NBCUniversal’s two owned-and-operated properties in Burbank, Calif., have been given new VPs of News. At KNBC-4, the change is immediate. For KVEA-52, the flagship Telemundo station for Southern California, the change is effective June 5.
Earning the promotion at KNBC-4 is Marina Perelman. For KVEA, Miguel “Mike” Gaytán will hold similar duties.
Perelman and Gaytán will both report to Todd Mokhtari, KNBC and KVEA President and General Manager.
Perelman and Gaytán will be responsible for leading the respective stations news operations. “Perelman and Gaytán will collaborate to lead the production of special news coverage and reporting to bring to light topics that reflect and impact our diverse Southern California communities,” the company said.
Mokhtari commented, “As local news stations, it is our responsibility to maintain the trust of our audiences, to reflect their stories and provide them with the most complete information to help them navigate their day-to-day lives here in Southern California. Both Marina and Mike are excellent news leaders who share a commitment to serve. I am confident they will help grow our talented news teams and solidify our position in the Los Angeles market.”
Perelman, born in Armenia and raised in Southern California, has more than 25 years of experience in broadcast journalism. Most recently, she served as Assistant News Director for KNBC, a position she’s held since 2019. She began her career in local news at News-Press & Gazette-owned KESQ-3 in Palm Springs, Calif., as the producer for the station’s local newscasts. In 2003, she transitioned to The E.W. Scripps Co.’s KNXV-15 in Phoenix, as the producer for its 10pm newscast.
A graduate of USC’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, she is was one of the founders of the student run campus news station Annenberg TV News (ATVN).
“Marina is a thoughtful leader and journalist with vast experience in local news,” said Mokhtari. “She is driven by the principle that local news is a critical community service and our responsibility as journalists to report and share stories that reflect the experiences of the communities we serve.”
Gaytán joins KVEA after serving as the Vice President of News for KUAN-20, the Telemundo O&O in San Diego-Tijuana. Mokhtari said, “Mike is an innovative and collaborative news leader who is committed to pushing boundaries to deliver the best news and most complete product to our audiences. He has deep understanding of the needs and complexity of issues impacting our diverse Latino communities and will guide and inspire our talented KVEA news team to continue to deliver the exceptional journalism our viewers expect and deserve.”
Before joining KUAN, Gaytán worked at Telemundo Arizona for five years and held newsroom leadership roles including Vice President of News and News Director, with direct responsibility and oversight of local news operations for Phoenix and Tucson. Gaytán launched his career in local news at Entravision’s KLDO-TV in Laredo, Tex., where he served as News Director for four years before joining Univision News Group in 2005.
