit.

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/frankmacek

On Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/frankmacekwkyc

On Linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/frankmacek

On Mobile Devices:
http://wkycdirectorscut.blogspot.com/?m=1

I need friends! Lots and lots of friends!

WKYC News & Notes: 3/6/13

2013-03-06T17:07:00.001-05:00

By Frank Macek

It's time for another "behind the scenes" look at what's happening inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center.

WKYC is been announced as a finalist in the 2012 Ohio Associated Press Media Editors contest in the following categories: 1) Best Breaking News Coverage for "Chardon School Shootings", 2) Best Use of Photography for "Autistic Artist" by Lynn Olszowy and 3) Best Reporter - Tom Meyer. The winners will be announced at the annual OAPME convention on May 19th in Columbus.

We are happy to welcome Danielle Sills to WKYC as producer of the weekend editions of Channel 3 News at 6 and 11 PM with John Anderson and Lynna Lai. Danielle was most recently a producer at WRDB, the Fox affiliate in Louisville, Kentucky. Danielle is from the Cleveland area and is a graduate of Ohio University.

At the same time, current weekend producer Julie Ocepek moves to the evening Assignment Editor position. She will take over the position held by Dani Fink who will killed in a car accident in January. Julie will help guide the newsroom's editorial process and coordinate crews in the field.

This Friday, Channel 3 will be part of the APL Pet Telethon called "Fur-Get-Me-Not". The telethon will unite the community and inspire viewers to put their compassion in action to give help, hope and a second chance at life to homeless animals.

This 15-hour event will showcase the diverse and meaningful work the APL does to rescue, heal, nurture, adopt and advocate for animals in need. Tune in to WKYC on Friday, March 8 from 5:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. All funds raised will benefit the Cleveland APL. To donate, go to http://bit.ly/YNS0O9

WKYC's Russ Mitchell Wins McGruder Award

2013-02-28T19:24:00.002-05:00

Russ Mitchell

WKYC's Russ Mitchell has been named 2013's winner of the Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University.

The award recognizes the accomplishments of media professionals who encourage diversity in the field of journalism. Mitchell, who serves as managing editor for WKYC's evening news and lead anchor during the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, will be honored at an awards luncheon and lecture on Tuesday, April 2.

The luncheon is by invitation only.

This year marks 10 years of honoring diversity excellence with the Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity, and the lecture and luncheon has become one of Kent State's most successful diversity events.

Also being recognized at the luncheon is the Akron Beacon Journal's Betty Lin-Fisher as winner of 2013's Diversity in Media Distinguished Leadership Award. Later that day, Mitchell will serve as keynote speaker at the McGruder Lecture inside the Kent Student Center Kiva at 2:15 p.m.

This is free and open to the public.

Mitchell, a former anchor of the CBS Evening News weekend editions and The Early Show on Saturday, also worked as national correspondent for CBS News Sunday Morning, the CBS Evening News, and The Early Show. He joined WKYC in January 2012.

WKYC named Media Partner Of The Year By Boys & Girls Clubs

2013-02-15T16:03:00.002-05:00

A wonderful honor for us today at Channel 3.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland recognized our station as "Media Partner of the Year" at their annual awards breakfast.

Several months ago Channel 3 committed to raising $50,000 in community funds to open the clubs on Saturdays for the next year.

Today Councilman Zach Reed pledged $5,000 to help.

Other partners in this project include Key Bank, Oswald Companies, Liberty Ford and the Gannett Foundation.

WKYC To Air 4 Indians Games In 2013

2013-02-14T20:51:00.000-05:00

WKYC will once again air several Indians games on Channel 3 for the 2013 Major League Baseball season, although not as many as in past years due to SportsTime Ohio's recent purchase by Fox Sports.

Here is a list of the games and times to watch the games on Channel 3 starting with the Indians Home Opener in April:

April 8th: vs. New York Yankees @ 4:05 p.m. (Home Opener)
May 23rd: @ Boston Red Sox @ 7:05 p.m.
June 28th: @ Chicago White Sox @ 8:10 p.m.
August 7th: vs. Detroit Tigers @ 7:05 p.m.

As was released on February 8th by the Cleveland Indians, SportsTime Ohio will carry 159 Tribe Games for the 113th season as a member of the American League.

Visit indians.com for the complete schedule.

Comcast Doubles Down On TV in $16.7B Deal For NBCU

2013-02-13T17:55:00.001-05:00

Special to the Director's Cut Blog
By Michael Liedtke, AP Business Writer

Comcast's $16.7 billion deal to buy the remaining half of NBCUniversal ahead of schedule represents a resounding vote of confidence in the future of TV, even as Internet video reshapes the entertainment landscape.

The decision was driven largely by Comcast Corp.'s belief that it would end up paying substantially more for General Electric Co.'s remaining 49 percent stake if it had waited until 2018, as had been envisioned in 2011 when Comcast acquired majority control of NBCUniversal.

The flagship NBC network, once seen as the deal's albatross, has been on the turnaround. As the advertising market has rebounded with the economy, so have the fortunes of NBCUniversal and other network owners.

That made the latest transaction, announced Tuesday, seem like a savvy one at a relatively modest price.

WKYC Says Goodbye to Long Time Reporter/Anchor Dick Russ

2013-02-08T22:18:00.000-05:00

Another sad day here today at WKYC as we had a wish our good friend Dick Russ a fond farewell this afternoon in the Channel 3 Newsroom...

Best wishes Dick and lots of love from all of us at WKYC!

Click the video to watch:

WKYC Launches Live Streaming Via iPad News App

2013-02-06T20:35:00.004-05:00

Click to download the new WKYC iPad App

Channel 3 News is now available anywhere on the go with our new WKYC iPad App for Apple users.

Our live streaming was launched last week and will allow you to watch live versions of Channel 3 News from 4 a.m. - 7 a.m., Live on Lakeside from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., Channel 3 News at 6, 7 and 11 p.m. during the week and on weekends.

The "live" tab will become active when Channel 3 News begins.
Plus, the new iPad app features lots of the video you'll find on Channel 3 News and wkyc.com in cased you missed something during the day.

For weather lovers, the new iPad app also features our cool, HD Interactive radar that pinpoints the latest conditions right where you are, your forecast hour by hour, the extended forecast, and the weekend forecast always updated, 24/7.

If you haven't downloaded the new WKYC News App for iPad, you can get it for free now @ http://on.wkyc.com/wkycipad

Live streaming will be available soon for iPhone users. Stay tuned!

WKYC News & Notes: 1/29/13

2013-01-29T18:06:00.001-05:00

By Frank Macek

It's time for another "behind the scenes" look at what's happening inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center.

Channel 3 News New Look

By now you probably noticed that WKYC launched a brand new graphics look last Tuesday, January 22th that is being rolled out by our parent company, Gannett, on all broadcast stations. The new look is a much simpler, cleaner look that uses a main information bar, the rundown of upcoming stories and the time and temperature. Also, stories are color coded by category based on the USA Today theme including news (blue), weather (yellow), sports (red), life (purple), tech (orange), money (green), travel (aqua) and opinion (gray).

We also have begun using the entire 16x9 screen for our broadcasts. As a result, 4x3 viewers on cable and satellite will notice we are letterboxed. The technology called AFD or (Active Format Description) allows us to trigger your television set to see the correct sizing of standard definition programming and commercials in the high definition format.

We spoke with to our good friend Joanne Bandlow at Time Warner Cable to explain how this works, "Active Format Description is a means for the broadcaster to signal the receiver on how to format the screen (letterbox, center-cut, etc). This gives the broadcaster more control over the viewer's experience, particularly on 4:3 SD screens. Currently it's common for an SD feed of a broadcaster's signal to be "nailed up" as either letterboxed or center-cut on cable and satellite systems; this can cause some of the screen content to be missed. The presence of the AFD signal corrects this situation by allowing the originator to change the display format on-the-fly as the content change. The AFD signal itself is just a few bits of data tucked away within the video portion of the broadcaster's MPEG stream. This allows for about a dozen different format 'descriptions' to be chosen for screen formatting (pillarbox, letterbox, full frame, etc).

For more information about changing your television settings if you have previously stretched your picture size, please read our earlier article @ http://bit.ly/WNzXc7

Dick Russ

Veteran WKYC journalist Dick Russ has announced his departure from Channel 3 News as of February 8th. WKYC News Director Brennan Donnellan praised Russ for his work, "For 14 years at WKYC and throughout his career as a journalist, Dick Russ has set the example of leadership for all of us. His accomplishments are well-known and his work is highly regarded by our viewers and his peers. Dick has accepted a position as Vice President of North Coast Community Homes, a non-profit corporation which provides housing for people who have disabilities. This is a field in which Dick has been involved for more than 30 years. NCCH is in fact an organization which the Gannett Foundation and WKYC have supported in the past."

You may have seen a new face on Channel 3 News over the weekend. Will Ujek has made the segue from his sports reporting duties on SportsTime Ohio to weekend reporting duties on Channel 3 News.Will is no stranger to television news having reported for WTRF in Wheeling, West Virgina.

Will Ujek

How To Adjust Your TV For Channel 3's New Graphics

2013-01-27T00:58:00.000-05:00

Can't see all the type on your TV set? Here's how to see the full on-screen graphics.

This week, WKYC launched a brand new on-air look for Channel 3 News. One of the exciting new features of this new graphics package is that we are now utilizing the full 16:9 widescreen space available to give viewers more information about the stories they are watching.

For some viewers, this new design may look like their TV set is cutting off some of the words on the screen. On our old graphics, much of the content was protected for viewers who were still center-cutting their picture. For example, they may have not seen the rundown at all.

While we have been broadcasting in Letter-boxed (widescreen 16:9) for some time, there may be viewers who have their TVs set to the wrong aspect ratio. With the new graphics package, having their TV in the wrong aspect will be much more obvious on the new graphics as large amounts of text and information will be cut off. In the vast majority of cases this is simply a matter of switching their TV to the correct format.

If you are experiencing this problem, please refer to the picture included with this story. It showcases many common remotes and the button you would need to push to make sure your TV is properly formatted for our new look.

There is also a possibility that your cable or satellite provider is not providing you our signal in a 16:9 letterbox format, which is how we are distributing it to them.

If this is the case or you are having problems with your remote, please email us with the information listed below and we will get back to you as soon as possible to help you find a solution.

-City and Area
-Service Provider (IE: Over the air antenna, Comcast Cable, etc)?
-Make and (if possible) Model of TV?
-New HDTV or older 4:3 Tube TV?
-SD or HD?
-If possible, a picture of what you are seeing on their TV.
-Contact info if the wish to give it out.

Danielle Fink, Channel Three employee, killed in car accident

2013-01-20T19:10:00.002-05:00

WKYC Assignment Editor Danielle Fink

Danielle Fink, Channel Three News assignment editor, was killed in a car accident in North Olmsted late Saturday or early Sunday morning.

Her car struck a tree and she was found just after 8:30 Sunday morning.

Danielle was a beloved friend and colleague at WKYC and respected by journalists, law enforcement and community leaders throughout Northeast Ohio.

She loved Cleveland and Northeast Ohio passionately. She was a loyal fan of the Indians, Cavaliers and Browns. Dani celebrated all that made her hometown special.

The family is making arrangements and will release more information as soon as possible. We offer our sincere condolences to her family and share in their grief.

NBC Plans For Brighter Future

2013-01-07T16:52:00.003-05:00

Special To The Director's Cut
Gary Levin, USA TODAY

Last year I came here right off the top and said we had a bad fall," NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt said at a TV critics' conference Sunday. "I'm not saying that this year."

In an unusual development — NBC has been the No. 4-ranked network for the better part of the past decade — it's now operating from a position of strength. NBC's audience has grown 19% this season, the only major network to show an increase, and ranks second behind CBS and first among the young-adult audience it sells to advertisers.

Most of fall's gains stemmed from the decision to add a fall run of The Voice, the singing competition that handily beat Fox's rival The X Factor. That, in turn, helped launch two companion series — the J.J. Abrams drama Revolution on Mondays and the Matthew Perry sitcom Go On on Tuesdays: They're the No. 1 new drama and comedy among the young-adult audience.

Now, it faces a daunting stretch with the football season over and The Voice and Revolution off the air until March 25.

Greenblatt says he has known since October that ratings are likely to drop sharply as a result, but he's hopeful that a new hit will emerge to at least partly offset the decline. The delay "is a safer play for us to make sure Revolution stays strong (by) not trying to stretch 10 episodes through a four-month schedule." Both that show and The Voice will extend until late June, providing a bridge to summer programming.

Instead, coming up are White House family comedy 1600 Penn, arriving Thursday (9:30 ET/PT) after last month's preview episode; Deception, due Monday (10 ET/PT), a soapy murder mystery; Do No Harm, a Jekyll-and-Hyde drama about a neurosurgeon (Steven Pasquale); and the return next month of Smash, now on Tuesdays where it will no longer have The Voice as a lead-in. Two more series — Save Me, a comedy with Anne Heche, and Hannibal, inspired by the Silence of the Lambs character — will await the failure of another series to find their opening, and might wait until summer or even next season.

And for next fall, NBC already has given the go-ahead to a full season of a new comedy starring Michael J. Fox that includes autobiographical elements. Fox, who has Parkinson's disease, plays a newscaster grappling with a disease who stepped down from his job, says NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke, and "as is true with Michael's life, there is a new medication he is taking that allows him to function with the disease. He approaches his life and work with a lot of irreverence, he laughs at himself" even as "people deified him and put him on a pedestal" because of it.

Look for that show to become a new anchor on Thursdays, part of its bid to broaden the night's comedy audience after NBC says so long to 30 Rock andThe Office.

On the unscripted side, the network this season will add dating series Ready for Love, executive-produced by Eva Longoria. And it will bring back The Biggest Loser and Celebrity Apprentice, whose star, Donald Trump, has ruffled feathers with a string of anti-Obama statements and a verbal attack on NBC News anchor Brian Williams.

Does NBC hope to muzzle him at the risk of harming the show?

"We live in a country where you can say anything you want as long as you're not harming people," Greenblatt says. "We talk to him all the time, but we really don't think what he's doing in his personal life is going to corrupt what he's doing on the show. If he's hurtful and does things that cross the line, then we'd talk about it." The statements "come with the Donald Trump territory. We talked him out of running for president; wasn't that good enough?"

Looking ahead, NBC announced plans Sunday for Camp, a light drama set at a summer getaway, to premiere in July from the team behind Deception. It joins America's Got Talent, American Ninja Warrior and a new adventure series with Bear Grylls on the summer lineup.

Greenblatt also addressed today's technological changes. He notes that networks increasingly look at cumulative audiences on TV and online to gauge the success of shows, regardless of whether all of those avenues are profitable.

"We're given the audience all these tools; it's our fault," he says. "We can't stick our head in the sand and say … it's terrible because the business model has robbed us of our potency." The challenge is, "How do we get people to come to the network at the time we've scheduled our show?" and though that's true of Sunday Night Football and The Voice, "I hope we can do that with more of our scripted shows."