• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
MENUMENU
  • About
  • Send News Tips

Media Moves

Covering Latinos in the Media Industry

MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
  • Send News Tips
  • People
  • TV & Radio
  • Programming
  • Print
  • Digital
  • Job Board
  • Archives

TWC Deportes cancels shows, lays off staff

September 21, 2015 by Veronica Villafañe

Time Warner Cable Deportes logoRegional Spanish-language sports net Time Warner Cable Deportes has eliminated all of its original sports shows and most of its staff. About 30 people from TWC Deportes lost their jobs, including all staff and freelance on-air talent.

Elmur Souza, Ricardo Celis and Martin Zuñiga are among the network’s original staff sports anchors laid off. An inside source says about 4 people remain on staff – for the time being.

TWC Deportes, launched October 1, 2012, is one of 3 Time Warner Cable Los Angeles-based regional networks, which have the rights to air Lakers and Dodgers games.

Francisco Pinto and Adrián García Márquez, who are employed by the Lakers, will continue to narrate the basketball games.

A company spokesperson confirmed lay offs across the entire organization, including SportsNet and SportsNet LA, but refused to specify numbers. However, Deportes got hit the hardest, with almost its entire staff decimated.

When asked by Media Moves, the spokesperson denied Deportes would be shut down, but a company source familiar with the situation says the regional network, which loses $100 million a year, will be closed at the end of the current Laker and Dodger seasons.

In an official statement, the company acknowledged: “We recently made some changes to our programming for Time Warner Cable SportsNet, Time Warner Cable Deportes and SportsNet LA. As we fine-tuned the programming, it naturally meant that we would make some staffing changes as well.  Like many other networks, we’re now past the “start-up” stage and we have a greater handle on what our viewers want to see, and how to staff for that.”

Time Warner has struggled to gain distribution of its L.A.-based sports networks. No widespread carriage means insufficient audience to register the ratings needed to survive. In an internal memo to staff quoted in the Daily News, the company cited poor ratings for the layoffs and cutbacks.

The reductions are seen by some as part of a strategic business move as Time Warner prepares for its merger with Charter.

Filed Under: Programming, TV & Radio Tagged With: Time Warner Cable Deportes

Primary Sidebar

Veronica Villafañe, Editor & Publisher

Emmy award-winning journalist and former president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). Currently a reporter for Voice of America, she has worked as an on-air reporter, anchor, writer and producer for Spanish and English-language TV, print and online media, including Univision, Telemundo, Fox 11 News in L.A. and the San Jose Mercury News.

Hispanic media and entertainment contributor to Forbes.

Full bio here
Maria Elena Ponticiello

Meteorologist María Elena Ponticiello joins Univision Chicago

March 16, 2023

Annabelle Sedano

Annabelle Sedano crosses over from Univision 34 to NBC4 as weekday anchor

March 15, 2023

Samuel Belilty

News director Samuel Belilty out at Univision 23

March 15, 2023

Hernan Lopez

Jury in FIFA bribery case finds former Fox execs Hernan López guilty, acquits Carlos Martínez

March 9, 2023

Veronika Moroian

Veronika Moroian promoted to President and GM at KMEX

March 8, 2023

VIEW ALL ARTICLES

Secondary Sidebar

Media Moves is a mission-driven digital publication aimed at raising the visibility of Latinos in the media. Since its inception in 2007, the site has covered thousands of stories. To keep moving forward, we need your help. That’s why we launched a crowdfunding campaign.

Learn more about why Media Moves needs your support here.

You can contribute to the campaign clicking the button below.

SUPPORT MEDIA MOVES
Get the week’s stories in your inbox. The Media Moves Wrap newsletter is sent Friday mornings.
SUBSCRIBE
Veronica Villafañe, Editor & Publisher

Emmy award-winning journalist and former president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). Currently a reporter for Voice of America, she has worked as an on-air reporter, anchor, writer and producer for Spanish and English-language TV, print and online media, including Univision, Telemundo, Fox 11 News in L.A. and the San Jose Mercury News.

Hispanic media and entertainment contributor to Forbes.

Full bio here
Copyright © 2023 Media Moves · All Rights Reserved | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy