HERMOSA BEACH, CALIF. — Since 2012, KNBC-4 in Los Angeles has seen one Vice President of News. This individual arrived in Burbank, Calif., for the role, after a five-year stint as News Director of KIRO-7 in Seattle.
Now, this veteran news leader has been appointed President/GM of NBC O&O KNSD-7 and Telemundo O&O KUAN-20 some two hours down the road, in San Diego.
Taking the job is Todd Mokhtari, who will oversee all operations of both stations — including news, digital, sales, marketing/promotions, community affairs, and operations/technology. He reports to Valari Staab, President of the NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations.
“Todd is well respected by his colleagues and peers and has done an exceptional job at KNBC,” said Staab. “His extensive familiarity with West Coast audiences, including communities up and down the California coast, will help to strengthen our already strong NBC and Telemundo San Diego teams.”
Telemundo Station Group President Manuel Martinez added, “Todd has worked hand in hand with our Telemundo station news team in Los Angeles for the past seven years. He understands very well how important our Telemundo stations are for our Spanish-speaking communities, and look forward to seeing the great work he’ll do with our Telemundo 20 team in San Diego in his new role.”
While at KNBC, Mokhtari restructured NBC4’s newsroom, launched new local newscasts and digital/mobile platforms, expanded the station’s investigative team, strengthened news collaborations with Telemundo O&O KVEA-52, and oversaw the launch of state-of-the-art fixed, mobile and digital weather radars while growing the station’s weather team.
“I’m very excited to take on this great opportunity. It is a privilege to cover the communities we live in day to day,” noted Mokhtari. “NBC 7 and Telemundo 20 are outstanding news organizations. From covering the effects that smoke from local wild fires may have in our communities to our KNSD and KUAN investigative teams uncovering federal agencies’ questionable practices at our southern U.S. border, I am proud to lead our San Diego stations and the important work they do to strengthen the communities we call home.”
Before KIRO, Mokhtari worked at KNBC for a year as Managing Editor and as Assistant News Director for NBC’s San Francisco-San Jose O&O KNTV from 2002 to 2006.
Earlier in his career, Mokhtari worked as News Director at KCPQ-TV in Seattle. He began his career as an intern at KCRA-3 in Sacramento and held various roles with increasing responsibility, including Newscast Producer.
