Journalists Thomas and Flores promoted at Univision.

Univision announced that it has promoted veteran broadcast journalists Sandra Thomas to the newly created position of senior director of Local and Affiliate News for Univision News and Marco Flores to news director for KMEX Univision 34 Los Angeles. Thomas will be based in San Francisco and report to Daniel Coronell, vice president, Univision News and on the operations front to Kevin Cuddihy, president, Univision Television Group. Flores will be based in Los Angeles and report to Thomas on the editorial front and to KMEX Univision 34 General Manager, Alberto Mier y Terán.
 
“A consummate news professional with a zest for not only getting the story first, but making sure the reporting is completely accurate, Sandra has left an indelible mark in the news business,” said Coronell. “Her leadership and insights will help us to take Univision News to even higher levels at the local and national level.”
 
“We are thrilled to have Sandra take on this new role because her vision and management experience will be critically important,” said Cuddihy.
 
As senior director of Local and Affiliate News, Thomas will oversee all news content for the local affiliate and serve as the nexus with network news. Most recently, since March of 2009, she had concurrently served as Univision Television Group’s (UTG) news operations group regional news director supervisor as well as news director of KDTV Univision 14 San Francisco, a position she held since 1997.  In her UTG role, Thomas was responsible for facilitating, coordinating and communicating UTG’s assets throughout the Northern California division and providing strategic guidance and systems to the Fresno, Sacramento and San Francisco stations. She has won many awards in this position, and most recently her team received the 2010-2011 Emmy for best Spanish-language newscast in San Francisco.
 
Earlier in her career, Thomas was news director for Univision KMEX 34 in Los Angeles and held various news production positions at Univision Network News. She was also a field producer for NBC Nightly News based in Los Angeles; news director for Telemundo KVEA in Los Angeles from 1993 to 1997; and launched the Mexico bureau for Telemundo/Reuters News Network. She also had a brief stint on the print journalism side as a writer/editor for Los Angeles Times’ “Nuestro Tiempo.” Thomas holds a masters in arts degree in journalism from the University of Southern California.
 
Flores had served as the station’s interim news director since December 2010. In his new role, he will define and establish newsroom and station philosophies, priorities and strategies. Flores will look to promote expanded investigative and exclusive news coverage by KMEX, and drive content enterprising and innovation as well as collaboration with other Univision Network properties.
 
Mier y Terán stated: “Marco has already shown a strong understanding of the local Los Angeles marketplace and his leadership and solid grasp of broadcast news will help KMEX continue to build on the loyal viewership as the leading station in the country.”
 
Flores previously served as news director at Univision KTVW in Phoenix, a role he assumed in 2002. He also served as producer and executive producer for the station’s various newscasts. Before that, Flores was a sports and weather anchor and producer for Telemundo’s KESQ-TV/KUNA-TV in Palm Desert, California. He began his career in radio serving as station manager/program director and on-air personality for KCLB Radio’s “La Consentida” in Coachella, California.