In his eight years as general manager of WXTV in New York, Ramon Pineda has seen major growth within the Univision station’s core demographic. As the U.S. Hispanic population continues to expand, the station has experienced a major spike in ratings; during the most recent sweeps period, WXTV posted some of its strongest numbers ever, particularly among younger viewers.

“We live in a marketplace that has changed,” Pineda said in a recent interview with TVSpy. “So what works to our advantage at Univision is that the marketplace is changing to our favor on a daily basis. In the last 12 years, the population in New York has changed dramatically and has become more Hispanic.”

According to Nielsen, the New York DMA has seen a 31 percent increase in the Hispanic population among the A18-49 demographic since 2000. In the most recent sweeps period, WXTV delivered the most A18-49 viewers at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. in any language. Read more

Michael Rodriguez has been named vice president and general manager of WLTV and WAMI, the Univision and TeleFutura affiliates in Miami.

“Michael’s expertise in Hispanic media is second to none, and we plan to tap into that experience as well as the total power of the Univision Network in order to continue to grow in the Miami market,” said Kevin Cuddihy, president of the Univision Television Group, in announcing the appointment.  “Michael began his career–most of which has been spent in Miami–at Univision Radio and we are very excited for his homecoming.”

Rodriguez has significant experience working in the Miami market.  He was vice president and general manager of  Telemundo station WSCV from 2002 to 2007.  Before that, he worked as a local sales manager at CBS-affiliate WFOR. Read more

Univision has named Raul Rodriguez vice president and general manager of its San Francisco operations.  In the role, Rodriguez will oversee KDTV as well as Univision’s Bay Area radio stations, KSOL and KBRG.

Before joining Univision, Rodriguez served as VP-GM of Journal Broadcast Group‘s Palm Springs operations, which includes NBC-affiliate KMIR.  Prior to that, he was director of Hispanic sales for News-Press & Gazette‘s six Spanish language stations.

“Raul’s ample experience in broadcast media coupled with his invaluable knowledge of our burgeoning Hispanic community makes him a critical asset to the Univision team in San Francisco,” said Luis Patiño, senior vice president of Univision Television Group, in announcing the move. “It is paramount that we continue to further our stations’ reach and growth, along the growth of Hispanics, and with Raul on board, we will remain on track to success.”

Carlos Tamez has been promoted to news director at KUVN, the Univision owned-and-operated station in Dallas.

Tamez, the executive producer of newscasts at KUVN, joined the station in 2003 as a producer. Prior to that, he was a producer at a station in Mexico City, according to Media Moves.

He replaces Martha Kattan, who left KUVN to be the news director at KXLN, the Univision station in Houston.

Beginning August 29, Univision’s WUVC is bringing a 30-minute daily Spanish-language broadcast to Raleigh-Durham.

According to Univision, the program will be the first of its kind in North Carolina. “We are excited to bring to the area’s rapidly growing Hispanic population the first Spanish language daily newscast,” Univision senior vice president Luis Fernandez-Rocha said in a statement. “Our viewers and constituents rely on Univision 40 for news coverage that will inform and empower their families and communities on decisions that impact them.”

The broadcast will be anchored by Jaime Zea and Edwin Pitti and will air at 6 p.m. on weekdays. According to Univision, Raleigh-Durham is one of the fastest-growing Hispanic markets in the US, with the adult population growing 533 percent from 2001 to 2011.

Juan Villa is set to become news director of Phoenix’s KTVW.

Villa will succeed Marco Flores, who recently left KTVW to join Univision’s Los Angeles O&O KMEX.  He’ll officially join the KTVW newsroom in February.

Villa is familiar with the Phoenix market, having recently served as an executive producer at Telemundo station KTAZ.  Before joining KTAZ, Villa worked for La Voz, the city’s Spanish language newspaper, as a general assignment reporter.

Villa is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. [via Media Moves]