MTV Tr3s Affiliate KBEH-TV, Channel 63, Los Angeles Meets Expansion Demands with Eight New Hires

“In keeping with KBEH-TV, Channel 63’s explosive growth in the L.A. market, the station, exclusive local purveyor of MTV Tr3s programming targeted to the hard to reach 18-34 year old bilingual and bicultural Latino demographic, today announced the hire of their new General Sales Manager, Julio Aponte, in addition to seven new sales and marketing executives.

“KBEH-TV, Channel 63 already has the right formula in place for reaching the bilingual, bicultural demographic in L.A.,” said Mara Rankin, general manager, KBEH-TV. “With these new hires we’re attacking next priority: ensuring that we have the right professional mix needed to reach our strategic goals,” she finished.

To guide the station’s growth, the company has made eight new strategic hires, including their new General Sales Manager, Julio Aponte an 18-year media veteran who joins KBEH-TV with a proven track-record in television and radio sales, marketing and programming. Prior to joining KBEH-TV, Mr. Aponte worked for the Walt Disney Company where he served as Western Region Manager of Hispanic sales for ABC Radio Networks. He also served as Vice President and General Manager for the Radio Unica Network where his achievements included being ranked as a Top 5 Hispanic Market Radio Station and number one in revenues among all stations in the network. In addition to radio, Mr. Aponte’s television expertise comes from his work for the Univision Network. He also has international sales experience working in Argentina where he managed the two top rated AM/FM radio stations and played an instrumental role in the merger of three companies that resulted in a 24-hour thematic soccer cable station.

Additional new hires include:

– Gavin Lau who joins KBEH-TV as National Sales Manager from Univision and Fox Sports where he was an account executive specializing in reaching the 18-34 year old demographic, key to KBEH-TV’s growth in the L.A. market.

– Armando Guerrero, joins as Promotion Director from the SuperEstrella, the leading Los Angeles radio station in its market with a format and target demographic similar to that of MTV Tr3s. “His expertise in creating promotions for our target audience as well as his great local contacts will play a key role in increasing our visibility and establishing MTV Tr3s as the perfect promotional partner with both the clients and the top local Radio Stations,” said Rankin.

– Media veteran Julie Acevedo who joins as an Account Executive with more than 11 years of sales experience in both the Spanish and general markets. Prior to joining KBEH-TV Acevedo served as a sales and marketing consulting to Univision Radio and as an account executive at Infinity Broadcasting as well as Emmis Broadcasting.

– Rene Garzona, who brings an extensive background in promotions to his new role as Account Executive. Formerly with radio stations HOT 92 JAMZ/KIIS FM 102.7 and MEGA 100 FM, Garzona entered the Spanish language radio market working for stations KLAX 97.9 La Raza and KXOL El So, 96.3. Among his achievements was the key role he played in helping launch the first bilingual radio station in Los Angeles, KXOL LATINO, 96.3, where he served as Marketing/Promotions Director.

– Loren Blumberg joins as Account Executive from Entravision Radio KSSE/KLYY, Blumberg also served as general sales manager with Groove 103.1FM Radio and Co-Op Director at Emmis Broadcasting’s KPWR Power 106. Prior to radio, Blumberg held various management positions for over 15 years with Fortune 500 Retail Companies including Alpha Beta Markets, Chief Auto Parts and Computer City.

– Mauricio Vinan Account Executive, previously at Univision Radio, joins KBEH-TV with a track record in generating new business.

– Maritere Alvarez Jackson, Account Executive, was previously a Local Sales Manager and Account Executive for Univision Bakersfield. She started her career in 1989 at Foote Cone and Belding in Puerto Rico and has also worked as a Latin American and Hispanic markets buyer for Acento Advertising and as a Network and National Sales Account Executive for Radio Unica.

About Bela Broadcasting

Bela Broadcasting, LLC is a privately held company that owns and operates three television stations affiliated with MTV Tr3s: KBEH-TV, Channel 63 full-power in the Los Angeles DMA; KMOH-TV, Channel 6 full-power and KEJR, Channel 43 low-power both in the Phoenix DMA. The company was founded by a group of investors in 2003 and is headed up by Hispanic television veteran Bob Behar, who participated in the founding of one of the largest Hispanic networks in the US, Telemundo.

About MTV Tr3s

MTV Tr3s is the most-widely distributed TV network dedicated to superserving today’s bicultural Latino youth. MTV Tr3s’ programming is rooted in the fusion of American and Latino music, cultures, lifestyles and languages. Music programming is at the core of MTV Tr3s and the channel features hitmakers, emerging artists and new sounds that resonate with young U.S. Latinos. In addition to music programming, MTV Tr3s’ programming slate also features lifestyle series, news, documentaries and other long-form programs that celebrate US Latino hybrid identity and culture.”

• Watch the sketcher en español at KUNS-TV Noticiero Noroeste – Seattle
• Ricardo Salinas Breaks Ground for What Will Be the Most Modern Television Studio in Latin America – Mexico City
• Brazil replaces Mexico as China’s top market in Latin America and boosts its surplus as well.
• Reviewed: Sin Patron: Stories From Argentina’s Worker-Run Factories, edited by Lavaca, 320 pages, Haymarket Books, 2007.
• Telemundo’s disastrous Dobbs interview – “Interestingly enough, Dobbs was no bully and with his calm tone actually made his interviewer,” María Celeste,” look like a fool”
• An Inside Look at Over-the-top Quinceañeras – Latina coming-of-age parties on MTV Tr3s show “Quiero Mis Quinces” include celeb-filled guest lists
• The Quinceanera on MTV TR3s: Time for Lace and Taffeta
• En Argentina muere una persona cada 28 horas por represión policial
• Argentine Singer Sandro Recovering after Heart and Lung Transplant
• In Argentina, One Person Dies Every 28 Hours from Police Repression
• Lou Dobbs Calls Himself Latinos’ ‘Greatest Friend,’ Denies Tying Leprosy To Undocumented Immigrants – Interviewed by Maria Celeste on Telemundo’s Al Rojo Vivo
• Bilingual ballots may be coming to Hall – Growing Latino population could require voting material be available in Spanish – Gainesville, Georgia
• LatAm Immigrants Are Changing Spain, Sociologist Says
• Univision Communications Inc. Honors Ray Rodriguez by Dedicating Network Building
• Johanna Guerra, Sr VP of Network News at Telemundo has left the company – Ramón Escobar, who last held the title of Sr VP of Network Entertainment at Telemundo, is back… as a full time consultant
• Radio Arte, a community, bilingual and youth-centered radio station owned by the National Museum of Mexican Art, is joining forces with Vocalo.org, founded by Chicago Public Radio, for a year-long collaboration.
• The Argentine Senate approved a government bill to eliminate criminal penalties for libel and slander, as demanded by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in a ruling earlier this year.
• The current global crisis will cause the number of poor people in Latin America to rise by 9 million to 189 million this year, the U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean said in a report presented on Thursday.
• Univision/YouTube Partnership Is A Bigger Deal Than You Think
• The leader of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Latin American division, Vicente Trius, is leaving the company after having served less than five months in the position.