Early risers to Univision’s owned-and-operated stations in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin are now able to get two hours of Spanish-language news and information each weekday, starting at 4 a.m.
Noticias Texas Primera Edición debuted across the network’s four Lone Star State stations on April 6. The newscast marks an expansion by Univision Local Media of its news product to weekday mornings on KWEX in San Antonio and KAKW in Austin, which had aired only 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. local newscasts.
But the real news headline from the nation’s largest Hispanic media company is cost-cutting.
Noticias Texas Primera Edición replaces locally produced Primera Edición newscasts at KUVN in Dallas and KXLN in Houston. The Houston station is producing the new statewide morning program, but the anchors of the previous local show -- Arnaldo Rojas and Lizzet Lopez -- have been reassigned. Rojas is now a part of KXLN’s investigative unit, while Lopez is now a reporter for the station’s evening newscasts.
Karina Yapor and Rodolfo Sanchez, who co-anchored Primera Edición newscasts at KUVN, have relocated to Houston for their new regional roles. Univision will rely on reporters across the four markets for stories of relevance to its viewers, with Andrea Aguirre Alvarado and Vanessa Abuchaibe in Dallas; Victoria Acosta-Rubio and Laura Sierra in Houston; Alejandra Becerra in San Antonio; and Liliana Soto and David Herrera in Austin.
“We are committed to bringing our audiences the best news, entertainment and information,” Univision Local Media president Kevin Cuddihy said in a prepared statement. “The launch of Noticias Texas Primera Edición allows us to deliver in that regard. Our audiences in this region will be connected to the best content from across the state of Texas, delivered by the familiar faces that they’ve come to trust.”
Meanwhile, Univision Local Media has shut down production of a weekday news magazine -- Vive la Mañana -- that aired on UniMás affiliates KSTR in Dallas and KFTH in Houston at 6 a.m.
Replacing Vive la Mañana is a 60-minute video simulcast of El Show de Raul Brindis, the long-running radio program based at Univision Radio’s regional Mexican KLTN-FM “Estereo Latino” in Houston. Brindis’s show also airs on Univision Radio’s KROM-FM “Estereo Latino” in San Antonio.
“Raul Brindis is a household name within the Hispanic community in Texas, and we are pleased to expand the show’s reach to give UniMás viewers the chance to experience one of their favorite radio personalities, right on their TV screens,” Cuddihy said. “This is part of our commitment to offer the best content from across our platforms that we know is culturally relevant and will resonate with our audiences.”
