A brief look at the history of WKYC-TV Channel 3
Broadcasting from Cleveland, Ohio since 1948.
 | WNBK Sign On |
1948: WNBK-TV, an NBC owned and operated station begins broadcasting and officially goes on the air October 31, 1948. From 6 p.m. until 11 p.m., viewers tune in to WNBK. Soon after, the station moved its sign-on time up to 11 p.m. WNBK was Channel 4 then, and Tom Haley, who appeared on "Today in Cleveland", worked for WTAM Radio, the NBC radio arm of WNBK.
1954: WNBK-TV erects the most powerful television antenna in the Midwest and the tallest in the country. With this new and improved signal, Channel 4 moves to its new location as Channel 3 and that's where it has stayed ever since.
1955: Westinghouse trades its Philadelphia station for NBC's WNBK-TV, moving it from Cleveland, Ohio to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WNBK-TV and WTAM Radio become KYW-TV and KYW Radio respectively.
 | Linn Sheldon as "Barnaby" |
1957: KYW-TV begins producing a children's program. Barnaby premieres with Linn Sheldon and becomes Cleveland's highest-rated locally produced show ever. Barnaby, all ad-libbed, is true "live" television. Sheldon became so popular; Barnaby airs seven days a week. WNBK then turned its attention to the news business and hired Paul Sciria at the station's first full-time news reporter.
1959: Channel 3 was featuring Eyewitness News, one of the first half-hour newscasts in the country. The Channel 3 news team consisted of anchors Carl Stern and Bud Dancy, weathercaster Dick Goddard, and Jim Graner with sports.
1963: KYW-TV hires Mike Doud, a lounge singer to host an afternoon variety show. His name is changed to "Mike Douglas," the show became a huge success and the rest as they say - is history. The show's format called for one guest to co-host each week. It also became the springboard for many celebrities who went on to fame and fortune. For example, a 20-year-old singer from New York was paid $1,000 to co-host five 90 minute shows -- Barbra Streisand. A KYW Radio director, Tom Conway often did comedy skits. A popular performer, he tried comedy on his own, but as Tim Conway.
1965: The FCC and Supreme Court rule the Westinghouse/NBC trade null and void. KYW moved back to Philadelphia, PA, taking along with it The Mike Douglas Show which went to national syndication soon after; WKYC-TV/Radio now came back to Cleveland.
1965: Television went from black and white to color, and WKYC-TV 3 became Cleveland's first all-color television station.
 | WKYC Peacock Logo |
1986: Channel 3 became Cleveland's first VHF station to broadcast in stereo.
1990: WKYC-TV premiered northeast Ohio's first local newscasts closed-captioning for the hearing-impaired. Also that same year, NBC sold 51 percent of WKYC to Multimedia Broadcasting, Inc. from Greenville, South Carolina.
January 1991: Dick Feagler wins a Silver Baton in the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards competition for his outstanding commentaries. In April, it is announced that Dick Feagler has received broadcast journalism's highest honor, a George Foster Peabody Award for broadcast excellence.
February 1992: A 6 a.m. early morning newscast premieres on Channel 3. WKYC then purchases and introduces Northeast Ohio's first and only Doppler 3 radar system in March. In May, Channel 3 News at Noon begins. News reporter Leon Bibb is inducted to the Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame. In July, Saturday morning news begins at 9 a.m. and in September, Sunday 9 a.m. news comes on board. In October, WKYC adds more news with the debut of Saturday and Sunday noon newscasts.
March 1993: Weekday noon news goes to one hour. Talkback 3, a way for viewers to call in their suggestions and comments begins in August, over 18,000 calls are logged within a year.
April 1994: Channel 3 launches a weekday 5:30 a.m. newscast. In August, WKYC debuts a new weather forecasting feature called Stormtracker 3, which pinpoints location and direction of severe weather through specific neighborhoods.
January 1995: WKYC-TV enters into the computer world with an e-mail address on America On-line. Viewers can now enter comments to Channel 3 via computer, over 350 messages are logged within the first months of 1995.
October 1995: WKYC-TV Saturday morning news expands to 90 minutes.
October 1995: WKYC-TV finishes first in Nielsen overnight ratings for 11 p.m. news.
November 1995: WKYC-TV becomes a part of Gannett Broadcasting's television station group. Gannett is a nationwide news and information company that publishes daily newspapers including USA TODAY.
March 1996: Channel 3 expands its Sunday newscasts to 90 minutes at 9 a.m.
 | WKYC Anchor Romona Robinson |
March 1997: Romona Robinson, long-time Cleveland television anchor joins TV3. TV3's successful viewer outreach program. Talkback 3, goes on the road and visits viewers throughout the community.
June 1997: "Today in Cleveland" concludes its run at 6:30 a.m.. Channel 3 News expands from 5:30 a.m. - 7:00 a.m. Monday - Friday.
October 1997: Brooke Spectorsky is named WKYC President and General Manager.
November 1997: WKYC posts the best ratings for 6 and 11 p.m. news in a November rating book in the station's history.
January 1998: WKYC begins to celebrate its 50th anniversary of bringing northeast Ohio quality local news, information and entertainment.
February 1998: WKYC is #1 in news ratings at 5:30 a.m., Noon, 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.
March 1998: WKYC launches annual community service ca.m.paign entitled 3 Cares and adopts John W. Raper Elementary School students as part of the program.
May 1998: Channel 3 News again posts #1 rating numbers at 5:30 a.m., Noon, 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.
August 1998: WKYC is named the official local television of the Cleveland Browns with pre-season games, pre and post game shows, a Sunday night wrap-up show and a revolutionary children's show called Browns Blitz.
March 1999: Veteran reporter Del Donahoo, at Channel 3 for over 40 years, signs on for three more years.
June 1999: WKYC becomes the first local television station in the city of Cleveland (Northeast Ohio) to broadcast in high definition.
August 1999: WKYC joins forces with Cleveland Live (now cleveland.com) and goes to the Internet with our web site: www.wkyc.com
August 1999: WKYC becomes the official home of Cleveland Browns pre-season game coverage and local programming.
September 1999: Channel 3 News expands local coverage beginning at 5 a.m. and at 6 p.m. Channel 3 News expands local coverage to one hour.
 | WKYC's Digital Broadcast Center |
October 1999: WKYC breaks ground on a new state-of-the-art television facility, completed in December, 2000.
March 2000: Popular news anchor Romona Robinson, the first African-American female evening news anchor in Cleveland, renews her contract for four more years.
April 2000: Local television veteran Fred Griffith joins WKYC as host of "Fifteen Minutes with Fred," a mini-talk show during the noon hour. The show was expanded in 2004, becoming Studio 3.
June 2000: WKYC news at 6 p.m. goes from one hour to a half-hour at 6 p.m. and a half-hour at 7 p.m., to accommodate viewers' lifestyles.
August 2000: A venture into reality television, WKYC premieres "Room[mates]," a segment that follows six local college students for six weeks before they leave for school. It is the first reality programming on NBC.
December 2000: Channel 3 News at 11 p.m. is #1 in household Nielsen ratings.
January 2001: WKYC moves into its state-of-the-art all digital local television center. The 80,000 square foot facility positions WKYC Channel 3 for the future of local television.
 | Pax 23 News Debuts |
June 2001: WKYC and Paxson Communications bring back local news on Channel 23 with a Monday - Friday nightly local newscast originating in Akron at 6:30 p.m. There is also a new voice for Akron news online: akron23.com
October 2002: WKYC's weekend morning news celebrates its 10th anniversary.
January 2003: Channel 23 News at 10 p.m. debuts.
September 2003: Channel 3 News at Noon moves to 11 AM with "Studio 3" from 11:30 until Noon with hosts Fred Griffith and Hollie Strano.
September 2005: "Good Company" hits the airwaves at 10 a.m. with hosts Eileen McShea, Michael Cardamone, Fred Griffith and Andrea Vecchio.
December 2005: WKYC and the Cleveland Indians form a new company to produce and broadcast Indians games. The partnership with Time Warner Cable is set to launch during spring training, 2006.
May 22, 2006: WKYC began broadcasting nall of our local newscasts in high definition, becoming the 2nd station in the market to do so.
May 31, 2008: WKYC ends is coverage of the Akron Canton News due to tough economic conditions.
June 2008: WKYC announced the launch of Metromix.com (cleveland.metromix.com) a hip, new website for socially active taste-makers and young professionals looking to be one-step ahead of Cleveland's latest trends and hotspots.
October 15, 2008: WKYC relaunches a new graphics look using the AXIS graphic systems and a hub called "G3" from Denver.
December 15, 2008: WKYC Anchor Romona Robinson becomes Cleveland's first African American to solo anchor the 6 & 11 P.M. newscasts, while Carole Sullivan and Eric Mansfield become the new anchors of Channel 3 News at 7 P.M.
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Channel 3 Classic Video Moments
Notable WKYC Alumni
- Doug Adair
- Roger Ailes
- Ron Allen
- John Anderson
- Jill Beach
- Leon Bibb
- Wayland Boot
- Katherine Boyd
- Joe Castiglione
- Lisa Colagrossi
- Clay Conroy
- Joe Conway
- Tim Conway
- Bud Dancy
- Connie Dieken
- Virgil Dominic
- Phil Donahue
- Mike Douglas
- Lydia Esparra
- Chuck Galeti
- Doreen Gentzler
- Dick Goddard
- Jim Graner
- Tom Haley
- Judd Hambrick
- Cameron Harper
- Amy Hasten
- Bill Jorgensen
- Wally Kinnan
- Mike Landess
- Fred McCleod
- Ed Miller
- Jay Miltner
- Joe Mosbrook
- Jim Mueller
- Jennifer Murphy
- Dave Patterson
- Al Primo
- Glenn Rinker
- David Rogers
- Al Roker
- Mark Russell
- Chuck Schodowski
- Mona Scott
- Linn Sheldon
- Obie Shelton
- Tom Snyder
- Charley Steiner
- Dawn Stensland
- Big Wilson
- Tim White
Channel 3 News Slogans
- The Esso Reporter (1948-1956)
- Today's News/Tonight's News (1956-1959)
- Eyewitness (1959-1961)
- Eyewitness News (1961-1965)
- Channel 3 News (1965-1973)
- The Sixth/Eleventh Hour Report (1965-1973)
- TV 3 News (1973-1975)
- Action 3 News (1976-1984)
- Channel 3 News (1984-Present)
WKYC Station Slogans
- "Cleveland's Most Respected Television News Organization" (1970-1973)
- "Where You Belong" (1977)
- "Action 3 News is Everywhere" (1977)
- "You've Got A Friend on 3" (Spring 1979)
- "Channel 3, Proud As A Peacock" (Fall 1979 to Summer 1981)
- "Channel 3, Our Pride Is Showing" (Summer 1981 to Summer 1982)
- "Channel 3, Just Watch Us Now" (1982-1983)
- "Channel 3, WOW, Be There!" (Summer 1983 to Early 1984)
- "Turn to 3" (Early 1984 through 1990)
- "The New Channel 3" (1990-1992)
- "We're Building Our Station Around You" (Mid-1990s)
- "News That's More Local" (Early 2000s)
- "Report the Facts. Respect the Truth." (Currently)
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