Longtime anchor Jairo Díaz Pedraza has been laid off at Univision Sacramento.
His last day was Monday, March 11.
The Emmy-award-winning journalist, who had been the station’s main anchor for more than 18 years, also helping produce the 6 and 11 pm newscasts, was told his layoff is part of a series of cuts aimed at restructuring the company’s finances.
Díaz Pedraza shared the news of his departure on social media, where he received an outpouring of support and well-wishes.
He tells Media Moves he is “deeply grateful to Univision for the opportunity to tell the stories of my community. I am grateful for the messages from my colleagues. To each of them I gave life or career advice on how to tell better stories. I feel calm and ready to take the next step.”
For now, that means taking a break, “visiting family and friends and then see what new opportunities arise.”
During his time at Univision Sacramento, he interviewed high-profile California legislators, including Governor Gavin Newsom and Xavier Becerra, currently Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Among his Emmys, he won an award for his coverage of Pope Francis’ visit to Mexico.
Prior to joining Univision, Díaz Pedraza, a native of Peru, spent five years as an anchor for Telemundo Internacional. He previously worked as an entertainment reporter at the now defunct CBS Telenoticias.
For the time being, Díaz Pedraza will remain in Sacramento.