R.I.P.: Emilio Nicolas, Pioneering Hispanic Broadcaster

Emilio Nicolas Sr (10/27/30 - 10/12/19)

88-yer-old Emilio Nicolas Sr., one of the founding pioneers of Spanish-language television in the United States, died on Saturday at his home in San Antonio, according to KENS-TV5.

A trailblazer in the community and the media industry, Nicolas leaves behind a legacy of countless civic contributions and several Spanish-language broadcast television networks, including Univision, America’s first.

In 1955, Nicolas was hired to work at KCOR-TV, a Spanish television station in San Antonio founded by his father-in-law, Raoul Cortez. Nicolas, or "Nicky", as he was known to close associates, produced the live shows at night and directed the news departments of the radio and television stations during the day.

In 1961, Nicolas and a group of investors bought the KCOR station and renamed the station KWEX.  As general manager, Nicolas rebuilt the financially struggling station, and KWEX soon became part of SIN, the Spanish International Network, a precursor to Univision.

Over the next two years, Nicolas oversaw the purchase of additional stations, and, in 1963, the station group was named SICC, the Spanish International Communications Corporation.

Among Nicolas’ many contributions to multimedia, among the most significant was, in partnership with Rene Anselmo, his successful lobbying of Congress to mandate that all television sets come equipped to receive both VHF and now UHF channels. The success of this effort changed the face of UHF television forever.

In 1976, KWEX and San Antonio became the center of operations for SIN, the first satellite interconnected television network in the United States. SIN would later become Univision, currently the most-watched Spanish-language network, reaching more than 95 percent of Hispanic households in the U.S. in over 60 markets and bringing in revenues of over $1 billion per year. San Antonio and KWEX remained the center of operations for the network until late 1987, when Emilio Azcarraga Milmo moved everything to Laguna Niguel, California.

In his role as president of SICC, Nicolas helped the network of television stations around the nation grow to more than 280 affiliates, and in 1987, he orchestrated and consummated the sale of SICC to Hallmark Greeting Cards for $301.5 million. Additionally, in separate sales to Hallmark, Nicolas sold the San Francisco, Phoenix, Albuquerque and Washington, D.C. affiliates.