Sally Ramirez Named WMAQ-WSNS SVP Of News, Akemi Harrison Promoted To News Director

Sally Ramirez today was named senior vice president of news for NBC Chicago (WMAQ [NBC] and WSNS [Telemundo], a newly created role leading news operations. Ramirez, a Chicago native who joins the stations from CNBC, begins on May 22 and will report to Kevin Cross, president and GM of NBCUniversal Local Chicago.

In addition, Akemi Harrison has been promoted to news director for NBC Chicago, effective immediately, reporting to Ramirez alongside Diana Maldonado, vice president of news for Telemundo Chicago.

Cross said: “Sally is an exceptional leader with the strategic vision, experience and passion to guide our talented news teams and continue to innovate how we produce and deliver our extensive local journalism and storytelling in both languages. We’re excited to welcome her home to Chicago and add her to our already remarkable group of news professionals who proudly serve our diverse communities throughout the Chicago region every day.”

Ramirez has more than 30 years of television news experience, with the majority of her career leading large-market newsrooms across the country. She returns to the market after serving as executive producer of CNBC’s The News with Shepard Smith. Previously, Ramirez spent nearly five years as executive news director for KHOU Houston following 17 years with KGW Portland, Ore., most recently as assistant news director. Before that, she held editorial and management roles in several markets, including as executive news producer for WGN Chicago. She launched her career at WMAQ as an intern.

Ramirez is a bilingual first-generation Mexican American who grew up in the city’s Bridgeport neighborhood. She graduated from Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and DePaul University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. She will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award from DePaul’s Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence on April 27.

She has also been recognized with multiple regional Emmy Awards, two national Edward R. Murrow Awards and a duPont-Columbia Award. Ramirez was also twice named News Director of the Year by the Houston Media Alliance (2017 and 2019).

Harrison, who has been assistant news director for NBC Chicago since August 2021, has more than 20 years of media and newsroom experience. She joined WMAQ after holding the same position for NBC’s WVIT Hartford, Conn. Previously, she was executive producer for WPXI Pittsburgh after holding news editorial and management roles for television stations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, Calif.

“Akemi is a dynamic news manager and operator,” said Cross. “She is an integral part of our leadership team who has displayed tremendous knowledge and skill in our newsroom since joining our station nearly two years ago. We are pleased to expand her role and broaden her responsibilities so that she can have an even greater impact on our news, our colleagues and our audiences.”

Harrison began her media career in her hometown of Jackson, Miss., after graduating from Tougaloo College with a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis on journalism. After more than five years as a radio personality, she transitioned to television news as a producer for Jackson’s WAPT 2008.

Harrison is a member of the Tougaloo College National Alumni Association’s Chicago chapter, The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and Chicago’s NABJ chapter. She has been an active contributor to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives for NBC Chicago and NBCUniversal Local. Harrison has received several professional honors, most recently earning a regional Emmy Award for her collaborative work on NBC Chicago’s The Lost Story of Emmett Till: Trial in the Delta.

“Bringing Sally, Diana and Akemi together as a news leadership team is very exciting,” added Cross. “These three impressive and accomplished newsroom leaders, along with our talented and hard-working news teams, will certainly continue our great progress and serve our communities well.”