The ValleyCentral+ desk is seen inside the TV station’s Harlingen offices.
This year has been one of shakeups for the Rio Grande Valley’s local news stations. From experienced anchors moving to different anchor desks to a beloved on-air personality making a big return, a lot has happened to South Texas airwaves in recent weeks.
Rudy Mireles returns to anchor first-of-its-kind digital broadcast
Longtime journalist Joel Villanueva recently returned to KRGV-TV, the Rio Grande Valley’s ABC affiliate, after leaving the company in 2020. Villanueva began co-anchoring the station’s morning newscast. Previously, he served as the station’s sports director.
First up, veteran journalist Rudy Mireles has returned to the industry after leaving to work in his family’s business in October 2024. Mireles, who previously served as a reporter and anchor for the Valley’s ABC affiliate, KRGV, returns to broadcasting with competitor NBC23 KVEO, which — along with CBS 4 — is owned by Nexstar Media Group. The two affiliates exist together online as ValleyCentral.
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Mireles returned to the news industry to lead ValleyCentral in the launch of a next-generation news format in Texas, a so-called “connected TV,” or CTV, app called ValleyCentral+ that is available on Apple TV+, Amazon Fire and Hulu. Part of what makes the digital broadcast unique is that it is simulcast over-the-air as well, replacing KVEO’s traditional 4 p.m. newscast.
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The ValleyCentral+ app broadcast allows viewers to interact with anchors in real-time.
Courtesy ValleyCentralThe ValleyCentral+ app broadcast allows viewers to interact with anchors in real-time.
Courtesy ValleyCentralThe ValleyCentral+ broadcast is also interactive, allowing viewers to connect with Mireles and co-anchor Alejandra Yañez in real-time as they host the newscast from the Streaming Center, which is positioned not in a television studio but in the middle of the company’s Harlingen, Texas, newsroom. Mireles controls every aspect of the broadcast while anchoring, including posting graphics, gathering answers from viewers who have responded to a “daily question” and more. Yañez led ValleyCentral’s digital content team before joining Mireles on the anchor desk. Previously, she worked for The Monitor newspaper in McAllen.
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“The whole point of the ValleyCentral+ app is to begin the process of meeting the viewer where they want to be next,” Mireles told MySA, adding that the show’s novel format is what convinced him to return to journalism.
Brownsville native and longtime journalist, Daisy Martinez, was recently promoted to anchor the evening newsdesk at CBS 4 in the Rio Grande Valley. Previously, she served as the station’s morning and noon anchor.
Daisy Martinez moves to the evening anchor desk
Nexstar also celebrated another big change. Daisy Martinez, a journalist with experience in both TV and print journalism, moved from CBS 4’s morning newscast to the evening desk, where she is co-anchoring the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts. Martinez took over the seat vacated by Sydney Hernandez, who left the industry in April to take a position as the media relations director for the city of Mission.
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Mark Garcia, vice president and general manager of the two Nexstar stations, lauded the Brownsville native for having her finger on the pulse of the region’s culture.
“I think she represents the Valley very well, and putting her… in a spotlight daypart, I think, is really gonna be beneficial to both sides,” Garcia said.
Beloved sportscaster Joel Villanueva has returned to KRGV as a morning news anchor, while Angie Martinez now leads the station as news director.
Courtesy KRGVBeloved sportscaster Joel Villanueva has returned to KRGV as a morning news anchor, while Angie Martinez now leads the station as news director.
Courtesy KRGVJoel Villanueva returns to KRGV
Meanwhile, a familiar face is back at the Valley’s top-rated local TV news station. Joel Villanueva, who served as sports director when he left the Valley’s ABC affiliate, KRGV, in 2020, has returned to co-host the station’s morning show.
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“The San Juan native’s vast knowledge, booming voice, and enthusiasm are already energizing our early morning news,” KRGV General Manager John Kittleman told MySA in an email.
Villanueva spent 13 years working his way up at KRGV before his departure, starting as a part-time video editor before joining the sports desk under yjr previous director, the late Dave Brown. In returning to KRGV, Villanueva now takes over the morning anchor seat of Javier Guerra, whom the station promoted to co-anchor the evening newscasts.
“Javier has proven himself as a dedicated journalist. His work on segments like Made in the 956 strengthened our community,” Kittleman said.
KRGV names new leader after summer shakeups
On Monday, KRGV also officially named Angie Martinez as its news director.
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“I am excited for Angie to lead the Channel 5 newsroom. She has a real passion for news and understands the important role Channel 5 News plays in our community,” Kittleman said.
Martinez — who was previously the station’s assistant news director — had been serving as interim news director since July 31 after a major talent shakeup at the affiliate. That day, KRGV shuttered its Spanish-language news brand, Noticias RGV, putting an abrupt end to several Spanish-language newscasts and laying off an untold number of on-air talent and production staff. One day earlier, KRGV’s previous news director, Zoltan Csyani-Salcedo, left the company after a six-year tenure at the helm.