WKYC's Director's Cut with Frank Macek

WKYC's Anchor Kris Pickel Went "Over the Edge" Monday

2012-05-21T19:57:00.002-04:00

WKYC 6 & 11 PM Anchor Kris Pickel

WKYC's Anchor Kris Pickel went "Over the Edge" on Monday. But it was for a good cause!

"Over the Edge" provides individuals the opportunity to rappel down the side of a huge building.

There's still a few Tuesday slots open to "Go Over the Edge of the DoubleTree by Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Lakeside."

Contact information for "Go Over the Edge" to sign up

Some companies even collect employee donations to "Toss the Boss" over the side, "forcing" him or her to take the jump. All participants that take part in this adventurous event raise money for Special Olympics Ohio.

Each participant will get the opportunity to Go Over the Edge of the DoubleTree by Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Lakeside.

A training will be held prior to each participant's rappel. Special Olympics Ohio will have Over the Edge trained professionals guide each person through his or her rappel experience.

The event will run all day on Tuesday, May 22, and participants may choose their rappel time on a first-come basis.

See the story on Channel 3 News at 11 PM tonight!

NBC's David Gregory Visits WKYC on Monday

2012-05-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

"Meet The Press" Host David Gregory

The moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press" was in town on Monday to moderate the City Club's "Swing State, Building Our Momentum" at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel on Public Square. The event began at noon and was widely attended by Cleveland's business leaders and political movers.

The panel featured Christopher Connor, Chairman and CEO of Sherwin Williams Co., Dr. Delos (Toby) Cosgrove, President and CEO at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Stephen Steinour, Chairman and CEO of Huntington Bancshares Inc. and Dr. Jerry Sue Thornton, President of Cuyahoga Community College.

Afterwards, David stopped by the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center for a visit, to shoot some promos with Senior Political Correspondent Tom Beres and to sit down with WKYC 6 & 11 PM anchor Russ Mitchell for a one on one interview about educating the campaigns on Cleveland's strengths.

David has hosted "Meet The Press" since December 14, 2008, after being formally introduced as full-time moderator. David took over from Tom Brokaw, the interim host, following the death of Cleveland favorite Tim Russert.

Catch "Meet the Press" every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. following Channel 3 News from 9 - 10:30 a.m.

Here are some pictures of his visit on Monday courtesy of WKYC's Mac Mahafee:

Click on the video to watch Russ Mitchell's interview with David on Monday:

Notes From The Newsroom: 5/18/12

2012-05-18T18:29:00.000-04:00

By Frank Macek

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

We'll keep this edition brief, but wanted to take a moment and note our return from a very "brief" and indefinite hiatus. Your blogger received so many notes from those on Facebook and our regular readers that I decided to reconsider the move to end the blog.

If nothing else, I wanted to show that I was truthful about saying no one at WKYC "forced" me to end the blog. It was my decision then and my decision to start the blog back up today. WKYC management has been very supportive of my efforts in the past and I fully expect that to continue.

Sweeps end next Wednesday, May 23rd, and we'll all be glad when that moment comes. May and November sweeps months seem like the longest months of the year for some reason. This May is very competitive in the Cleveland market and the final results will be interesting.

The WKYC staff is busy working on a lot of projects coming up this summer including the 2012 Summer Olympics on NBC from London. The games are just 70 days away now and we'll be in the Olympic Zone!

Also, Browns preseason football is returning to Channel 3 where we will broadcast 3 of the 4 games this year. The first game air on WOIO due to conflicts with the Olympics which we are obligated to air. Here is our broadcast schedule:

8/16/12 @ Green Bay (7:30 pm pregame/8:00 pm kickoff)
8/24/12 vs. Philadelphia (7 pm pregame/7:30 pm kickoff)
8/30/12 vs. Chicago (7 pm pregame/7:30 pm kickoff)

That's it for now. Thank you for your support as the Director's Cut Blog has become a powerful voice in the media community. We are very proud of that.

Please don't forget to become a friend of Channel 3 News and Channel 3 Weather. We have special on-line content just for our Facebook friends including your chance to be our "Facebook Friend of the Day," daily behind the scenes promos, previews of NBC shows and much more.

Sara Shookman Joins Channel 3 News As Multimedia Journalist

2012-05-18T15:48:00.000-04:00

Sara Shookman, coutesy: WVLT-TV

Sara Shookman will be joining Channel 3 News as a Multimedia Journalist from WVLT/Knoxville where she currently handles similar duties for the CBS and MyVLT stations.

Shookman is a Buckeye at heart, having grown up in Akron and attended Ohio University. She graduated summa cum laude from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalist.

Her other studies took her to Universita degli Studi di Torino in Turin, Italy, where she studied International Business.

Her first job was reporting and anchoring for WOUB in Athens, Ohio, where she spent three years telling stories about Appalachian life and learning her way around a camera.

From there, she joined WVLT.

She'll start her new duties at Channel 3 in June.

News: Job Openings at WKYC for 5/18/12

2012-05-18T15:38:00.000-04:00

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.

WKYC Launches News App for Android Users

2012-05-04T19:48:00.000-04:00

The WKYC News app for Android users has finally arrived!

Now available in the Android Marketplace, the news app has all the features as our news app for iPhone users including the following:

Latest local news for metro Cleveland area - Current weather conditions, short term and extended forecasts, radar map, health indices, school closings and weather alerts
Robust full screen video
Consumer, Health and Watercooler news
The latest sports news and scores - Share news and video via Facebook, Twitter or email.

Channel 3 is determined to provide the best content possible in a way that serves the interests and the needs of our viewers and users.

To download it, go the Android Marketplace and search for "WKYC-TV" or click on the following link:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gannett.local.library.news.wkyc

We also have the WKYC Interactive Radar App available for free as well on Androids at:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wkyc.android.weather

WKYC Meteorologist Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary of The WeatherChannel Launch

2012-05-04T18:32:00.001-04:00

Bruce Edwards (L) and Andre Bernier (R)

By Frank Macek

WKYC's Bruce Kalinowski has a reason to celebrate this week as it was 30 years ago that he and WJW Meteorologist Andre Bernier kicked off a brand new cable channel called "The Weather Channel" out of its new studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

Under the on-air name Bruce Edwards, the channel began broadcasting on May 2, 1982, airing weather forecasts and weather-related news, 24 hours a day.

"We Take The Weather Seriously, But Not Ourselves" was the on-air slogan used from the launch in 1982 to 1984 before moving on with other witty weather branding over the years.

On January 3, 2008, it was reported that The Weather Channel and its assets were put up for sale by its original owner, Landmark Communications. On July 6, 2008, NBC Universal, Bain Capital and Blackstone Group agreed to purchase the Weather Channel from Landmark and was finalized on September 12, 2008.

A 30 year reunion was held last Saturday night with many of the original members of The Weather Channel in Atlanta although Bruce had to work and wasn't able to attend.

After leaving "The Weather Channel," Bruce returned to his hometown of Cleveland as Chief Meteorologist at WOIO-TV/19 & WUAB-TV/43 and eventually joined WKYC for Noon and Weekend morning duties. Recently, Bruce took over the weekend 6 & 11 PM weather position. Every show, you'll see Bruce with one of his favorite mugs that promotes our local teams and the city of Cleveland.

Bruce still says it proudly that Cleveland IS "The best location in the nation!" - even with the snow and cold temperatures during the winter.

Here is that first broadcast, courtesy of Andre Bernier back on May 2nd, 1982.

Channel 3 Launches All Digital, High Definition Remotes

2012-05-03T20:08:00.002-04:00

By Frank Macek

For the first time in this new digital age, Channel 3 broadcast its first news shows with all digital, all high definition remotes on Thursday, May 3rd at 6 & 7 pm, as the station sent all our main on-air talent to different locations to break in the new system.

And it worked perfectly thanks to the hard work and dedication of our engineering team at Channel 3 led by Director of Technology Jim Miller.

Except for some standard definition signals coming into the station from satellite and other lower quality sources, you will now see all our live shots in true high definition. The station has been shooting video with high definition cameras in the field since last year. However, this is the first time that the station could transmit live pictures in high definition from our remote trucks.

At 6 & 7 pm, WKYC anchor Russ Mitchell broadcast from the 3rd floor deck at Channel 3, along with sports anchor Jim Donovan as they overlooked a beautiful background of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Cleveland Browns stadium on the hottest day of the year so far in Cleveland.

Co-anchors Kris Pickel and Robin Swoboda broadcast live from Mitchell's Ice Cream Shop in Rocky River as WKYC Chief Metorologist Betsy Kling did weather with a live all digital remote signal from the front of the station using the chromakey wall outside, Dick Russ broadcast live from a moving boat inside the breakwall of Cleveland Harbor while traveling at 30 knots, and Brandon Simmons was on Mobile 3 cruising the city and giving away from ice cream while broadcasting live using a Live Vu broadband backpack.

It's another step in the ever changing world of digital broadcasting that Channel 3 continues to lead the way in in Cleveland and northeast Ohio.

Click on the video below to see the first block on the 6 pm show on Thursday:

Nielsen Releases 2013 Sweeps Dates

2012-05-01T20:30:00.000-04:00

Nielsen has announced their 2013 survey dates for both LPM (Local People Meter) and non LPM markets for the Cleveland/Akron/Canton DMA.

Each survey lasts for a period of four weeks and excludes the following weeks: December 27th-January 2nd, May 23rd-29th, July 25th-31st, September 26th-October 2nd and November 28-December 4th.

To download the complete list for 2013 (.pdf), click on the following link: http://on.wkyc.com/IlBVJW

Promo: Channel 3 News "Experience"

2012-04-27T21:35:00.000-04:00

Check out the newest WKYC promo that shares the experience of veteran journalists Russ Mitchell and Kris Pickel, weeknights on Channel 3 News at 6 & 11 PM.

Channel 3 Receives 12 Emmy Nominations

2012-04-26T18:16:00.001-04:00

Emmy nominations were announced on Thursday by the NATAS Lower Great Lakes Chapter. WKYC/Channel 3 received a total of 12 nomations, including 6 by Channel 3 Investigator Tom Meyer.

You can read the complete list of nominees at: http://www.nataslgl.org/awards_emmy_nominees_2012.php

Channel 3's Nominations for calendar year 2011:

Best Evening Newscast - Channel 3 News at 11 PM
General Assignment Report (within 24 hours) - Jennifer Lindgren "Potter's Field"
General Assignment Report (no time limit) - Tom Meyer "Head Start Misspending"
Breaking News - "Fairport Harbor Explosion"
Continuous Coverage - Tom Meyer "Hidden Hazards"
Investigative Report Series - Tom Meyer "Metrohealth Abuse"
Politics/Government - Tom Meyer "Senator Smith Home"
Journalistic Enterprise - Tom Meyer
Crafts on Camera Talent - Betsy Kling
Crafts on Camera Reporter - Tom Meyer
Crafts: Video Journalist - Lynn Olszowy "3 Sport Athlete"
Crafts on Camera Talent-Reporter - Dave Summers "Where in the world is Dave Summers"

Congratulations to all my colleagues on their strong journalistic work!

Notes From the Newsroom: 4/25/12

2012-04-25T17:36:00.003-04:00

By Frank Macek

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

The all important May sweeps will kick of tomorrow, April 26th, for the next four weeks. We will be bringing you a month filled with special reports and stories you won't see anywhere else from Channel 3's most experienced news team.

Many of you have noticed that the latest addition to our WKYC anchor team has hit the airwaves. Lynna Lai made her debut last Saturday night at 6 & 11 PM where she will be co-anchoring with Eric Mansfield until he leaves for his new position at Kent State University at the end of May. You'll also see Lynna reporting for Channel 3 News at 6, 7 & 11 pm during the week.

Tune in for Channel 3 Sports "Browns Draft: 2012" special Thursday, April 26th, from 7 until 8 p.m. hosted by WKYC Sports anchor and radio voice of the Browns, Jim Donovan. Jim will be joined by Dave Chudowsky, Doug Dieken, Bernie Kosar and other special guests as we prepare for the all important draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City starting at 8 p.m.

Channel 3 has once again teamed up with the Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and Charter One to help feed those in need throughout Northeast Ohio. RTA's second annual 'Fill the Bus' initiative will take place this Friday, April 27, from 5 am to 1 pm, at the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center at 13th and Lakeside in downtown Cleveland. The RTA's Community Bus will be in our front parking lot, allowing you to drive up and donate the SUPER SIX items: beef stew, canned soup, canned vegetables, cereal, peanut butter and tuna fish, along with other foods and cash.

Congratulations to WKYC "News @7" anchor Robin Swoboda, who was Robin was honored for her excellence in television at the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters annual luncheon held today, Wednesday, April 25th, at Windows on the River. Robin has been on the Cleveland airwaves since 1986 and at Channel 3 since February 2011. She has brought both news, laughs and memories making Cleveland a better city. WNCX/98.5 personality Michael Stanley and Rubber City Radio Group's Mark Biviano were also honored at the event.

Please don't forget to become a friend of Channel 3 News and Channel 3 Weather. We have special on-line content just for our Facebook friends including your chance to be our "Facebook Friend of the Day," daily behind the scenes promos, previews of NBC shows and much more.

Rita Andolsen to New Position at WKYC

2012-04-19T17:53:00.000-04:00

Rita Andolsen

Long-time news executive Rita Andolsen has turned her sights on a creative new position with WKYC, helming the stations enhanced efforts in community outreach, creative local programming, and successful special events.

“For 12 years, I’ve helped present the daily struggles and challenges of Northeast Ohio. Now I have a chance to take all I’ve learned and create projects and partnerships that can make things better for our communities. While local television has always had the power to shine a light on the issues, we now have multiple platforms to create support and exposure for worthy endeavors. We can be a catalyst for real change,” said Ms. Andolsen “and I can’t wait to get started”.

“WKYC’s vision, and that of all of Gannett’s 23 television stations, is to serve the greater good in our communities,” stated President and General Manager Brooke Spectorsky. “With Rita’s outstanding stature in the greater Cleveland communities, I can think of no better leader to take on this vital role for Channel 3.

Ms. Andolsen will be responsible for designing and implementing advocacy projects and launching new community partnerships. She will take a lead position on major station campaigns, working closely with WKYC local programming, news, sales, the networks of NBC and the resources of Gannett including USA Today.

Rita’s awards include the regional Edward R. Murrow for Journalism, as well as multiple Emmys. She serves on the boards of: College Now, The Gathering Place, The Karen P. Nakon Breast Cancer Foundation, and The Prayers from Maria Foundation.

She begins her new position in early summer. The station will begin a search for her replacement shortly.

Tom Meyer "The Investigator" Wins Regional Edward R. Murrow Award

2012-04-12T15:48:00.001-04:00

Tom Meyer, The Investigator

Congratulations to WKYC's Tom Meyer, "The Investigator" for being honored with a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for "Best Video News Series" and his shocking report "Hidden Hazards."

Tom's reports exposed hidden and potentially deadly electrical hazards on city streets. The investigation prompted Cleveland City Hall to purchase testing equipment and launch its own regular testing program.

Tom shares this prestigious award with WKYC investigative producer Rick Hepp, editor Sarah Bachmann and photojournalists Tim Coffey and Mike Leonard.

The northeast Ohio media market is included in Region 7 along with the rest of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.Ohio.

You can watch Tom's winning entry at: http://youtu.be/7uKozIzb0WU

Also congratulations to other stations WKSU-FM, WCPN-FM, WAKR-AM, WEWS-TV and WKBN-TV for awards also received this year.

The National Awards will be announced later this year.

WKYC Presents "Ten Days That Changed The World"

2012-04-11T20:11:00.000-04:00

Cleveland will be in the spotlight this weekend as the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony returns to the best location in the nation this week.

WKYC will present a special Rock Hall special this Friday at 7 p.m. called "Ten Days That Changed The World."

WKYC 6 & 11 PM co-anchors Russ Mitchell and Kris Pickel, 7 pm anchor Robin Swoboda and reporter Monica Robin will bring you a look at the all the glitz and glamour from the Rock Hall including an indepth report on all this year's inductees, how the week's events help boost the Cleveland economy, a behind the scenes look at the recent Rock Hall renovations, and see who's in town for Saturday's big show.

That's this Friday, April 13th, from 7 to 8 p.m. on WKYC.

Just In: Matt Lauer To Stay With 'Today,' Signs New Deal

2012-04-05T22:04:00.000-04:00

Special to the Director's Cut Blog
By Lynn Elber, AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES - Matt Lauer is sticking with "Today" show.

Lauer planned to announce Friday on the air that he has signed a long-term contract to remain as co-host of the No. 1 morning show, NBC News spokeswoman Megan Kopf said Thursday.

Although "Today" is on a historic winning streak in the ratings, ABC competitor "Good Morning America" has been gaining ground.

Lauer's decision provides important stability for "Today" and puts to rest speculation that he might reunite with his former co-host, Katie Couric, on the syndicated show she's launching this fall.

Lauer said last May that he had discussed joining with Couric on a new venture. But he predicted then that he would be staying at "Today" for "a long time."

He's been a fixture with the show since 1994, and "Today" has remained No. 1 in the weekly ratings since 1995. He's created a popular "Today" catchphrase with his globe-hopping "Where in the world is Matt Lauer?" segments.

For broadcast networks, morning represents one of the most important parts of the day. The shows are hugely profitable at a time of declining TV viewership, and none has been more of a cash cow than "Today."

The morning scene drew increased attention this week as the NBC and ABC programs featured dueling celebrity co-host: "Today" had Sarah Palin for a day, while Couric is spending the week as substitute anchor at "GMA."

Palin, the former Alaska governor, helped "Today" maintain its winning streak against "GMA" on Tuesday, but Wednesday proved a cautionary tale for NBC.

With Couric on board, "Good Morning America" was able to claim a one-day victory in viewership over "Today."

About 5.24 million viewers watched "GMA," while 5.15 million viewers tuned into "Today," according to the Nielsen Co.

ABC's advantage was the latest twist in a morning-show battle that has seen "GMA" chipping away at the ratings lead that "Today" has maintained every week for 16 years.

Overall last week, "GMA" shrank its gap behind "Today" to 119,000 viewers from 137,000 the previous week. There had been some reports that "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest could replace Lauer, and the two bantered about it Wednesday when Seacrest visited "Today" to announce he would take part in NBC's coverage of the Summer Olympics.

"What kind of conversations have you had with NBC officials about joining the `Today' show?" Lauer asked Seacrest during a lighthearted exchange.

"Oh," said Seacrest, grinning, as off-camera laughter was heard from the crew. "They didn't tell you?"

Photogallery: Kris Pickel Settles In As 6 & 11 PM Anchor

2012-04-03T17:57:00.000-04:00

Kris Pickel joined the Channel 3 News anchor team on Monday, April 2nd, at 6 & 11 PM.

Our ace WKYC photographer Ryan Haidet was in the studio to capture her first broadcast.

Click on the photo to see our slide show on wkyc.com:

Meet Channel 3's New Anchor Kris Pickel

2012-04-02T17:34:00.000-04:00

Here she is, Channel 3 News' newest anchor, Kris Pickel. Our Russ Mitchell has a quick question and answer with her as a brief introduction for Cleveland viewers.

Kris makes her debut tonight, April 2nd, at 6 & 11 PM. (Pardon the fuzzy flip cam)

Lynna Lai Joins Channel 3 News

2012-03-30T13:59:00.002-04:00

Lynna Lai

Lynna Lai has found a new station to call home in Cleveland as she is joining Channel 3 News, anchoring the weekend evening newscasts and reporting on weeknights.

“I’m excited to join a news team which shares a passion for journalism, and being personally engaged in gathering the news,” says Lai. “Sometimes, anchors are perceived as being out of touch with the community, for never setting foot outside the station. But Channel 3 is committed to hiring anchors who are reporters first, so I think this is a great fit."

“Lynna brings a wealth of experience to the table and will be a great asset to our news team”, said News Director Rita Andolsen. “She has strong anchoring and reporting skills and is passionate about telling the stories of our community”.

Lynna brings 18 years of broadcasting experience in major markets across the country to the job. Her aggressive career pursuits began as a reporter at WMBD-TV in Peoria, Ill., which was quickly followed by a stint at KGW-TV in Portland, Ore. In 1994, she became the first Asian-American television reporter in Cleveland, but left to pursue anchoring and reporting jobs at WTSP-TV in Tampa, Fla. and WSB-TV in Atlanta, Ga. She has also served as a freelance correspondent for ABC News and the BBC. Lynna returned to Cleveland television in 2001 as an anchor for WOIO-TV.

Recognized for her energetic personality and storytelling abilities, Lynna has received two Associated Press awards for Best News Writing and Feature Reporting. In 2004, she won an Emmy for Best Spot News Reporting.

Lynna was born in Chicago and grew up in Louisiana before her family moved to Northeast Ohio. She is a graduate of Louisiana State University, where she was the recipient of the LSU Honor Scholarship and a National Merit Scholarship Award. But home is where the heart is and Lynna has called Northeast Ohio home since her parents moved to the area when she was a college freshman.

"No one is happier than my parents, who are absolutely giddy that their granddaughters are staying in town."

Lai’s first day at Channel 3 Monday April 16th.

Notes from the Newsroom: 3/23/12

2012-03-23T16:43:00.001-04:00

By Frank Macek

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

We have received many emails about Eric Mansfield leaving Channel 3. While we are not at liberty to really discuss it on the blog, we can confirm that Eric will be leaving WKYC on May 31st to take a job with Kent State University. After working with Eric for 18 years, we'll definitely miss him and his unmatched knowledge and committment to the Akron area. However, we are excited for Eric and his family to be taking on this new opportunity and wish the Mansfields all the best.

Our annual "Tribe Time Opening Day" special will air on Thursday, April 5th from 1 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. as we kick off the 2012 Major League Baseball season. Look for complete coverage from the entire WKYC team both on-air and on-line at wkyc.com leading up to "Indians On Deck" at 2:30 p.m. and the Tribe welcoming the Toronto Blue Jays to Progressive Field for a 3:05 p.m. first pitch. The game will be seen on Channel 3 in high definition, along with 19 other games this season. All games will air on Sportstime Ohio.

Also, coming up on Friday, April 13th, Channel 3 News will present a one hour special leading up to this year's Induction Ceremonies being held in Cleveland on Saturday, April 14th. The special will air live from 7 - 8 p.m. and will be produced by Caitlin Kollar and directed by Frank Macek.

The countdown to our new evening anchor team continues. Coming in April as previously reported, Kris Pickel will join Russ Mitchell for northeast Ohio's best local news coverage at 6 & 11 PM, along with weather from Chief Meteorologist Betsy Kling and Sports Anchors Jim Donovan and Dave Chudowsky.

Please don't forget to become a friend of Channel 3 News and Channel 3 Weather. We have special on-line content just for our Facebook friends including your chance to be our "Facebook Friend of the Day," daily behind the scenes promos, previews of NBC shows and much more.

Channel 3 News Adds "The Rundown" To All Newscasts

2012-03-20T20:36:00.000-04:00

As part of an initiative by WKYC's parent company, Gannett, our broadcast stations are now implementing the use of "The Rundown" in all our newscasts that we began today, March 20th. Our morning newscasts have been experimenting with the new information system for the past several weeks.

The rundown is meant to give viewers a sneak peak ahead at what's coming up in our broadcast so they can be ready to pay more attention to the stories that matter most to them.

Also, we implemented the use of story titles at the bottom of the screen several months ago to give us the ability to provide more information about the stories we cover.

You'll see our new rundown feature on the right hand side of the screen. However, this will only be viewable for those who watch us on a 16x9 aspect ratio television. Those still watching in the 4x3 aspect ratio will not see any change.

If you not seen it yet, check out of the picture below as We Keep You Connected at Channel 3 News.

WKYC Ass't News Director Howard Fencl Leaving To Handle Crisis Communications

2012-03-12T20:36:00.003-04:00

Howard Fencl

Our dear friend and WKYC Assistant News Director Howard Fencl has revealed his plans to leave Channel 3 to become a Vice President at Hennes Paynter, a crisis communications firm.

Since September 4, 2007, Howard has been an instrumental part of Channel 3's daily committment to local news and our social media efforts.

Howard is no stranger to WKYC, as this was his fourth tour at Channel 3. His last duties were in 1991 as an Executive Producer.

Before coming back in 2007, Howard was a Vice President at Edward Howard here in Cleveland. Prior to that he owned his own video production company, was part owner in an internet service provider when the internet first got up and running, and also has worked as an Executive Producer at WEWS in Cleveland and WBNS in Columbus.

Born and raised in Cleveland, Howard and his wife Sue and their children live in Rocky River. He graduated from Denison University and has a Master's degree from Hiram College.

His last day at WKYC will be March 23rd. Please wish Howard well at hfencl@wkyc.com

Blogger Frank Macek Launches New Northeast Ohio Media Page on Facebook

2012-03-08T22:15:00.001-05:00

By Frank Macek

I am happy to announce the introduction of "Macek Media World" as a new, independent project that will cover northeast Ohio media news.

Instead of using blogger as the forum for this new project, I will be using the more popular Facebook platform which many of you are already using.

"Macek Media World" will feature news and tidbits on what is happening in northeast Ohio media including radio, television, cable, social media and from both past and current media talent.

I will not report gossip, but only tidbits that people send us or I find on-line. The project WILL not be a gossip forum, nor will it be a project of WKYC.

You can find the new page at: http://www.facebook.com/Macek.Media.World.

You can also follow the project on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/macekmediaworld

I will continue to run the Director's Cut Blog as usual with an unmatched "behind the scenes" look at what goes on inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center as the project is now in its 5th year online.

If you have any news or tidbits, you can email them to: macekmediaworld@gmail.com

WKYC To Help Raise $2500 For The Cleveland APL

2012-03-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

Love animals? Then please get your friends to "like" our page at http://www.facebook.com/WKYC.Channel3

We'll donate $2,500 to the Cleveland APL if we can get 35,000 new fans by the end of the Fur-Get-Me-Not Telethon on March 22nd.

Watch the video for more details.

Director's Cut Alert: Kris Pickel To Co-Anchor Channel 3 News At 6 & 11 P

2012-03-05T14:05:00.000-05:00

Kris Pickel

WKYC has announced that Kris Pickel, an Edward R. Murrow Award Winner, will join Channel 3 News.

“I am pleased to announce that reporter and anchor Kris Pickel will be joining the WKYC news team in early April,” announced Brooke Spectorsky, President and General Manager of Channel 3. “She will co-anchor our 6pm and 11pm newscasts with Russ Mitchell.”

Currently the weekend 5 and 10pm anchor at KOVR in Sacramento, California, Pickel is the recipient of several prestigious awards in broadcast journalism including an Edward R. Murrow, Associated Press and multiple Emmys for reporting.

“As the breaking news leader in the market, it was imperative that we chose a co-anchor for Russ who had a similar depth of reporting skills,’ stated News Director Rita Andolsen. “Kris is a skilled and tenacious journalist who is as strong in the field as she is on the anchor desk.”

Pickel is a Sacramento native who began her career as an editor at KCRA in Sacramento followed by anchoring, reporting and producing in Grand Junction, Reno and Tucson. As the main anchor in Tucson for nearly a decade, Pickel was extremely active in community events. She was the honorary co-chair for the Southern Arizona Chapter of Go Red for Women and made it a priority to be involved in a wide scope of activities motivating students.

“I'm very excited about joining Russ Mitchell. How often is a team created that combines twenty years of national experience with twenty years of local? I know we'll enhance each other strengths, and I really look forward to enjoying the quality of life that Northeast Ohio offers. Cleveland is a terrific TV news market, and WKYC is a station that sets the bar high. I know that Russ and I will have a chance to do some remarkable things.”

Pickel is married to award-winning videographer Carl Lemon. They are the proud parents of two boys, Clark and Bruce.