Mario Machado, whose career spanned several decades as the first Asian American newscaster in Los Angeles, died over the weekend from complications of pneumonia. He was 78: Mario Machado, LA's 1st Asian-American Newscaster, Dies At 78.Machado, who won eight Emmy Awards as a longtime news anchor and reporter, was the nation's first prominent Chinese American newscaster and the first in the Los Angeles market.
His broadcast career dates back to the 1960s, when he was a reporter on the CBS affiliate that is now CBS2 in Los Angeles, as well as other local stations:
He was the nation's first prominent Chinese-American newscaster and the first in the L.A. market. He first rose to prominence as the consumer reporter on KNXT's “The Big News,” the local CBS newscast that is now CBS2.On top of all that, Machado had Hollywood credits playing newsmen in such films as Brian's Song, Rocky III, Scarface and Robocop. He also helped found the AYSO soccer organization, and was a strong advocate for allowing girls to play in the sport. More here: Longtime L.A. news anchor Mario Machado dead.
Machado joined KHJ-TV (now KCAL) in 1967. He jumped to KNXT (now KCBS-TV) in 1969, and hosted the midday interview show, “Noontime.”
Machado also hosted an experimental KNXT program called “It Takes All Kinds”, and his producer, Joe Saltzman, said it was the first broadcast portrayal of gays or lesbians as normal people.