Tijerina receives MANA award

After the award presentation in D.C. are Martha Tijerina, Emilio Nicolas and Clara Padilla-Andrews, MANA Board member. Photo provided

Washington D.C. • Catholic Television of San Antonio program host Martha Tijerina traveled to the nation’s capital earlier this month to receive the 2008 MANA Las Primeras Award for Communications.

Tijerina, known as the “First Lady of Spanish Television,” was selected for her contribution to the television broadcasting industry, serving as the first Latina director of public affairs to host a Spanish language talk show covering Latino issues in the United States.

The presentation took place at the 19th Annual Las Primeras Awards Gala Oct. 2 in the Organization of American States Hall of the Americas.

For 19 years, the one-hour talk show “En San Antonio” aired on KWEX-TV, the first television station of the first Spanish language television network in the United States, Spanish International Network (SIN), which later became Univision Communications, Inc.

The show focused on spotlighting community issues and helping to improve the lives of the viewing public. Joining Tijerina in the celebration was her first boss, Emilio Nicolas, Sr., the pioneer of Spanish language television in the United States and former chairman of the Spanish International Communications Corporation, now known as Univision, and his wife, Irma Nicolas.

“Martha was a pioneer for women, for our people, and for our country,” said Emilio.

Her list of awards include the 2007 La Prensa Foundation Media Award for Outstanding Women in Action, the Association for Women in Communications Headliner Award, the 2007 Benitia Humanitarian Award and the Centro Cultural Aztlan’s Humanitarian Award.