Martin Ortiz has been promoted to president and general manager of ABC 30/KFSN-TV – the No. 1 source for local news in central California – it was announced today by ABC Owned Television Stations President Chad Matthews. Ortiz has been KFSN-TV’s news director since 2020, overseeing coverage of several major stories, including the Creek Fire in 2020 and the historic 2022 winter storms that led to the reformation of the dormant Tulare Lake. The news comes soon after it was announced that former KFSN President and General Manager Mike Carr is now running ABC13/KTRK-TV in Houston.  

“Martin has been invaluable in helping to grow ABC30’s viewership across dayparts and platforms,” said Matthews. “He has a passion and commitment to storytelling, a keen sense of how to develop and grow opportunities for our business, and a deep understanding of Central California that I know are going to be invaluable in leading the station.”    

“I grew up watching Action News and had the great honor of starting my career here,” said Ortiz. “It has been a privilege to work alongside some of the most dedicated storytellers in Central California and to put my passion for local news to work in the community I’m proud to call home. ABC30 has an enduring relationship with our viewers that we never take for granted. I’m very much looking forward to building on that connection, leading this exceptional team, and growing viewership across platforms.”    

With a focus on breaking news, severe weather and community storytelling – Ortiz has helped steer ABC30 Action News during a time of great ratings growth in crucial periods across all dayparts, including the critical 6 a.m., 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts. He was also instrumental in the successful expansion of multiple newscasts on several platforms, including new 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. shows. Ortiz also worked with station department heads to help launch the ABC30 Central California 24/7 stream, the only local 24/7 streaming platform in the Fresno DMA.  

Before joining the Fresno team, Ortiz served as an executive producer at ABC Owned Television Stations’ San Francisco station ABC7/KGO-TV, where he was in charge of morning news and oversaw the expansion of the 11 a.m. newscast to a full hour.   

Ortiz is a Central California native who started his local television career at KFSN-TV as a college intern before joining the team full time as an assignment editor and producer. He is a proud California State University, Fresno, graduate and a member of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). He is also the co-lead of ABC OTV Belong and an ABC News Pride BERG member. 

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