Manolo Reyes

Background

Reyes was born in Cuba, where he worked as a child actor, radio performer and singer.

Career

Reyes became a television news pioneer in the 1960s when he began one of South Florida"s first casters. His first 15-minute news show, News En Español, debuted on Miami TeleVision Journalism on August 28, 1960 at 6:45 Department of Administration and Management, at a time when Spanish-language broadcasts were rare in the Miami metropolitan area. His original broadcasts were aimed at making news accessible to the growing Spanish-speaking, Miami-based Cuban exile community.

He obtained a law degree from the University of Havana before moving to the United States.

Manolo Reyes, who resided in the Miami area in the 1950s and 1960s, realized that there were no television news shows aimed at the growing Cuban exile community, especially after the Communist takeover of Cuba by Fidel Castro in the Cuban Revolution. Renick and Woflson agreed to let Reyes tape a test show.

The station had to have the test show critiqued by a University of Miami linguistics professor because no one at Miami TeleVision Journalism (Channel 4) spoke Spanish at the time. Wolfson agreed to broadcast Reyes" segments.

Reyes" first 15-minute news show, News En Español, debuted on August 28, 1960.

News En Español aired on weekdays at 6:45 a.m., just before the Skipper Chuck Show, and at 1 a.m., just before the Miami TeleVision Journalism"s sign-off for the night. Spanish-speaking viewers, especially the Cuban exile community, were delighted by Reyes"s news show, despite the difficult viewing times. Conversely, non-Spanish speakers were equally outraged by the broadcast of an all-Spanish show.

Reyes" newscast was so popular that it was gradually expanded.

His initial assignments for the station usually involved coverage of Miami"s arriving Cuban refugees. Reyes remained at Miami TeleVision Journalism for 19 years and was promoted to the station"s Latin America news editors

Reyes also became a regular contributor on the Miami TeleVision Journalism"s well-known English-language show The Ralph Renick Report. He also began contributing nationally on Walter Cronkite"s Columbia Broadcasting System Evening News.

He left television after 19 years.

He obtained a second law degree from the University of Miami before becoming an executive director at Mercy Hospital in Miami. He remained at that position for nearly 20 years until his retirement in 2005. Reyes founded a number of Miami community organizations including the Young Men’s Christian Association Jose Martí, the Cuban Sertoma Club, and the Spanish Post of Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He also served on the board of directors several other organizations, including the Hialeah-Miami Springs Chamber of Commerce, Easter Seals, the United Way and Barry University.

Manolo Reyes died of complications from Parkinson"s disease on January 3, 2008 at the age of 83. Reyes was buried in Woodlawn Park Cemetery in Miami, Florida, on January 4, 2008.

Achievements

• Reyes was the recipient of several awards for his work in the media and nonprofit arenas, as well as the greater Miami-Dade community including.. An Emmy Award for broadcast journalism. The Key to the City of Hialeah The Key to the City of Key West The Archbishop Hurley Award Pentagon Award for Human Goals.