Univision Ups News Execs Thomas, Flores

Univision announced today that it has promoted veteran broadcast journalists Sandra Thomas to the newly created position of senior director of local and affiliate news for Univision News and Marco Flores to news director of its KMEX Los Angeles.

Thomas will be based in San Francisco and report to Daniel Coronell, VP, Univision News and on the operations front to Kevin Cuddihy, president, Univision Television Group.

As senior director of local and affiliate news, Thomas will oversee all news content for the local affiliates and serve as the nexus with network news. Most recently, since March of 2009, she had concurrently served as Univision Television Group’s (UTG) news operations group regional news director supervisor as well as news director of KDTV San Francisco, a position she held since 1997.

Earlier in her career, Thomas was news director for KMEX Los Angeles and held various news production positions at Univision Network News. She was also a field producer for NBC Nightly News based in Los Angeles; news director for Telemundo’s KVEA Los Angeles from 1993 to 1997; and launched the Mexico bureau for Telemundo/Reuters News Network.

She also had a brief stint on the print journalism side as a writer/editor for Los Angeles Times’ Nuestro Tiempo. Thomas holds a masters in arts degree in journalism from the University of Southern California.
 
Flores had served as the station’s interim news director since December 2010. In his new role, he will define and establish newsroom and station philosophies, priorities and strategies. Flores will look to promote expanded investigative and exclusive news coverage by KMEX, and drive content enterprising and innovation as well as collaboration with other Univision Network properties.

Flores previously was news director at Univision’s KTVW Phoenix, a role he assumed in 2002. He also served as producer and executive producer for the station’s various newscasts. Before that, Flores was a sports and weather anchor and producer for Telemundo’s KESQ-KUNA Palm Desert, Calif. He began his career in radio serving as station manager/program director and on-air personality for KCLB-FM’s La Consentida in Coachella, Calif.