Categorized | People, TV & Radio

KVEA terminates talent

Posted on 08 March 2012. Tags: , , , , , ,

Maria Garcia had been working for KVEA-52 more than 10 years.

Several reporters have been terminated from Telemundo’s flagship station, KVEA-52 in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

According to sources, María García, a reporter and former weekend anchor who had been at the station more than 10 years, was among the casualties.

Ericka Pino

Other talents also given their walking papers:  reporter and fill-in anchor Roberto Lacayo, weather anchor Ericka Pino and reporter Vicky Gutierrez.

Telemundo spokesman Alfredo Richards confirmed the network’s L.A. station was undergoing changes:

“We are making some personnel changes in our News department at KVEA geared to better serve and connect with our community. We sincerely thank them for their contribution to KVEA and wish them well.”

More details to follow…

Reporters Vicky Gutierrez and Roberto Lacayo.

Update 3/12/12: I initially wrote that KVEA had laid off the talent. Spokesman Alfredo Richards says the positions were not eliminated, therefore they were not layoffs.

Maria, Ericka, Vicky and Roberto were technically terminated.

The job openings have been posted and replacements should be named within the next few weeks.

This post was written by:

- who has written 4587 posts on Media Moves.

I'm an Emmy award-winning journalist, who's worked as an on-air reporter in Spanish and English-language television news. I've worked for Univision, Telemundo, CNN en Español and Los Angeles Fox and UPN stations before diving into a convergence model at the San Jose Mercury News. I have also held management positions in the online digital sphere - first as Managing Editor of IntersectionsSouthLA.org, followed by a role as the West Coast Web editor for impreMedia. I was president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists from 2004 to 2006. I am also a freelance writer, reporter and producer. I founded Media Moves in June of 2007.

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5 Responses to “KVEA terminates talent”

  1. Marie Gómez says:
    March 12, 2012 at 9:06 PM

    I am sadden to read that two of the most qualified reporters in Spanish News (Maria Garcia & Vicky Gutierrez) were fired without justification. Furthermore, Ericka Pino, the only Spanish speaker meteorologist in Los Angeles with a degree in meteorology. Interesting enough that these highly educated women were fired, but the network claims they want to better the newscast to better fit the community.

    So, one should think why does Telemundo think their Spanish speaking audience deserves only a bunch of Teleprompter readers? And, if so….why? Is it because they think that the Latino community is undereducated? Ummm! I am UPSET to think that Telemundo thinks that in order to communicate with Latinos they must put mass agitators or men and women who traffic with influences as reporters and anchors.
    In summary: Telemundo let go 28 years of combined experienced for God knows what reasons. They will soon be replaced… Let’s see who Telemundo finds a better fit.

    • anonimo says:
      March 13, 2012 at 1:59 AM

      By the way, Ericka Pino is not the only Spanish speaker meteorologist in Los Angeles with a degree in meteorology, Francella Perez from channel 22 KWHY also has a degree in meteorology….

      • MARIA PAZ says:
        March 13, 2012 at 4:22 AM

        Ericka Pino has experience and she is meteorology, but Francella Perez only get in the tv for the ” friendship” with the former boss.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Major Layoffs at KVEA - FishbowlLA says:
    March 12, 2012 at 12:31 PM

    […] anchor Maria Garcia has been laid off after more than 10 years at the Telemundo flagship station, reports Media Moves. Garcia apparently wasn’t alone. Reporter Vicky Gutierrez, fill-in anchor Roberto Lacayo and […]

  2. Major Changes at KVEA* - FishbowlLA says:
    March 13, 2012 at 1:16 PM

    […] Maria Garcia has been laid off let go after more than 10 years at the Telemundo flagship station, reports Media Moves. Garcia apparently wasn’t alone. Reporter Vicky Gutierrez, fill-in anchor Roberto Lacayo and […]



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I'm an Emmy award-winning journalist, who's worked as an on-air reporter in Spanish and English-language television news. I've worked for Univision, Telemundo, CNN en Español and Los Angeles Fox and UPN stations before diving into a convergence model at the San Jose Mercury News. I was president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists from 2004 to 2006, and inducted into the Hall of Fame in August of 2016. As an online news manager, I was West Coast Web Editor for impreMedia and Managing Editor of IntersectionsSouthLA.org. In addition to running Media Moves, which I founded in June of 2007, I'm a regular contributor to Forbes and also do freelance work as writer, reporter and producer.
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