Sally Ramirez has been named senior vice president of news for NBC Chicago (WMAQ) and Telemundo Chicago (WSNS), a newly created role leading news operations for the NBC and Telemundo owned stations that serve the region’s English and Spanish speaking audiences.
Ramirez, who is a native of Chicago, begins on May 22. She will report to Kevin Cross, president and gm of NBCUniversal Local Chicago.
The stations also promoted Akemi Harrison to news director of NBC Chicago, effective immediately. She’ll report to Ramirez alongside Diana Maldonado, vice president of news for Telemundo Chicago.
“Sally is an exceptional leader with the strategic vision, experience and passion to guide our talented news teams and continue to innovate how we produce and deliver our extensive local journalism and storytelling in both languages,” said Cross. “We’re excited to welcome her home to Chicago and add her to our already remarkable group of news professionals who proudly serve our diverse communities throughout the Chicago region every day.”
Ramirez, who started her career as an intern at WMAQ, returns to the market after serving as the executive producer for CNBC’s The News with Shepard Smith, which was canceled by the business news outlet in November 2022.
She previously spent nearly five years as executive news director for KHOU in Houston after 17 years with KGW in Portland. Before that, she held editorial and management roles in several markets, including as executive news producer for WGN in Chicago.
She is a bilingual first-generation Mexican American who grew up in the city’s Bridgeport neighborhood. She graduated from Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and DePaul University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.
Harrison
Harrison has been the assistant news director for NBC Chicago since August 2021. She joined WMAQ after holding the same position for NBC Connecticut (WVIT) in Hartford, Ct. Previously, she was executive producer for WPXI in Pittsburgh after holding news editorial and management roles for television stations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, Calif.
“Akemi is a dynamic news manager and operator,” said Cross. “She is an integral part of our leadership team who has displayed tremendous knowledge and skill in our newsroom since joining our station nearly two years ago. We are pleased to expand her role and broaden her responsibilities so that she can have an even greater impact on our news, our colleagues and our audiences.”
Harrison began her media career in her hometown of Jackson, Miss., after graduating from Tougaloo College with a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis on Journalism. After more than five years as a radio personality, she transitioned to television news as a producer for Jackson’s WAPT in 2008.
“Bringing Sally, Diana and Akemi together as a news leadership team is very exciting,” added Cross. “These three impressive and accomplished newsroom leaders, along with our talented and hard-working news teams, will certainly continue our great progress and serve our communities well.”