Roel Medina, KYAZ Houston GM, Dies At 55

Roel Medina, a media executive whose career spanned four decades in Texas broadcasting, died unexpectedly on Saturday, July 30, at his home in Katy, Texas. He was 55.

Medina had been the general manager of Azteca’s KYAZ Houston since 2012.

“Roel Medina was creative force and a hard working executive who was ‘one of a kind,’” said Manuel Abud, president of CEO of Azteca America. “Above all, he was a man of deep convictions and a big heart. He was deeply committed to the Texas communities his stations served.” 

Enrique Perez, EVP of the Azteca Station Group, added: “Roel made enormous contributions to our station group and company. He was a brilliant, beloved leader, not only for Azteca, but also within the entire Texas television community, which knew him so well and for so long.”

Prior to joining Azteca Houston, Medina spent 11 years at Telemundo, where he served as general manager in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, respectively. He earlier worked for Univision, where he was director of marketing and creative at KXLN Houston and station manager at Univision’s KUVN Dallas.

From 1983 to 1993, Medina was director of station operations and creative sales marketing at KDAF Dallas. Before then, he worked at KRLD Dallas in news operations and marketing and in news operations at KZTV Corpus Christi, Texas.

Medina was a graduate of Del Mar College in Corpus Christi.

He is survived by his wife, Vanessa; three children, Madison, Colt and Brittany Garza; son-in-law David Garza; and grandchildren Jonathan and Joshua Garza.