For 20 years, Mario Escovedo decided which San Diego news stories would be covered on the top-rated KFMB-TV/Channel 8 newscasts. As assignment manager, Escovedo was at the epicenter of deciding what makes news and what doesn’t.
“Every day was a test,” Escovedo told Times of San Diego. “The assignment manager is supposed to know everything that’s going on and where everyone is at any given moment. I was supposed to know who can be reached immediately to get information and confirmation.
“You never know how each day is going to start or finish. Every time a major incident happens, despite any personal situations or crisis at home, you have just moments to respond and get it right. Every day was a challenge, and I like that.”
During his San Diego TV news career, Escovedo admitted there were tough days on the job.
“I hated calling families who had tragically just lost someone, but that was just part of the job,” he said. “Also, the worst feeling in the world was to miss something big.
“I remember one time, the president was landing at North Island and the other local TV stations went live with his arrival. But our live truck was stuck at the gate. My boss yelled, kicked a trash can and said to me, `On a scale of 1 to 10 for screw-ups, this was a 17.’ My stomach was in knots for a week after that, but I learned to never let it happen again.”
At San Diego City College, he was involved in producing the student-run television newscast, Newscene.
One of his stories was about immigrants crossing the border from Mexico and working for a few dollars a week in the North County.
“That story helped me get a scholarship to SDSU and a paid internship at KFMB,” said Escovedo, a recipient of a Radio scholarship from the Radio Television Digital News Association.
“I was hired as a writer when my internship ended. Ray Wilson walked me into the building on my first day.”
Wilson, a fixture on KFMB-TV for 35 years, served as news anchor and later news director. He joined the station in 1952, three years after it went on the air. He retired in 1987 and passed away in 1995 at age 77.
“At KFMB, I worked with some of the most talented and dedicated people in the industry, covering some giant moments in San Diego’s history,” said Escovedo, who was hired by longtime news director Jim Holtzman, who brought together the legendary anchor team of Michael Tuck, Allison Ross and Ted Leitner. “I was fortunate to be part of a legendary era at KFMB.”
At KFMB, Escovedo won seven Emmy awards and one Golden Mic award. “It has been an honor to cover San Diego news for so long and to work so many great people,” he said.
Escovedo grew up in Chula Vista and attended Chula Vista High School, San Diego City College, and San Diego State University.
But in January, Escovedo left San Diego’s KFMB-TV — and his hometown.
Today, Escovedo lives in West Hartford, Conn. and commutes about 20 minutes to Bristol, Conn., to the worldwide headquarters of sports network ESPN, where his job since March has been as an international assignment desk editor.
In the close-knit San Diego news community, Escovedo’s departure was a surprise.
“San Diego was my home for 30 years and I will always love it,” Escovedo said. “But, my wife is from Germany and we have a 2-year-old daughter. We fly back and forth to Europe a couple of times a year. From San Diego, it is a 24-hour trip each way, plus hours of jet lag. So, we decided to move to the East Coast and narrowed our search to West Hartford.”
Escovedo said he also interviewed for several TV news jobs in Connecticut and New York City. “In NYC, I was up for a couple of different positions at CBS News, but the whole reason we moved here was for family. So, it didn’t make sense for me to commute two hours by train every day.”
At ESPN, Escovedo’s job duties include supporting requests from ESPN’s international bureaus, including arranging live feeds, coordinating equipment, and hiring crews.
“Everyday, we coordinate and communicate with the U.K., Amsterdam, Mexico City, Brazil, Argentina, Australia and China,” he said. “It is mind-blowing to grasp the number of feeds coming in and out on a daily basis. My head was spinning the first few weeks. After all my years of experience and training, I was humbled by the amount of technology available here and what we get done every day.
“Eight weeks later, I am starting to feel at home and even my Spanish has experienced a super-charged revitalization, not to mention a crash course on La Liga and World Cup Soccer.”
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera, generally known as La Liga, is a professional soccer league in Spain and the highest level attainable in Spanish football. Real Madrid has won the La Liga championship a record 36 times.
“It has been eye opening for me to realize my interest and love in sports,” Escovedo said.
“I think sports inspires us all and keeps our mind off other things that we struggle with as a world community. I love sharing stories of athletes who have overcome poverty and tough backgrounds to reach success and triumph. I hope to develop more coverage for stories like that.”
IABC’s Communicators of the Year: Julie Wright and Lt. Grace Kording
The San Diego chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators has named Julie Wright, founder and president of (W)right On Communications, as its 2025 Communicator of the Year, and Navy Lt. Grace Kording as its 2025 Junior COTY recipient.
IABC said its COTY awards, now in its 12th year, recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of business communications and celebrates individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their work.
“Their dedication, passion, and innovative contributions to the field of business communication set a remarkable standard of excellence,” 2025 IABC San Diego president Melissa Eckmann said of Wright and Kording.
“We are truly honored to celebrate their achievements and look forward to seeing their continued impact on our industry.”
Wright began her career as a radio news anchor in British Columbia after receiving her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Western Ontario. Later, she led public relations, marketing, branding, advertising and community relations for a financial institution.
Julie Wright of (W)Right On Communications. (Courtesy Marketink)She founded (W)right On in 1998, and relocated to San Diego in 2000. The strategic communications agency’s clients include leaders in technology, clean energy, legal services, tourism, healthcare and senior living.
“I’m deeply honored to receive the 2025 Communicator of the Year Award,” said Wright. “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of my incredible team at (W)right On Communications, as well as the unwavering support of our clients and partners. I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to contribute to the field of business communication, and I look forward to continuing to innovate and inspire others in our industry.”
Lt. Grace Kording. (Courtesy Marketink)Kording serves as assistant public affairs officer to Vice Admiral Brendan McLane, commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. A native of Baltimore, Kording graduated from Villanova University Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering in 2015.
She earned her aviation wings of gold in May 2018, and served in the Navy’s tactical electronic attack community flying EA-18G aircraft. She transferred to public affairs, qualified as a public affairs officer and earned a Certified Meeting Professional designation in 2024. She now leads corporate communications for Navy ships around the globe, plans media engagements for Navy leaders and guides a team of 15 professional communicators.
“I am truly humbled and grateful to receive the Junior Communicator of the Year Award,” said Kording. “This acknowledgement from IABC San Diego underscores the incredible support and mentorship I have received throughout my career.
“I am honored to be part of such a distinguished community of professionals and look forward to contributing to the field of communication in the years to come.”
IABC San Diego said its Junior COTY award recognizes an emerging professional who has demonstrated outstanding potential and achievement early in their career. The award celebrates the contributions of a junior communicator who has shown a commitment to excellence and a passion for the field.
Wright and Kording will be recognized at a reception starting at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 14, at Gravity Heights in Sorrento Valley, 9920 Pacific Heights Blvd., San Diego.
Cost to attend is $50 for members and $70 for nonmembers. More event information can be found here.
El Latino San Diego celebrates 38th aniversario
A composite image showing different covers from El Latino’s history. (Courtesy Marketink)El Latino San Diego, a Spanish-language, weekly newspaper, recently marked its 38th anniversary of continuous publication.
The local media outlet was founded by Fanny Miller on Cinco de Mayo: May 5, 1988. With a weekly circulation of about 77,000, El Latino is considered the state’s largest Latina-owned Spanish-language newspaper.
Fanny Miller of El Latino. (Courtesy Marketink)“Being a vehicle for information and community connection for this long is challenging,” said Miller, director and president of El Latino.
“But we’ve always remained focused on our role, to uplift and inform. We are part of the community. We think in English, but feel in Spanish and we speak from the heart.”
A statement said that El Latino San Diego, from its inception, has addressed the pressing and ongoing needs of its readers, from immigration updates and civic engagement to education and family resources.
“The need for immigration information is still critical, so is offering a space where readers can voice concerns, understand how the education system works and get help navigating it,” said Miller.
“These needs haven’t changed. Some areas of the county are still underserved, and we’ve known that from the beginning.”
Topics regularly featured in the newspaper include news, education, health and family, business, sports, entertainment, beauty, and classifieds.
Miller said El Latino, which is free to readers in print and online, has remained a community-first platform.
“It’s incredibly fulfilling to be able to help,” she said. “The business has evolved tremendously, but we never forget our essence. I always say the paper belongs to the community, I just manage it.
“Readers call us, bring us stories and share their concerns. That’s how we grow together. And everything we’ve accomplished is thanks to the people who believe in us and above all, thanks to God, who has guided us every step of the way.”
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.
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