Univision Revamps Local Media Organization

Univision Communication’s new head of local media says the firing of two TV station GMs is “about transition, how we do our business and how to serve our audience, not people.”

“We had to ask some people to go home that have been great employees and done tremendous work for us,” says President of Local Media Kevin Cuddihy. “I think our leaders understand the changing landscape out there.”

The layoffs, which cost WGBO Chicago’s Larry Sands and WLTV Miami’s Mike Rodriguez their jobs, are part of a larger corporate restructuring that positions Univision’s local media properties as one multi-platform entity, Cuddihy says.  

That includes having just one general manager, as well as one sales director, in each of the 12 markets where Univision has both TV and radio stations, Cuddihy says.

The idea is to really bring together all our local media assets so we have a better ability to service our audiences or clients or partners in the marketplace,” Cuddihy says, adding advertisers, in particular, are “looking for one-stop shopping.”

In Chicago, the market GM will be Doug Levy, the VP-GM of Univision Radio there. Claudia Puig, Univision Radio SVP and regional GM, will run the company’s Miami properties.

The restructuring, as well as the pending retirement of KUVN Dallas GM Becky Muñoz Diaz, is shaking things up in Dallas, too.

Mark Masepohl, who heads Univision’s Dallas radio station, has been named that market’s general manager. Jeff Zimmerman, GM of KWEX San Antonio, Texas, will be the sales director there. Chris Morris, who runs Univision Radio in Phoenix, will become the company’s GM in San Antonio.

At the corporate level, the restructuring includes the creation of a local media team that will oversee all facets of running Univision’s 62 TV stations and 68 radio stations.

Cuddihy, who most recently was president of the Univision Television Group, was named to his position earlier this month. Alberto Mier y Terán, who has been the GM of KMEX Los Angeles, will serve as the company’s EVP of local media.

Cuddihy says the corporate local media team will work “in concert with the rest of Univision to take the power of all the Univision properties to support the local media opportunity.”

He says: “We are not worried about the platform. We want to be able to deliver the entire UCI (Univision Communications, Inc.) opportunity in the marketplace.”