Since taking over as president and general manager of KNBC in October 2011, Steve Carlston has been a busy man.

Carlston says the many changes under his watch at the NBC-owned station in Los Angeles have resulted in a significant improvement in the station’s “corporate culture.” He cites Comcast’s investment in local programming, as well as the leadership of NBC Universal president Steve Burke and NBC Owned Stations president Valari Staab.

“It’s hard to describe in a word, but it’s a better place to feel part of a team, it’s a more competitive environment than it’s ever been,” Carlston tells TVSpy. “They believe we can be the news leader again.”

If the changes at the station over the past eighteen months are any indication, Carlston clearly believes it, too. He has hired a new news director and assistant news director, strengthened the station’s investigative reporting team and expanded the weekend and midday newscasts.

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In a memo on the two-year anniversary of Comcast acquiring a controlling stake of NBC Universal, NBCU president Steve Burke highlights a milestone year for the 10 NBC-owned stations.

Burke’s memo identifies four areas of the company that had particularly “noteworthy achievements” over the last year: primetime, sports, the owned stations and Universal Parks. Of the owned stations, Burke writes:

This is another business that some said should be left to decline. Instead, we invested in our stations and under the leadership of Valari Staab and her team, our stations group has undergone a significant turnaround in ratings and financial performance.

… These businesses deserve to be called out because they all had great years. Interestingly, not many people would have picked NBC Prime, NBC Sports, Owned Stations and Parks as big near-term growth opportunities. The important lesson is that we have the ability to transform even mature businesses if we invest and manage them intelligently.

TVNewser has Burke’s full memo.

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists has sent a letter to Los Angeles NBC O&O KNBC and its corporate parent Comcast expressing concern over an alarming number of recent demotions among the station’s Hispanic on-air talent.

According to data compiled by a KNBC staffer and shared with NAHJ, the station has taken action against the majority of its Hispanic on-air staff this year. Of the nine Hispanic anchors, reporters, and weathercasters at KNBC, since January 10th, five have either been demoted or terminated. And as of last week, none of the station’s on-air hires in 2011 are of Hispanic heritage.

KNBC, which just announced the promotion of Robert Kovacik and hiring of Stephanie Elam to anchor weekends, currently has no Hispanic anchors on its prime p.m. newscasts while 30% of reporters appearing during these programs are Hispanic. This seeming lack of Latino representation is especially significant in the Los Angeles market, where nearly half of viewers are Hispanic.

“We’re very concerned about what’s being reported,” NAHJ president Michele Salcedo tells TVSpy. “It’s very important for a newsroom to reflect the community in which it operates.”

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Craig Robinson, president and general manager of KNBC, is being bumped up to a corporate role with NBCUniversal. The company announced today that Robinson has been named EVP and chief diversity officer, reporting directly to CEO Steve Burke.

Robinson replaces Paula Madison, who retired in May.  He’s set to begin on August 15th but will continue serving as KNBC’s general manager until a replacement is named.

“Diversity is one of our company’s biggest priorities, and I’m pleased that we could look within our own ranks and tap an accomplished leader like Craig to fill this important role,” Burke said, in making the announcement.

Robinson has served as KNBC’s president and GM since 2008. Prior to joining  the NBC O&O, Robinson held the president-GM post at WCMH, a Media General-owned NBC-affiliate. He is a longtime supporter of NABJ, AAJA, and NAHJ.

As Dick Ebersol prepares to resign after 22 years as the top executive at NBC Sports, the NBC affiliates board is saluting him as “an unbelievable supporter” of Peacock affiliates.

“Dick is a true advocate of over the air broadcasting, and I respect him incredibly,” Brian Lawlor, chairman of the NBC affiliates board, told Broadcasting & Cable after news of Ebersol’s departure broke. “He’s been a passionate television executive, a great creative mind, and a shrewd dealmaker.”

NBC made the news official this afternoon, sending out a press release that confirmed earlier reports that Ebersol was leaving the network after he was unable to agree to terms on a new contract.

“Dick Ebersol is an incredible talent whose contributions to the company over the last four decades in sports, news and entertainment are unsurpassed,” said NBCU’s Steve Burke in the release.

A day after longtime NBCUniversal executive Paula Madison announced her retirement, another longtime local and network news topper is retiring.

Don Browne, who has been president of Telemundo since 2005, is leaving the company June 3 — the eighth anniversary of his arrival at the Miami-based, NBCU-owned Spanish-language network.

Browne’s TV news career began with CBS News, working his way into the Atlanta bureau in 1974. That’s where he met his wife Cuban-born, Maria Junquera. (Browne — as head of the #2 Spanish language network in the U.S., speaks little Spanish.)

Browne moved to Miami as NBC News bureau chief in 1979. 10 years later he headed to New York as executive news director and later, EVP of NBC News.

He returned to Miami in 1993 to run WTVJ, which had been acquired by NBC. He remained President and GM of WTVJ until his move to Telemundo, which had also recently been acquired by NBC.

“Don Browne has had an outstanding career as a broadcaster and executive,” said NBCU CEO Steve Burke. “We are grateful for what he has accomplished and wish him all the best on a well-deserved retirement.”

A successor to Browne will be announced in the coming months.

Press release after the jump…

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