Just days shy of its 3rd year anniversary, MundoFox is no more. The network, now fully owned by Colombia’s RCN Televisión, has switched names to MundoMax.
The network also cancelled “Noticias MundoFox,” the national newscast that aired at 5:30 and 10:30 pm PT/ET, laying off its entire staff.
About 35 news personnel lost their jobs, including the show’s reporters, producers, editors and news management.
Anchor Rolando Nichols, who is under contract, was saved from the cuts. It’s unknown at this time in what his future role will be within the company.*
According to inside sources, news staffers were told during a meeting late this morning that there would be no newscast as of today, and after notifying them en masse of the layoff, began doing exit interviews.
One laid off staffer says that during that meeting, a Human Resources representative told them news was “never part of the plan” for RCN, which launched MundoFox as a joint venture with Fox International Channels (FIC) in 2012.
Network President Ibra Morales is currently in Miami, where an affiliate meeting was held today.
A source says the affiliates were given no prior notice about the network name change or the cancellation of the national newscast.
That time slot will be filled by “Lo más Intrépido,” a compilation of extreme action videos.
The “rebranding” was so sudden that the network’s MundoFox “bug” remained on air and the logo itself continued in use with the MundoMax name on the Facebook page.
The MundoFox page was shut down and replaced by MundoMax.
Just two weeks ago, FIC announced it had sold its stake in MundoFox to RCN.
Sources say the partnership was a rocky one, riddled with disagreements over programming, ratings and distribution, leading to Emiliano Saccone’s departure as President of the network and RCN bringing Morales as his replacement.
Media Moves reached out to Morales and RCN management, but has yet to receive a response with regards to the changes.
* CORRECTION: When first published, the story indicated Nichols was one of the layoffs.
I’m very saddened to hear of the closing of Noticias MundoFOX. Many talented people were part of this hard-working team. I was honored to have worked alongside them the past few years. My thoughts are with the entire team. You should all know that this is a very resilient group and I know that each of them will bounce back from this “bump in the road” soon. -Steve/@Sr_Noticias
SAny truth to the rumors this is moving to Miami and the old Telefutura building?
I would like to thank the incredibly talented and profesional group of individuals at MundoFOX. Being the face of MundoFOX in Dallas/FortWorth since the inception of the network was an honor. I would also like to thank all our viewers for making us a part of your families by allowing us the privilege of entering your homes each an everyday. Muchas gracias fue un verdadero placer servirles durante estos últimos años.
Les deseo lo mejor,
Atentamente,
Jorge / @_JorgeHeredia
This was a horrible/disappointing move of RCN Columbia. I will miss ”NoticiasMundoFox” Just recently I was on their website just seeing news stories and I had watched both 5:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. shows. they were a talented team of journalist. Including Rolando Nichols he was very talented journalist he actuality spread the word about the launch of the news department and the network. He lead the team to Viewership. This is a tragic day in Spanish TV. Univision and Telemundo will probably in viewership take over in prime-time lineup. I hope all the employees heal from this and again this is a tragic day in Spanish TV
Este fue un decepcionante movimiento de RCN Colombia horribles /. Voy a extrañar ” Noticias MundoFox ” Hace poco estuve en su página web sólo ver las noticias y yo había visto tanto las 5:30 pm y 22:30 muestra. que eran un equipo talentoso de la periodista. Incluyendo Rolando Nichols era muy talentoso periodista que en realidad a difundir la palabra acerca de la puesta en marcha del departamento de noticias y la red. Él lleva al equipo a Viewership. Este es un día trágico en la televisión española. Univisión y Telemundo, probablemente en la audiencia hacerse cargo en la alineación en horario estelar. Espero que todos los empleados se curan de esta y otra vez este es un día trágico en la televisión española
Gavin, if you don’t know Spanish don’t try to write it. Your Spanish is horrendous.
Even your English is pathetic. Ever hear of punctuation?
Gavin, the name of that South American country is COLOMBIA, not COLUMBIA, also, TV in Spanish is not necessarily from Spain (“televisión española”), and so forth and so on…
Miguel, Fernando – I honestly don’t think ridiculing and belittling Gavin was needed, as he was simply voicing his opinion in a manner he deemed fit, regardless of the lack of punctuation and/or misspelled words. If you two can tell me your respective grammar and spelling is always 100% accurate, I applaud you, but I seriously doubt it is. Instead of behaving this way in an obvious forum for opinion(s), perhaps expound a bit on your thoughts on MundoFox shutting its doors. I, for one, am not happy to hear this, particularly after such a short period of time and given the people who worked there, some of whom I knew.
Thank you very much I gave tried to improve my writing. I have dyslexia and I told Miguel that months ago. Thanks for standing up for me sharing my matter of option.
Dear Gavin,
You expressed your feelings about the cancelation of Noticas Mundo Fox, and that was important. We are not here for a grammar exam–we are here to let people know how we feel about the memmbers of the news team loosing their jobs. Don’t pay attention to the critics; they will always be around, an they will always find something wrong instead of focusing on the right.
Sebastian Jose,
I totally agree with you. Some people only see the negative, and get away from the subject matter; it is sad, but that’s the way it is. I do feel bad for the members of the news team at MundoFox, and I hope that soon they all will be placed in other positions.
Es una pena que cancelaron tan maravilloso programa noticioso y mas aun cuando es remplasado por basura, no cabe duda de que los que tienes el dinero tienen el poder de hacer lo que les da la gana, y querer imponer programas chatarra es intolerable y definitivamente no lo vere. Unete y apoya para dejarles saber que no necesitamos basura de programas,
La verdad estuve esperando estas semanas junto con mi esposo y la abue mirar las noticias de este gran equipo del senor Fernando Nichols y su companera dnie equipo carolina sarasa y hoy fue la gran desolucion de nuestra vida q lla no estan al aire por alguna rrazon los mas poderosos no su pieron valorar lo que es verdadero periodismo espero que muy pronto los volvamos a ver porque ustedes son un gran equipo noticiero y usted senor hace un buen trabajo es usted un buen ejemplo para aquellos que no toman en serio lo que es verdadero periodismo les deseo de corazon que muy pronto esten al aire otra vez nosean malos nos dicen en que canal muchas gracias les deseamos lo mejor la familia mejia
Es muy lamentable que allan quitado el programa de noticias fox, ellos si eran periodistas de verdad hablaban verdad no mentiras como los muchos otros, pero como dicen por ahi que con dinero baila el perro y con ello la corrupcion todos se venden y dicen solo lo que les ponen en el panflete, ojala y vuelvan a poner el noticiero porque lo unico que hacen es perder televisores.
Rolando Nichols was basically a Left Wing version of Bill O’Reilly. In the sense that his show wasn’t actually a news program that reported the news with no spin. Instead, his show would shamelessly spin the news. Giving the audience a Left Wing perspective on the news. Where Nichols and reporters would taint news with their own opinions and commentary. Especilally if the news was related to Mexico. And that’s another thing that made the “news” program so unwatchable. That instead of focusing on national news, Nichols and his team would spend over 50% of each show on news about Mexico. I mean who cares about Mexico? We care about this country, not freakin ‘ Mexico. We in the Latino community have so many problems in this country. Lets focus on those. And let Mexico handle their own problems. If Mundomax is to survive and thrive, they need to serve out community. And quit trying to push an agenda, like Rolando Nichols used to do.
RolandoNichols was the best newscaster what the hell…bad move