WTVJ NBC6 General Manager Manuel Martinez has been named President, Telemundo stations. He will oversee the 16 local stations owned by the network in the United States and Puerto Rico, and report directly to NBCU Owned Stations President Valari Staab.
NBCU named Manuel Martinez WTVJ General Manager and Vice President in February 2012, and since that time the station has received much-needed upgrades and improvements to its operation. A new set, new live trucks, along with a more fast paces newscast and aggressive news coverage have helped WTVJ improve its ratings significantly, often beating WPLG to second place.
Martinez already has history with Telemundo going back to 1985 when he first joined the network. Prior to WTVJ, he was the VP/GM at WSCV Telemundo 51 for four years before, and before that oversaw the digital unit of the TV group.
NEW YORK – November 13, 2013 – The NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations today announced that Manuel Martinez has been named President, Telemundo Stations. Martinez has nearly 30 years of experience in the broadcast industry with extensive knowledge of station management, sales and programming. Since 2012 he has been President and General Manager of NBC 6 South Florida / WTVJ, the NBC-owned station serving the Miami / Fort Lauderdale market.
In his new role, Martinez will have oversight of the 16 owned Telemundo local stations located within the United States, as well as Puerto Rico. He will report to Valari Staab, President, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations.
“Manny is an experienced leader with in-depth knowledge of the broadcast industry, a track record of improving television stations and a strong commitment to our Spanish speaking communities,” said Staab, “He believes in our mission to better serve our viewers with the local news, weather and information they need. Manny’s experience, skills and dedication will steer our Telemundo stations forward.”
“It’s a great time to take on this new assignment because the opportunities are countless and the future is bright for the Telemundo stations,” said Martinez. “Leading sixteen stations in growing and vibrant Hispanic markets is an exciting responsibility and one that I am assuming with a great deal of enthusiasm.”
Since his arrival at WTVJ in February 2012, Martinez has developed and implemented a strategy to re-invigorate the station, which included strengthening the news and marketing departments, establishing new advertising partnerships, rolling out of a new state-of-the-art news set, updated graphics and website, and launching “6 in the Mix,” a local lifestyle and entertainment show. Under his leadership, the station has greatly improved its ratings and competitive position in the market.
Prior to joining WTVJ, Martinez served as President and General Manager of Telemundo 51 / WSCV, the Telemundo station in the Miami / Fort Lauderdale market, for four years. He also led 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 assuming his post at WSCV, Martinez was Vice President and General Manager of Telemundo 47 / WNJU, the Telemundo station serving the New York market, for four years. While there, he was recognized in the Congressional Record and awarded the Congressional Pin for his outstanding achievement in Hispanic media and for his contribution to the Hispanic community in the New York area. Previously, he was Executive Vice President of Programming and Production for the Telemundo Network.
Martinez, a native of Cuba, first joined Telemundo in 1985. He graduated from Montclair State College in New Jersey with a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish, and he currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Florida Association of Broadcasters.
