Manuel Martinez Named WTVJ President and GM

Manuel Martinez, currently the VP/GM of WSCV Telemnudo here in South Florida (WTVJ shares broadcasting facilites with them), has been named WTVJ Vice President and General Manager. He replaces Ardyth Diercks who left WTVJ in January after 8 years of leading the station. Martinez has been with Telemundo since 1985 when he started at WNJU-TV.

“Manny is a dynamic and experienced leader who has had tremendous success attracting viewers to Telemundo 51,  possesses a strong understanding of the unique South Florida market, a key factor that will help guide NBC 6 to future growth, and I am confident he will make an outstanding addition to the team” – Valari Staab, President of the NBC Owned Television Stations

Manuel Martinez will report directly to Valari Staab, the NBC Owned Television Stations President. Full press release after the jump

MIRAMAR, FL – (February 14, 2012) – NBC Owned Television Stations today announced that Manuel Martínez has been named President and General Manager of NBC 6 Miami / WTVJ. Martínez, who will start in his new role immediately, joins the station from Telemundo 51 / WSCV, the Telemundo station in the Miami market, where he has served as President and General Manager since December 2007.

“Manny is a dynamic and experienced leader who has had tremendous success attracting viewers to Telemundo 51,” said Valari Staab, President of the NBC Owned Television Stations, to whom Martínez will report. “He possesses a strong understanding of the unique South Florida market, a key factor that will help guide NBC 6 to future growth, and I am confident he will make an outstanding addition to the team.”

“I am honored to have been selected to lead NBC 6, the very first station to air in Florida more than 60 years ago and one with a long and impressive history of broadcasting ‘firsts’ over the years,” said Martínez. “It is also very exciting for me to now work directly with the NBC 6 team, a great group of professionals with whom I have had the pleasure of sharing a first-class broadcasting facility and resources while at Telemundo 51 and with whom I look forward to sharing the station’s next level of success.”

Martínez brings more than 30 years of experience to NBC 6, with extensive knowledge of station management, sales and programming. In his role leading Telemundo 51, he introduced many initiatives to strengthen the station by offering more local programming to viewers. Under Martínez’s leadership, the station developed and launched “Acceso Total,” a weekday local entertainment show, and the morning local news program, “Buenos Dias Miami.” Both shows have proven to be extremely popular with viewers, resulting in other Telemundo stations to introduce their own local versions. Additionally, Martínez leads the Telemundo Station Group Digital Unit, where he drove the effort to relaunch the websites of five stations and launch websites in six other markets for the first time.

Prior to Telemundo 51, Martínez was Vice President and General Manager of Telemundo 47 / WNJU for four years, the Telemundo station serving the New York Tri-State area. He also was Executive Vice President of Programming and Production for the Telemundo Network from 1997 to 2003.

A native of Cuba, Martínez graduated from Montclair State College with a BA in Psychology and Spanish. He currently resides in Coral Gables, Florida. Martínez succeeds Ardyth Diercks, who left the station earlier this year.

About NBC Owned Television Stations

NBC Owned Television Stations is the division of NBCUniversal that includes 10 local television stations and their digital channels and websites, as well as a group of out-of-home properties and a production company. The 10 stations produce and deliver compelling and unique local news, information and entertainment programming to viewers in the communities they serve, which include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas-Fort Worth, Washington, D.C., Miami, San Diego and Connecticut, with a goal of connecting to their audiences anytime and anywhere.