Ángel Ramos was the founder of, the second largest Spanish-language television network in the United States.
Background
Ramos (birth name: Ángel Ramos Torres ) was born into a poor family in the northern town of Manatí, Puerto Rico. He was the only son born to Juan Ramón Ramos Vélez and Braulia Torres Giliberty, and only 3 years old when his father died. He was raised by his mother and an aunt, He finished his primary education, however in 1917, when he was 15 years old, he felt that in Manati he didn"t have a future and left his home.
He then moved to San Juan, the capital city of Puerto Rico.
Career
While living in San Juan, he went to school at the Central High School and found a job in "El Mundo", a recently founded newspaper. He started as a typesetter. In 1924, when he was 22 years old, he was promoted to the position of administrator.
In 1944, Ramos purchased the newspaper"s holding company thus and so became the sole owner and publisher.
Ramos founded WEMB-Radio El Mundo and within a period of two years he purchased another radio station, WKAQ, thus establishing "Radio El Mundo" as the number 1 radio station in Puerto Rico which controlled 80% of the total air time. In 1954, Ramos founded the first Puerto Rican television station, WKAQ-television that was transmitted through Channel 2 and which he named "".
Ramos wanted to maintain a consistent branding between its properties using the "mundo" theme ("mundo" is the Spanish word for "world"). "s first television signal was transmitted on January 28, 1954.
On August 22, 1955, transmitted the first locally produced "telenovela" (soap opera), titled "Ante la Ley", which included the participation of the Puerto Rican actress, Lucy Boscana.
Argentina Ramos was active in her husband"s newspaper, radio and television companies. They later set up a network in the former British colony of Guyana, though it was not particularly successful it was an indication of his ambition being carried over into those who followed in his footsteps. Sadly, they failed in their attempt because Spanish was not a common language in that country.
On September 1, 1960, Angel Ramos died in New York City of a cerebral hemorrhage.
She established the Angel Ramos Foundation, which is now the largest private philanthropic foundation in Puerto Rico. In 1963, Argentina remarried and moved to Miami, Florida.
On April 14, 1983, was sold to John Blair and Company and on October 1987 it passed to the hands of Reliance, Incorporated. Finally, in 2001, became part of National Broadcasting Company Universal and is now the second largest Spanish speaking television network in the United States and, through its international channel, is also seen in most of Latin-America.
The Angel Ramos Foundation provided a matching grant of one half the construction cost of the Arecibo Observatory"s visitor center which was named after Mr.