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ABC Owned Television Stations President Chad Matthews announced that ABC 30/KFSN-TV has promoted former news director Martin Ortiz to president and general manager of the station, filling the shoes of Michael Carr who recently assumed the same role at ABC13/KTRK-TV in Houston.

Ortiz, who has worked as the station’s news director since 2020, has overseen coverage of major local stories, including the Creek Fire in 2020 and historic winter storms last year that transformed the face of the Valley and reintroduced the dormant Tulare Lake.

“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.”  

Ortiz steered the network in a positive direction during a time of rapid ratings growth and was instrumental in the expansion of newscasts on several platforms, including new 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. shows, according to an ABC news release. He also worked with station department heads to launch a round-the-clock stream — ABC30 Central California 24/7 — which serves as the only local round-the-clock streaming platform in Fresno.

A Central California native, Ortiz is a graduate of California State University Fresno, and is a graduate and member of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, as well as the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ).

“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. 

Carr, Ortiz’s predecessor, celebrated his 25th anniversary with ABC Owned Television and The Walt Disney Company. Carr served as general manager at ABC30 from 2020 until this September.