Maria Elena Salinas To Join NAB Hall Of Fame

Journalist and co-anchor of Noticiero Univsion María Elena Salinas will be inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcasting Hall of Fame at the 2017 NAB Show Television Luncheon on Monday, April 24, in Las Vegas.

Salinas began her journalism career in 1981 as a reporter, anchor and public affairs host at Univision’s KMEX Los Angeles. Her daily reporting to the growing Hispanic community in Southern California led to her joining Jorge Ramos as co-anchor of the national Spanish language news program Noticiero Univision in 1987.

In 2015, Salinas received a Peabody Award, Walter Cronkite Award, an Emmy and Gracie for her documentary special Entre el abandono y el rechazo (Between Abandonment and Rejection), a primetime report on the exodus of Central American children to the United States.

In 2016, she was the recipient of the Mickey Leland Humanitarian award, and in 2012, she became the first Latina to receive an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

“María Elena Salinas is an outstanding example of the profound effect broadcast television can have on the audiences it serves,” said NAB EVP of Television Marcellus Alexander. “María has a deep connection to the needs of the Latino community, and she represents their interests on and off the screen.”

In addition to her journalism career, Salinas has served as the spokeswoman for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) for nearly two decades during their campaign to increase Latino voter engagement. NALEO assists immigrants with the American citizenship process, including registering to vote and participating in politics. For her work with the organization, she has been recognized by National Organization for Women, Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, among others.

Salinas was also honored with the Ruben Salazar Award for Communications from the National Council of La Raza.

Legendary executive producer and writer Chuck Lorre joined the Hall of Fame in 2016. Previous NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame television inductees include Shonda Rhimes, Everybody Loves Raymond, American Idol, Betty White, Garry Marshall, Meet The Press, Bob Newhart, The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, Ted Koppel, M*A*S*H, 60 Minutes, The Today Show and Star Trek.