Telemundo taps Jose Cancela to run L.A. station KVEA
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NBCUniversal’s Spanish-language television unit, Telemundo, has dispatched a Miami media consultant, Jose Cancela, to manage its Los Angeles television station, KVEA-TV Channel 52.
Cancela fills an important post that has been vacant for more than seven months. Late last year, the previous president and general manager of KVEA, Jose Valle, left the company. Valle since has joined Telemundo’s chief rival, Univision Communications, as president of Univision Radio.
A Telemundo veteran, Cancela worked at the Spanish-language television network for six years in the 1990s -- long before NBC acquired the company. Back then, Cancela served as chief operating officer of the Telemundo Station Group.
From 1998 to 2004, he was chief operating officer of Radio Unica Communications Corp.
In 2004, Cancela founded his Latino media resource firm, Hispanic USA Inc. He counted several major corporate interests among his clients, including the ABC television network, DirecTV, The Oprah Winfrey Show, ING and the Miami Dolphins. He wrote a book, ‘The Power of Business en Espanol: 7 Fundamental Keys to Unlocking the Potential of the Spanish-Language Hispanic Market’ and in 2004 made an unsuccessful bid for the powerful post of Miami-Dade County mayor.
“We are excited to welcome Jose back to Telemundo,” Ronald J. Gordon, president of Telemundo Station Group, said Wednesday in a company statement. “His leadership skills, extensive broadcasting and operational experience, as well as his deep knowledge and understanding of the U.S. Hispanic audience will be a tremendous asset to KVEA, as we continue to invest and grow our station to better serve the Los Angeles Hispanic community.”
As KVEA president and general manager, Cancela will be tasked with managing the L.A. station’s operations including news, sales, promotions, engineering, finance and community relations.
NBCUniversal’s majority owner, Comcast Corp., has said that it considers Telemundo as a business ripe for growth.
-- Meg James
