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Live From America: How Latino TV Conquered the United States
Winner of the 2026 Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize for Nonfiction
«The story of Spanish-language television in the United States has all the elements
of a Mexican telenovela with plenty of ruthless businessmen, dashing playboys, sexy women, behind-the-scenes intrigue and political dealmaking.» Anita Snow, Former Associated Press and Harvard Nieman Fellow
«A thorough, thoughtful, and meticulous account of Latine resilience and Spanish-language television.» Kirkus Review.
«The research is remarkably in-depth, and I don’t recall ever reading anything like it. It arrives at a crucial moment.» Jorge Ramos, Univision anchor and multi-Emmy Award winner
«A solid investigation of the facts. I learned a lot about an interesting subject. The book is a reference for anyone who wants to understand the rise of Spanish-language media.» —Marty Baron, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist
«This compelling work carries both wisdom and drama; at times it reads like a telenovela, at others like a detective chronicle.» —June Carolyn Erlick, Harvard University
In the 1970s and 80s, while ABC, NBC, and CBS battled for every screen, a Mexican family, alongside a savvy American operator, quietly laid the foundation for an empire. Against media titans like Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch, they achieved the breaking into the tightly guarded world of U.S. television. Later, after being pushed out by political and corporate interests, they returned through an alliance as improbable as it was strategic—with the former agent of Ronald Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marlon Brando.
This book unravels the personal intrigues, hidden tensions, power plays, and cultural shifts behind the media empire now known as Univision, revealing how its programming—from telenovelas and soccer to news and music—shaped an identity and captivated an audience growing alongside the network.
A fascinating account of the dream to give voice to millions of Hispanics in the United States, and how Latino television forever changed the country’s media landscape.
«The story of Spanish-language television in the United States has all the elements
of a Mexican telenovela with plenty of ruthless businessmen, dashing playboys, sexy women, behind-the-scenes intrigue and political dealmaking.» Anita Snow, Former Associated Press and Harvard Nieman Fellow
«A thorough, thoughtful, and meticulous account of Latine resilience and Spanish-language television.» Kirkus Review.
«The research is remarkably in-depth, and I don’t recall ever reading anything like it. It arrives at a crucial moment.» Jorge Ramos, Univision anchor and multi-Emmy Award winner
«A solid investigation of the facts. I learned a lot about an interesting subject. The book is a reference for anyone who wants to understand the rise of Spanish-language media.» —Marty Baron, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist
«This compelling work carries both wisdom and drama; at times it reads like a telenovela, at others like a detective chronicle.» —June Carolyn Erlick, Harvard University
In the 1970s and 80s, while ABC, NBC, and CBS battled for every screen, a Mexican family, alongside a savvy American operator, quietly laid the foundation for an empire. Against media titans like Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch, they achieved the breaking into the tightly guarded world of U.S. television. Later, after being pushed out by political and corporate interests, they returned through an alliance as improbable as it was strategic—with the former agent of Ronald Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marlon Brando.
This book unravels the personal intrigues, hidden tensions, power plays, and cultural shifts behind the media empire now known as Univision, revealing how its programming—from telenovelas and soccer to news and music—shaped an identity and captivated an audience growing alongside the network.
A fascinating account of the dream to give voice to millions of Hispanics in the United States, and how Latino television forever changed the country’s media landscape.
368 pages, Paperback
Published November 11, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 24, 2026
I really enjoyed *Live from America*. I knew very little about the history of Latino television in the United States and was surprised by how interesting the story was.
The amount of research that went into this book is remarkable. Javier Marín takes you back to a time when ABC, NBC, and CBS dominated television and tells the unlikely story of how a Spanish-language network broke into that world and eventually became a major force in American media.
Along the way there are great personalities, family feuds, business battles, and some unlikely alliances. With all that history and detail, the book could easily have gotten bogged down, but it never does. It flows, it's fun to read, and there are very few wasted words.
I finished the book knowing a lot more about a part of American history I knew almost nothing about. A terrific read and one I highly recommend.
The amount of research that went into this book is remarkable. Javier Marín takes you back to a time when ABC, NBC, and CBS dominated television and tells the unlikely story of how a Spanish-language network broke into that world and eventually became a major force in American media.
Along the way there are great personalities, family feuds, business battles, and some unlikely alliances. With all that history and detail, the book could easily have gotten bogged down, but it never does. It flows, it's fun to read, and there are very few wasted words.
I finished the book knowing a lot more about a part of American history I knew almost nothing about. A terrific read and one I highly recommend.
February 1, 2026
En vivo desde América revela cómo la televisión latina en Estados Unidos surge a partir de la visión empresarial y el crecimiento de la comunidad hispana, mostrando cómo los medios se convierten en una herramienta de poder, influencia política y construcción de identidad. Una lectura clave para entender que la TV latina no nació por casualidad, sino por estrategia y contexto histórico.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews