By Katia Lopez-Hodoyan
Albert Mier y Teran:
When it c
omes to media management, Alberto Mier y Teran has done it all. He has led major television markets in Los Angeles, Chicago and everywhere in between. Now he’s back in his hometown of San Diego, as the new President and General Manager of CBS 8/KFMB.
“It feels awesome to be back home,” says Mier y Teran during a one on one interview with La Prensa San Diego. “I left the San Diego market for six years, but in the back of my mind, I knew I’d live here again. In fact, I didn’t sell my house because I knew I’d be back.”
And back he is—not just back home, but also back at the same station where he got his first break in the broadcasting business 17 years ago. Alberto admits he is not necessarily a news junkie, but media management is his perfect fit, especially since he has always been interested in communications, business, and international relations.
“I fell in love with the business, and as I got older,” says the 48-year-old, “I really started to enjoy what the media could do for the community.”
In the late ‘90s, Mier y Teran was a regional sales manager at KFMB. Four years later, he started working at the local Univision affiliate in San Diego, where he served as Vice President and General Manager. He then headed to Univision’s Chicago station.
Mier y Teran’s work eventually led him back to the West Coast, where he served as Vice President of KMEX-34 in Los Angeles during the past 5 years.
In February of this year, Alberto returned to San Diego to assume his new post at KFMB. The entire journey, he says, has been a rollercoaster.
“For years I said I’d never move to LA because of all the traffic,” admits Mier y Teran. “I did end up moving there with my wife and two kids. Now that I’m back in San Diego, the traffic seems just as bad here.”
Mier y Teran grew up on both sides of the Tijuana-San Diego border, so speaking English and Spanish was always a part of his daily routine.
During his freshman year in high school, he crossed the border every weekday as a student at Marian High School. The following two years, he attended CETYS in Tijuana. Then, for his senior year, he attended Bonita Vista High School, before heading to Augustana College in South Dakota.
Once he graduated college, Mier y Teran made the United States his home, but like most border families, he still has plenty of friends and family living in Tijuana.
“I’ve crossed that border more times than I want to count,” says Mier y Teran. “I spent a lot of time waiting at the border. When you combine both economies and both markets, it’s a very influential region that’s very important. Some people live here their whole lives and never go to Tijuana.”
It’s no secret the media business has changed dramatically over the last decade. Mier y Teran has seen the changes firsthand. From a business standpoint, he says the rise of social media should not equate to a loss of audience.
“In this business, you have to adapt to change,” says Mier y Teran. “I don’t care if you’re watching my product on television, cable, satellite, or from an app. I don’t care how the product is consumed as long as it’s consumed. That will always happen as long as we’re providing quality content.”
When it comes to KFMB’S content, Mier y Teran is both an executive and a consumer. His new job also involves heading two local radio stations: 760 AM KFMB and 100.7 KFM-BFM. He probably listens more closely than most- and not just for obvious reasons. One of his major hobbies is playing music.
“I’m a drummer and yes, I have a band,” says Mier y Teran. “We play about four times a year in bars in LA and San Diego. We play anything from ‘80s alternative to classic rock and also rock en español.”
With the rise of cable news and the downsizing of several news outlets across the country, the influence and cost efficiency of local media has been questioned by top managers across the nation.
But Mier y Teran is convinced there is always room for appealing and relevant content. He also adds that there is no replacement for the media’s local outreach: From educational forums to civil engagement, financial literacy and health matters.
“That is very rewarding. The fact that we can make a difference in the community gives me goose bumps,” explains Mier y Teran. “I strongly believe there will always be a need for quality local news. There are plenty of news outlets covering national and international news, but if you can do it right in a local market, people will continue to go to you and rely on you,” he added.
When it comes to the next generation, Mier y Teran says passion is essential in the media business. That is true, he says, regardless of whether one’s interest is in news, marketing, sales or management.
“You need to enjoy it, or else it just becomes mundane and boring. That’s what the next generation needs to understand,” explains Mier y Teran. “I want to be challenged every day with what I do,” he concluded.