Univision’s Jorge Ramos hosts his final broadcasts amid layoffs and turmoil at the network
Jorge Ramos will say goodbye to Noticiero Univision’s audience, bringing to an end his run as one of the network’s most respected news anchors. Friday will be his last newscast, and on Sunday the last episode of Al punto, which he hosted for 17 years.
“Pure gratitude,” he wrote on an Instagram post at the close of his 38-year career at the network— a concise phrase to sum up the moment.
For Ramos, who came to the United States in 1983 from Mexico at age 24, it has been a tremendous journey that he has taken as an “immigrant journalist,” the way he likes to describe himself. But knowing his restless and adventurous spirit, he is probably far from finished.
At age 66, Ramos has spent almost 40 years at Univision – today TelevisaUnivision – and in that time Hispanics have only grown in numbers and importance in the United States.
Uncertainty at Univision
In November, Blanca Rosa Vilchez and Luis Megid, both veteran reporters for Univision, took retirement buyouts amid rumors of upcoming layoffs. That same month, TelevisaUnivision’s San Francisco bureau closed.
Daniel Alegre, the CEO of TelevisaUnivision who was appointed in September, said in a memo sent to employees that “challenges” lay ahead amid the network’s restructuring process.
“I ask for your focus and resilience as we take these important steps toward a stronger, more connected future. Together, we are building a company positioned for sustained growth, innovation and leadership,” the executive said on Dec. 2.
As part of this restructuring, TelevisaUnivision eliminated jobs on the ViX Content and Development team on Dec. 11. Among the most recent layoffs of on-air talent are Honduran journalist Maity Interiano of Noticiero Univision and Despierta América host Jesus Díaz, better known as Chef Yisus. Primer Impacto reporter Roger Borges and ViX anchors Eduardo Padilla and Carolina Rosario were also laid off.
January 2024 opened with the dismissal of 200 Univision employees, including veteran reporters Teresa Rodríguez and Sandra Peebles, and it appears that year will be punctuated with uncertainty.
