Entravision continues to shrink news production teams in its stations, continuing a push towards hubbed news and potentially opening the door for Telemundo newscasts to gain ground in the cities where they compete.
According to multiple sources, Entravision executed massive cuts nationwide last Friday, April 6, affecting Las Vegas, McAllen, El Paso, Denver, Washington, D.C., and Laredo.
The local newscast at KINC Las Vegas was effectively shut down and “shipped” to El Paso. The Texas station will produce a newscast for Las Vegas. Entravision did the same at its Laredo station just one month ago.
Almost all Las Vegas news staff was laid off. Among them: anchor Nathaly Alcalá, reporters Jasmina González Janette Mata, Juan Juárez and Carolina López (in Reno), producer Yazmin Beltrán, editor Jairo Aguilar, technical director Evelyn Pardo, and news director Angel Covarrubias, as well as two engineers.
Five staffers were kept on board to produce stories for the Vegas newscast produced from El Paso: anchor Benjamín Zamora and Gabriel Preciado stay on as reporters, cameraman Jorge Avila and Eddie Vargas, editor/photographer/sports reporter, as well as Anya Arechiga as an MMJ in Reno.
A source says news, sales and promotions staffers in Las Vegas were called into a mandatory meeting at 2:45 pm, where VP of sales Rene Morales informed them the company was losing money and not enough revenue to continue operations, so they would be doing lay offs. Sales and promotions staffers were moved to a conference room to “talk more about the changes.”
VP of News Luisa Collins then told news staffers the cuts were necessary for the company to survive, called out the names of the people that would keep working at the station and told the rest to go with the HR manager.
KINC 15, a Univision affiliate for over 20 years, has been the No. 1 Spanish-language station in Las Vegas. January and February 6 and 11 pm newscast ratings shared with Media Moves show a strong lead over Telemundo.
Entravision cashed in big in the FCC incentive auction, making $263.6 million for giving up spectrum in Hartford, Monterey/Salinas and Washington, D.C. It used $3.75 million of that money to buy independent KMCC, the short-lived MundoFox affiliate in Las Vegas just last month.
A source says about 9 people lost jobs in Denver. Another source says KINT El Paso cut 7 people, including weekend weather anchor Adriana Valles and weekend sports anchor Alejandro Nava, while at KNVO McAllen, about 7-10 people lost jobs, including reporter/VJ Marlen Sosa. Jazmine Rico anchor at Fox station KFXV in McAllen, also got hit in the layoffs.
Laredo, which went through a huge layoff in early March, cut two more people: General Sales Manager Jeannette Puig and receptionist Brenda Vazquez.
The Washington, D.C. station laid off three: sports anchor José Ignacio Garza and weather anchor César Flores, as well as business operations manager Jacqui Brebnor.
Sara Suarez, Entravision’s News Director for the Northeast was named news director for Orlando and Tampa. The Orlando station also had a round of layoffs several weeks ago that included news director Jenny Ash, who held the position since 2015.
Entravision also laid off full and part-time employees at radio stations across every market where it owns stations.
When asked about the layoffs, Entravision, through a PR agency, sent Media Moves the following statement:
“As part of an extensive review of our business, we have taken a number of steps to more efficiently align our operations and reduce costs, including reductions in staff.”
they are Cashing out…..
And so that’s the NAB convention about? about layoffs and automation. Must be a lot of celebration going on; Next year: Replace the few anchors and robots and/or CGI 3D Technology, in shock!
It’s bad when even the reception is is getting fired. What is Entravision doing with the $263 million? Greedy.
Loving the way they are sugarcoating this tragedy.
“Reorganization, cuts, effectiveness”
I wonder if the so called Jefes, are also losing their gigs: the Collins, the Morales, the alikes…but who am I kiddin’, right ?
Aint no coincidence the recent happenings in Mother Ship Univision and now, this. The last nail.
Once again, disposable and expendable employees.
Typical, shameful, disgusting.
A la primera persona que había que despedir era a Luisa Collins,desde que fue directora de Noticias en Denver Co,se nota su mediocridad.
Y a Sara Suárez su amiga inseparable también había que despedirla,por su pobre desempeño e incompetente como directora de Noticias en Boston la lista es grande de todos los que se fueron de esa estación además de los muy bajos ratings de ese noticiero.
Y por último se ve la ineptitud de Collins en nombrar a Sara Suárez a dirigir desde Boston los noticieros de Orlando y Tampa donde ya en esta ciudad lo único que quedó fueron dos Vj,tras el cierre parcial del noticiero.
Es una compañía que ha tenido una valiosa oportunidad para crecer con la comunidad hispana no obstante el clásico compadrazgo y la amistad se ha adueñado de muchos niveles ejecutivos poniendo a los amigos como directores de noticia sin tener la experiencia echándose de enemigo al talento que le interesaba ser parte de los equipos de trabajo cerrándole la puerta a mucha gente talentosa definitivamente era La crónica de una muerte anunciada desde el nombramiento de esta señora como vicepresidenta de noticias ya se entendía lo que iba a pasar sin ningún tipo de experiencia y sin la capacidad para dirigir un equipo tan grande y un puesto tan importante es cuestión de tiempo para que todo esto sucediera pero como así le gusta a los medios de comunicación en español poner amiguitos y amiguitas dejarlos que aprendan en los puestos directivos mientras la compañía se vienen a pique. Y tiene mucha razón en el comentario anterior desde Denver ya era evidente nombrando un director de noticias déspota y mediocre replicando lo mismo en diferentes estaciones.
Esta compañia le llamaban “esclavision” por los bajos sueldos, el maltrato laboral y lo despota de los capataces
Mierdavision takes another dump on the people that clean up their droppings.
They signed their death wish when they dealt with the devil and put money as their priority over quality and talent.
Almost every decision coming from corporate killed their local stations and the Executioner in Chief is none other than Luisa Collins. Guess all that butt-kissing backfired. The price of being greedy.
Sálvese quien pueda! Todos los que trabajan para esta mediocridad de compañía deberían de buscarse otro trabajo y no contribuir un centavo más.
Clasico. Restructuracion? Si como no. Es solo la excusa para mover agendas de los que “supuestamente saben”lo que hacen sin importarles los televidentes. Sean mas honestos Univision y dejen de joder a presentadores que son mas que profecionales. No mas Univision para mi.
Collins ?
Y que mas esperaban de la muchachita?
From what I noticed before this was a time bomb waiting to happen, several factors technology, cutting costs, and lots of cash income with the money received from the spectrum, too bad for the personnel but I see the reporters have a change to get jobs by being press communicators in other areas such as non profit organizations or other ones. For the few left scary could reduced hours and be left to part timers.
Telemundo totally killed it last year or so from 500pm to 6:30pm; took all revenue and clients I guess