Telemundo launched the first Spanish-language local news broadcast in the St. Louis area this month.
The station aired its first St. Louis-focused news broadcast last Monday. The station is simultaneously producing local newscasts for the Telemundo station in Portland, Oregon.
Local newscasts be broadcast on Channel 45 at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Friday.
NBCUniversal-owned Telemundo expanded its national news and weather programming into St. Louis in 2022. But this month marks the first time the region will have a consistent Spanish-language broadcast news program.
Samuel Rivera, head of local news at Telemundo St. Louis, said the station has been planning a local newscast since he joined the team two years ago.
"We're not just talking about immigrants," Rivera said. "We're talking about the Latino community who live in each city we have Telemundo (stations). And for us, it's important to give them the news they need."
Rivera said immigration coverage will be a major focus but said newscasts will also cover education, politics, economics and breaking news events.
Rivera said the newscast aims to serve all St. Louis residents, regardless of the languages they speak.
"It's serving our community in St. Louis for everyone: Spanish and non-Spanish people, Latinos and non-Latino people," Rivera said. "Because in the end, we know we are a community."
An underserved market
The Hispanic or Latino population in the St. Louis region has grown considerably since the 1980s. STLPR reported that 2024 census data showed the largest increase yet in the area's Hispanic or Latino population.
Rivera said newscasters aim to accommodate the news needs of the city's expanding Hispanic or Latino community.
"We have a huge Latino community, from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic (and) Peru in St Louis," Rivera said. "That data is the reason we launched Telemundo St Louis."
The largest share of Missouri's overall population increase last year is attributed to international migration. But immigration crackdowns could lead to plummeting international migration and changes in the region's foreign-born population.
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