NBCUniversal Names New GMs For NBC And Telemundo Stations In Dallas And Hartford

NBCUniversal Local, the division of NBCUniversal that includes 43 NBC/Telemundo owned stations, five regional sports networks and three multicast networks, on Thursday announced that Tony Canales is leaving his role as president-general manager of KTMD (Telemundo Houston) and KASA (Telemundo Nuevo México) to be the new president-GM of KXAS (NBC) and KXTX (Telemundo) in Dallas-Fort Worth, following the retirement of Tom Ehlmann, the stations’ longtime general manager.

Also, Hank Guerrero is being promoted from his role as vice president of sales for WVIT (NBC) and  WRDM (Telemundo) in Hartford, Conn., to lead the two as president-GM following Diane Hannes’ retirement.

Canales and Guerrero’s new roles take effect immediately. They will be responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the respective stations, and will manage all operations including the news, digital, sales, marketing/promotions, community affairs and technology/operations departments.

Both will report to Valari Staab, chairman, NBCUniversal Local and will work closely with Manuel Martinez, president, Telemundo Station Group.

“Tony and Hank are exceptional. They are collaborative and innovative, and represent the next generation of leaders in local broadcasting,” Staab said. “I’m excited to see what each, along with their respective North Texas and Hartford teams, will do to serve our communities.”

A Broadcasting + Cable 2022 “General Manager of the Year,” Canales joined NBCUniversal in 2012.  He takes the helm of NBC 5 and Telemundo 39 after leading Telemundo Houston for over a decade, a period that included significant expansion of KTMD’s news programs, a new weather and investigative team, and a consumer unit that has returned more than $2.2 million (and counting) to consumers.

Canales has managed the station’s transformative expansion from linear to multiple platforms to help reach more audiences.  KTMD has continuously performed as a top ratings performer among its key audiences, while remaining closely connected to the communities it serves through strategic partnerships.

In October 2021, Canales’ role expanded to oversight of KASA, a new Telemundo-owned station that in less than one year began delivering live, locally produced Spanish-language weekday newscasts to local audiences. At KASA, Canales also oversaw the station’s digital and mobile app launches to help bring important local news and information to digitally-connected audiences.  The Telemundo Nuevo México app is the only Spanish-language news and weather app that covers the Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.M., market, and its Spanish-language weather alerts are a first for the DMA.

“Tony and Hank bring with them new ideas and perspectives, and will build upon the great work that Tom and Diane have done for our stations.  Both are really great to work with, and are very passionate about our work for our Spanish-speaking audiences,” Martinez added.

Tony Canales

Before joining NBCUniversal, Canales led several TV stations in Texas including KYAZ Houston, as well as, KWEX and KNIC in San Antonio. Before this, Canales was general sales manager of KWEX and KNIC, and national sales manager of KAKW and KBVO in Austin. Before launching his career in local broadcasting, Canales worked at an agency acquired by Global Hue Advertising as an accounts supervisor. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Texas A&M University.

Guerrero brings 20 years of experience in leadership roles to his new role at NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut, including his decade-long run in sales positions with NBCUniversal’s TV stations in Hartford and Boston. At WVIT-WRDM, Guerrero worked as vice president of sales, national sales manager and local sales manager. As VP of sales, he successfully combined the stations sales efforts to offer cohesive strategies to clients across multiple platforms, and in two languages, resulting in revenue growth.

Hank Guerrero

In addition, Guerrero has overseen local sales execution over the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics, Super Bowl LVI and the 2022 World Cup. At WBTS-WNEU, he was national sales director and launched the national sales department for NBCUniversal’s newly launched Boston stations. He is a member of NBCUniversal Local’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, a sponsor of the division’s “She Leads” program that helps to prepare female sales professionals for sales and management leadership roles across the division. He is also a champion of the division’s “Sales Associate Program,” which helps to recruit and develop talent of diverse backgrounds for sales positions across the division.

Before joining NBCUniversal, Guerrero worked at Beasley Broadcast Group as director of interactive sales and senior account manager overseeing advertising, sponsorship and sports affiliation sales for the group’s radio stations in Miami. Guerrero launched his career in local broadcasting at WVTM Birmingham, Ala., as an account manager. He earned a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University.

Staab and Martinez added: “Tom and Diane have led long and successful careers in local broadcasting, mentoring and impacting many along the way.

“Tom helped us to create the largest bilingual TV newsroom in North Texas, resulting in more comprehensive storytelling and weather forecasting for our English and Spanish-speaking viewers in the market.

“Diane leaves our division taking on leading leadership roles in marketing and most recently as GM of our NBC and Telemundo Connecticut stations, where she helped us solidify our operation as the only bilingual TV newsroom in the state. We are grateful for their service and wish both the very best in their well-deserved retirement.”