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Introducing her book
"I am my father's daughter"
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| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Monday, October 06 2003 |
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| It was one of those typical gray, overcast New York City days. I was in a taxi leaving JFK Airport when a cell-phone call brought the unexpected news: My friend Pete Moraga was dead. A massive heart attack had taken his life at age 77.
Actually, Pete was more than a friend. He was my mentor. He was my first boss when I broke into TV news in Los Angeles, more than 20 years ago. A pioneer in Spanish-language journalism, Pete dedicated his life to improving the image of Hispanics in the media industry. For me, he was a man whose advice and counsel never let me down.
It was the spring of 1981 when I first walked into the newsroom of KMEX (Channel 34). I was a rookie, and so was Spanish-language television in Los Angeles. The local newscast, Noticiero 34, was put together on a shoestring budget, without all the bells and whistles the English-language stations enjoyed. Live shots? Forget it. A helicopter? You must be joking. If CNN was Chicken Noodle News when it first got off the ground, then this was Tortilla Soup News.
"Channel 30-what?" was the reaction I often got when I was out on assignment. On many occasions, the only person who could provide a Spanish-language interview at an important press conference was the janitor.
One of the few things KMEX had going for it at the time -- besides a small, dedicated and underpaid staff -- was its news director, Pete Moraga. You see, Pete never let budgets and lack of respect get in the way of quality journalism.
"I can teach a person to read and write news," he used to tell me, "but I can't teach someone how to read and write."
Born and raised in Tempe, Ariz., Pete began his journalism career after graduating from Arizona State University in 1949. He was on the original staff of Arizona's first all-Spanish-language radio station, and he worked for Voice of America before joining the U.S. Foreign Service in 1961. He served as assistant press attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. In 1967, he became press attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru.
Pete's true love was journalism, and he practiced his craft in both English and Spanish. In 1969, he joined the staff of KNX-news radio in Los Angeles as a reporter, editor and weekend anchor before becoming news director of KMEX in 1970. He returned to the station in 1981 as news director and began providing weekly commentary for KCBS-TV in 1987.
In 2001, Pete was inducted into the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony in Phoenix was the last time I saw him in person, and it gave us a chance to catch up on old times. Of course, the highlight of the conversation was the updates on Pete and Gloria's four children, 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Much has changed since Pete and I worked at KMEX together. These days, Channel 34 competes with and often beats the local newscasts of the CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox stations in the Los Angeles ratings race. Live shots are an integral part of the newscast. The station's helicopter, El Aguila, covers all of Southern California. Noticiero 34 no longer has reason to envy English-language television.
As I spoke to Pete's son and widow on that dreary New York City day, I thought about how far Spanish-
language media has come in the past 20 years. Now there are several networks, and numerous stations in key cities, including Los Angeles. And at KMEX, when the reporters show up for a story, no one says, "Channel 30-what?" anymore. Pete Moraga had a lot to do with that.
As for me, I know I would never be where I am now, as a journalist, if it was not for his guidance, his common sense, his support and his trust in my ability to learn. Everyone remembers his or her first boss. I will never forget mine. Thanks, Pete. I will always keep you in my heart. |
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