ABC News executive producer Dax Tejera has died of a heart attack, according to a statement from the president of ABC News.
Tejera is survived by his wife and two child daughters, who occasionally accompanied him to ABC’s studio. He was 37.
As executive producer, Tejera was credited with helping to bring younger viewers to This Week.
During Tejera’s tenure, This Week outstripped network television’s other Sunday shows. For much of 2021, This Week attracted the most viewers between the ages of 25 and 54, compared to its network competitors Meet the Press and Face the Nation. ABC News found itself on top last year for the first time since the season of fall 2015, according to Nielsen data obtained by AdWeek.
Before arriving at ABC, Tejera reportedly worked at NBC Universal as a researcher, an editor, and eventually a producer, according to his LinkedIn profile.
After five years at NBC, Tejera left in 2013 to work for Fusion Media Network: a younger, English-language arm of a primarily Spanish-language conglomerate.
Tejera landed at ABC News as a senior producer in 2017, and in 2020 he became executive producer of the network’s top-rated newscast: Sunday morning’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos.
He received public tributes from some colleagues.
Watch ABC’s tribute here —
.@RachelvScott reports on the sudden passing of Dax Tejera, the Executive Producer of @ABCThisWeek. In a memo to employees, @ABC President Kim Godwin said that Dax's passion and love for the show shined every Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/Cl7P5EJ1O5
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) December 25, 2022
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ABC News President Kim Godwin put out the following statement, obtained by Mediaite —
ABC News Family,
It’s with a heavy heart and great sadness that we share that our friend and colleague, Dax Tejera passed away suddenly of a heart attack last night.
As EP of “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” Dax’s energy, passion and love for that show, ABC News, and you, shined every Sunday morning. That same love was extended to his precious girls.
Our thoughts are with his wife, Veronica, the couple’s two young daughters, and the entire Tejera family.
If you need immediate support, please call our 24/7EAP support line.
We will share more details in the coming days.
On this Christmas Eve, hug your loved ones a little tighter. And please lean on each another.
#oneabcnews
Kim
The Horn editorial team