‘I Quit, I Quit!’ Boardroom Turmoil Aggravates Univision’s Problems

Clashing egos and feuds over the company’s future have engulfed the U.S.’s largest Spanish-language broadcasting outlet, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Is Univision, the company that Jerry Perenchio built with $400 Million and sold for $13 Billion crumbling?

It is interesting to read the memo Vince Sadusky the new Univision CEO sent to the company regarding the layoffs this week and a return to the “Core Business”, CLICK HERE.

Vince, Univision was the “Core Business” of the US Hispanic Market for many years.  The company lost it and it was not the employees, but the management that lost it.

The new management thought they could make it better and bring forth unproven ideas to help mold Univision into what it is NOT, after over paying for the company.  Along with bringing in a slew of mainstream media professionals that could make it bigger, better, faster.  Well the proof is in the pudding.  It did not work.

As a leading Hispanic trade journal in our Industry for 20 years, the last couple of years working with Univision’s Public Relations and Marketing Departments have gone from a fabulous relationship to a non-existent relationship.  Instead, they sought to try to highlight Univision in Advertising Age, Adweek, Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. 

How did that work?  I guess is did not work.

The only high-level executive that would return an e-mail or a call at Univision is Steve Mandala.  ¡PUNTO!  Steve thanks for your commitment to the “Core”.

The management tone created this situation and lack of knowledge & respect for our Industry

Talk to your employees and they can offer great insights into those missteps occurred over the last couple of years.  They helped build the ‘Core Business”.

You company reaped what you sowed by the numerous negative articles in the trades lately and your Gizmodo staff lambasting the company and your executives.  Not to mention yesterday’s Wall Street Journal article. 

Remember, the Hispanic Agencies might not be buying media at the levels they did in the past, but they help design strategy, media platform selection and sell ideas to clients.  They are the partners to clients and you are a vendor.

The Walls Street Journal really slammed the company and its executives.  The company earned it.  CLICK HERE (You will need a WSJ subscription to read) .

Saban, Falco or Lee would not even appear at one of our Industry events outside of the Upfronts.  Funny enough, Rupert Murdock came to a Culture Marketing Council (formerly AHAA) conference, Cesar Conde from Telemundo is burning up the access to industry events and Hispanic focused trade journals.

Was the ‘Core Business” too sub par to mingle?

Vince, where was Univision over the last couple of years?  Not being the Core of our Industry.

I would guarantee you that the Culture Marketing Council (formerly AHAA) would be interested in hearing your vision to helping our Industry grow.

This might seem like a negative article, but it is not intended for that purpose.  Your Boston Consulting Group research, key Hispanic and non-Hispanic executives with years of US Hispanic selling expertise in your ranks and your clients can help you guide your company back to the ‘Core Business”.

I am encouraged by your approach; the riddance of several top-level executives (there a couple more that might need to go) and the re-structuring of the company to reach its “Core” is the correct move.

We need Univision, Telemundo, Entravision Azteca America, CNN en Espanol, Estrella TV and many more television, radio, digital, print, mobile and outdoor platforms to perform to ensure the viability of our Industry.

“Estamos todos en la misma canoa, remando pa’ la orilla”.

Gene Bryan
CEO

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