Being just a few steps from the sea every working day is one of the advantages that journalists Maricarmen Ortiz and Manuel Crespo celebrate in their countdown to the premiere of the news program En la muerte. The opportunity to be presenters of the TeleOnce room, which premieres next Monday, comes with the interaction in a large studio on Paseo Caribe in San Juan, where they will also experience the sight of the sunrise while being anchors of the news .
“I am a beach girl and I love that I now work right on the beach,” said Maricarmen Ortiz with a pronounced smile in an interview in the new premises, which boast large windows and a decoration that oscillates between elegance and practical. In the morning airs Monday through Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
TeleOnce will have the “In the Morning” room
“Without a doubt we have a privileged view. Above all, we are blessed to be here because we are literally at the doorstep of San Juan,” continued the communicator, who is part of the team along with Sonia Valentín, Johnny Lozada, Pepe Calderón and Catherine Castro. Together they will be responsible for providing information about current events. The news blocks alternate with various segments covering, among others, health topics, politics, entertainment, family issues and social issues.
The joy is also reflected in Manuel Crespo, especially when he uses his childhood in a coastal town as a reference. “I come from Aguada. “I grew up three minutes from the beach,” he confessed enthusiastically, recalling the time when he lived away from home.
“I haven’t been to Puerto Rico for a few years, very cold, very remote places. I was in Pennsylvania where it was super cold in the winter, very cold, -30°F, -20°F, and I said, “Someday I want to go back to Puerto Rico,” and it happened to me, and in what way! “It’s been two years at TeleOnce, and now, with this new project, I’m happy to be home with the people I love, with the people I love, my family, my friends and the Puerto- “We are the Rican people who have placed their trust in us,” said Who. With this assignment, he leaves behind his work as a weather reporter for Las Noticias, the night edition. “I think it reinforces the commitment we have to people,” the reporter added, admitting that being in front of the camera wasn’t a dream he grew up with.
“I never dreamed of this when I was little. In fact, my first year of college was pre-med. I wanted to be a doctor. “I wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon,” he explained. “The goal was to help people. But after that first semester, I realized that the creative part that lives in me, this part of more contact with people, communication (study), is not related to this, and I said: “It’s nothing. It’s for me,” and that’s when I made the change. I started studying communications in Arecibo,” he continued about the beginnings, which he immediately embraced.
“I never dreamed of being in front of the camera either. I really enjoy writing. I took my first steps in the print press, in the digital press. I like the behind the scenes part. But life has taken me into other spaces and I have found things that fulfill me, that I can do with passion and that I enjoy much more than just a job. This is my life vision, my passion.”
Since childhood, Maricarmen Ortiz has had a clear love of communication. “Lifetime. Since I was little, I always wanted to be a reporter. My mother reminded me of this not long ago when she visited me and said: “Do you remember when you picked up the brush that you used to comb your hair , and stood in front of the mirror and said, ‘For the news, Maricarmen Ortiz’? Literally, I’m doing this now for the same company, and it’s a blessing to be able to come here,” said the journalist, who attended remembered how she began her professional career 15 years ago at the television station that brings her back.
The interest in participating in the morning routine of many families through television is generating great enthusiasm. “I am very excited and pleased to see this 360-degree studio where people can see live how this work is done. Too many hours have been invested in pre-production, so we are ready to give our best next Monday.”
His colleague admitted that he felt prepared for this new stage. “I am confident. I have found a lot of peace in this because I know that I have colleagues who know what I have done,” he expressed emphatically. “We are all prepared and I believe that life, Each of us, in our own journey, has prepared ourselves for this moment. “We are very excited to get started and bring the best in information and entertainment to the people of Puerto Rico.”
Lots of union
The joy is palpable among the six people in charge in front of the cameras, who at the time of the interview were enthusiastically admiring the progress of the setting, which, in addition to a kitchen and several reporting areas, is also complemented by the live scene and the charm of the coastal paradise in the background. Sonia Valentín announced that the editions outside the studio will feature images intended for the presentations of the invited artists. “We will perform the musicals in the small square, with a view of the sea,” emphasized the producer, revealing that there will be an additional room for interviews on one of the terraces.
“I think Puerto Rico deserves to have a morning news show with a view like ours,” the anchor emphasized. “It seems to me that it’s a great bet. It took a lot of investment, a lot of effort, creativity and ingenuity, but here we are. “We will provide the Puerto Rican public with the best quality television because that is the challenge.”
From left: Manuel Crespo, Catherine Castro, Sonia Valentín, Johnny Lozada, Maricarmen Ortiz and Pepe Calderón (Carlos Rivera Giusti)Johnny Lozada strongly emphasized the sense of unity the group feels before the program’s premiere. “We are connected,” said the artist, expressing his admiration for Valentin’s work. “I have to thank God for putting me in the hands of a person who has a lot of knowledge in this business, and not only that, he also chose wonderful people, a prepared team.”
Moderator Catherine Castro emphasized her confidence in the talent of everyone in the group. “The strength lies in the chemistry between us and the desire to work together as a team. Each of them forms an essential part of this project. No matter what position we take, we all shake hands so that we all shine, so that we all get better, so that Puerto Rico feels our chemistry, our development and desire to help people.”
The entertainer Pepe Calderón explained that he feels prepared for the new experience. “We have a very nice team. “It is an innovative project that will set precedents and for me it is very nice that they have given me the opportunity and responsibility in this beautiful project,” he mentioned, expressing the intention to “connect with people step in and create something,” she informs, and “May you be super ready to start your day.”