Telemundo has flipped the switch on the St. Louis metro area's first Spanish-language local television newscast, putting weekday evening reporting tailored specifically to the region on the air. The first St. Louis-focused broadcasts rolled out Monday, with station leaders saying the shows are built to serve Spanish-speaking residents and the wider community, tapping into growing demand for local news in Spanish.
When and where to watch
According to St. Louis Public Radio, Telemundo St. Louis aired its first St. Louis-focused newscast on Monday and will run weekday local newscasts at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. on virtual channel 45. Samuel Rivera, the station's head of local news, told the outlet the newsroom plans to focus coverage on immigration, education, politics, economics and breaking events.
Rivera added that the newscasts are designed to reach both Spanish- and non-Spanish-speaking residents, stressing that “we're not just talking about immigrants.” The goal, he said, is a local news product that brings in anyone who wants to better understand what is happening across the metro.
Building a local newsroom
Telemundo St. Louis already lists multiple St. Louis-focused stories dated this week and shows openings for multimedia journalists and producers as the operation expands editorial capacity. Those job listings and community features signal that the outlet is quickly building out its reporting resources ahead of its regular local broadcasts.
Why it matters for the region
The launch arrives as the St. Louis region records notable growth in its Hispanic or Latino population. Reporting in 2024 found the area saw its largest recorded increase, a shift that local media leaders say is driving up demand for Spanish-language local news.
Expanding Spanish-language television helps fill a gap for viewers who want local reporting in Spanish, while also giving advertisers and civic groups another channel to reach the community. Local leaders say a dedicated Spanish-language newscast can improve access to information about schools, immigration, jobs and city politics for audiences that have often been underserved.
What to expect next
Telemundo is part of NBCUniversal, and the network's local-station ecosystem has been growing its Spanish-language footprint nationally. That gives the St. Louis newscasts access to broader resources while keeping the focus on metro-area reporting.
Station executives say hiring and local production will continue in the months ahead as they build out an evening news product for the area's Spanish-speaking viewers, with more local staff and stories planned as the newscast settles into its weekday slots.
