• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
MENUMENU
  • About
  • Send News Tips

Media Moves

Covering Latinos in the Media Industry

MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
  • Send News Tips
  • People
  • TV & Radio
  • Programming
  • Print
  • Digital
  • Job Board
  • Archives
Don Francisco TeletonUSA Univision award

Don Francisco reappears on Univision

March 25, 2019 by Veronica Villafañe

Almost four years after “Sábado Gigante” was canceled and Mario Kreutzberger left the Univision, the iconic show host returned to the network.

Kreutzberger, better known as Don Francisco, made a surprise appearance during Univision’s 7th annual TeletonUSA on Friday to receive a special recognition for his work help children with disabilities.

The former “Sábado Gigante” host founded Teletón Chile in 1978 and has since helped expand the telethon concept to 12 Latin American countries.

Kreutzberger was the main host of the first TeletonUSA broadcast on Univision in 2012 until his departure from the network in 2015. He returned as guest host of the 28-hour broadcast fundraiser on Saturday night.

This year’s star-studded show raised $8,160,789 for the Children’s Rehabilitation Institute of TeletonUSA (CRIT-USA).

A curious tidbit: during his final year at Univision (after his show was canceled), Telemundo honored “Don Francisco” for his lifelong contributions to Spanish-language television during its 2015 broadcast of “Premios Tu Mundo.”

At that time, having a Univision talent on rival Telemundo air was unthinkable. Months after his departure from Univision, Kreutzberger signed a multi-year production and talent deal with Telemundo.

Telemundo canceled Kreutzberger’s “Don Francisco Te Invita” last year and axed two other shows produced by his production company – talent variety show “Siempre Niños” and the Gong Show-like “Gran Oportunidad,” which aired one season on Telemundo in 2017 and were not picked up for a second round.

Months later, he’s getting special recognition at Univision. Could this possibly signal he’ll return to his old stomping grounds?

Filed Under: People Tagged With: Don Francisco, Mario Kreutzberger, Univision

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. EastC WestC says

    March 27, 2019 at 6:22 AM

    The neverending revolving door of Latino Media.
    It stinks.
    He needs to go away.
    For both his and our own good.
    Y su #metoo pa cuando?

    • Paco Jemellas says

      March 27, 2019 at 8:22 AM

      This is the most honest and his integrity has no equal in the industry. Long live the king of the Saturday nights….. el mitú es un mito…. jamas ha sucedido en su carrera… el es un impeccable hijo de Dios….

Primary Sidebar

Veronica Villafañe, Editor & Publisher

Emmy award-winning journalist and former president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). Currently a reporter for Voice of America, she has worked as an on-air reporter, anchor, writer and producer for Spanish and English-language TV, print and online media, including Univision, Telemundo, Fox 11 News in L.A. and the San Jose Mercury News.

Hispanic media and entertainment contributor to Forbes.

Full bio here
Rosemary Mercedes

Rosemary Mercedes promoted at BBC

March 29, 2023

Manuel Martinez

Telemundo Station President Manuel Martínez retires

March 28, 2023

Alice Solis

Alice Solis named regional VP of Sales of Telemundo’s Arizona and El Paso stations

March 23, 2023

Tsi-tsi-ki Felix

Anchor Tsi-tsi-ki Félix exits Entravision San Diego

March 22, 2023

Alexa Rodriguez

Alexa Rodríguez upped to news director at WNJU

March 22, 2023

VIEW ALL ARTICLES

Secondary Sidebar

Media Moves is a mission-driven digital publication aimed at raising the visibility of Latinos in the media. Since its inception in 2007, the site has covered thousands of stories. To keep moving forward, we need your help. That’s why we launched a crowdfunding campaign.

Learn more about why Media Moves needs your support here.

You can contribute to the campaign clicking the button below.

SUPPORT MEDIA MOVES
Get the week’s stories in your inbox. The Media Moves Wrap newsletter is sent Friday mornings.
SUBSCRIBE
Veronica Villafañe, Editor & Publisher

Emmy award-winning journalist and former president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). Currently a reporter for Voice of America, she has worked as an on-air reporter, anchor, writer and producer for Spanish and English-language TV, print and online media, including Univision, Telemundo, Fox 11 News in L.A. and the San Jose Mercury News.

Hispanic media and entertainment contributor to Forbes.

Full bio here
Copyright © 2023 Media Moves · All Rights Reserved | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy