DURHAM, N.C.—ABC Owned Television Stations has named Martin Ortiz general manager of WTVD-TV in Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
Ortiz, currently general manager of KFSN Fresno, Calif., succeeds Rob Elmore, who will retire from WTVD, known on-air as ABC11, at month’s end.
“Martin has been an invaluable leader across the ABC Owned Television Stations,” ABC Owned Television Stations President Chad Matthews said. “He brings a passion for storytelling, a clear vision for growth and an enduring commitment to the community to the role. These qualities, combined with his steady leadership through breaking news and industry change, make him the ideal choice to lead WTVD.”
Ortiz is an ABC/Disney veteran of nearly 20 years and took the reins at KFSN a little over two years ago. The station ranks No. 1 across all major dayparts and has 23 of the Fresno market’s top 25 programs, ABC said.
Under Ortiz, KFSN won an NAB Leadership Foundation honor in the TV–Medium Market category and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for “Killer High,” a documentary series on the region’s fentanyl crisis. The station was also honored with The Business Journal’s inaugural Community Champion Award for civic initiatives, including the raising of more than $100,000 for the Central California Food Bank. It won a Northern California Emmy Award for its reporting on the Southern California wildfires.
“I am honored and thrilled to lead the talented team at ABC11 and to serve the Raleigh-Durham community,” Ortiz said. “WTVD has a proud legacy of delivering trusted news and being a vital presence in central North Carolina. I look forward to building on that foundation, growing our reach across every platform and continuing to tell the stories that matter most to our viewers. I am grateful to Chad Matthews and the ABC Owned Television Stations team for this opportunity, and to Rob Elmore for his remarkable leadership.”
Prior to becoming GM, Ortiz was news director at KSFN, overseeing coverage of major events, driving ratings growth, expanding newscasts and helping launch streaming platform ABC30 Central California 24/7.
He was also an executive producer at ABC-owned KGO-TV San Francisco, overseeing morning news efforts and launching an hour-long 11 a.m. newscast.
A native of Central California, Ortiz started in local TV as a college intern at KFSN. He is a graduate of California State University, Fresno, and a member of NJGLA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. He serves as executive champion of the ABC Owned Television Stations Belong team and the ABC News Pride BERG.
