Willie Maldonado facts for kids

Portrait of Willie Maldonado, a famous TV host

Guillermo Francisco "Willie" Maldonado Sandoval (born in 1943) is a well-known TV presenter from El Salvador. He has worked in communications for over 66 years, making him the TV host with the longest career in El Salvador's history! Willie was born in Guatemala City, but he became a dedicated entertainer, broadcaster, and producer in El Salvador.

Early Life and Career

Willie Maldonado started his amazing journey in media at a very young age.

Getting Started in Radio

• When he was just 12 years old, he worked as an operator at Radio International in Guatemala.
• By the time he was 15, he was already an announcer on Radio Cristal in Guatemala.
• At 20, he had become a record producer and a television presenter on Channel 3 in Guatemala.

Willie's TV Career

Willie Maldonado has hosted many popular TV shows throughout his career, entertaining families for decades.

Early TV Shows

• In 1963, he first appeared on TV on Channel 3 in Guatemala.
• From 1966 to 1968, he co-hosted shows like "Ritmo, Sabor y Fantasia" and "Disco Tints A go-go" in El Salvador.
• He also hosted "Golazo Royal" in El Salvador and Honduras.

Becoming a Family Favorite

• In 1971, Willie hosted "Telebingo Family" in El Salvador and Nicaragua.
• From June 1971 to December 1972, he hosted "Juegue, Ría y Gane." This show made him very famous as a host of fun family entertainment programs.
• He also produced and hosted "La Hora de Willie Maldonado" in Guatemala in 1975.
• Later, he produced and hosted "Fin de Semana" (Weekend) in El Salvador, which became one of his most famous shows.

Hosting Telethons

Willie Maldonado has been a key host for many Telethon events in El Salvador, helping to raise money for good causes.

• He participated in the first Telethon El Salvador in 1982.
• From 2003 to 2014, he regularly hosted the annual Telethon events, often alongside other famous TV personalities from El Salvador and Mexico. These events were held in large venues like the National Gymnasium.

Game Shows and More

• In 1983, he hosted "El Gran Pensador" in Guatemala.
• From 2010 to 2014, Willie hosted multiple seasons of the popular game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" on Channel 4 in El Salvador.
• More recently, he was a judge on "El Número 1 VIP" in 2016.
• He also hosted "Con Willie" from 2018 to 2019 and "¡Gánale, tu puedes!" from 2019 to 2020.

Willie's Radio Journey

Willie Maldonado also had a big impact on radio, especially in creating youth-focused stations.

Starting in Radio

• In November 1958, he got his first chance on the microphone at TGC Radio Cristal.
• In March 1959, he created "Norteamérica al aire," a radio show that quickly became a favorite for young people.
• In 1961, he was one of the founders of "Radio 9-80," the first radio station in Guatemala completely focused on youth.
• In February 1966, he helped start "La Femenina" in El Salvador, which was the first youth-oriented radio station there.

Popular Radio Shows

• In 1979, he launched his famous radio show "Grandes Viejas pero Buenas" (Great Oldies but Goodies). This show became so popular that it started broadcasting online worldwide in 1999.
• Willie has hosted many concerts related to "Grandes Viejas pero Buenas" at the Presidente Theater, often to help charities like Hogar V. Guarato.
• From 2015 to 2020, he presented his radio production "The afternoon flies."
• He also presented "The W. Maldonado's show" from 2017 to 2018, which was broadcast live from El Salvador to Washington, D.C.
• In 2021, he started a new radio show called "We have to talk" on Radio Laser 92.9.

Music Production Work

Willie Maldonado also played a big role behind the scenes in the music industry.

• In 1963, he recorded "La Aplanadora" with the group "Los Traviesos."
• In 1964, he started his own music label called "PICARO," producing music for groups from Guatemala, Mexico, and El Salvador.
• In 1966, he co-founded "Central de Grabaciones."
• He produced many artists during the "Golden Age" of Salvadoran music from 1966 to 1983.
• He also released many of his productions on CD, including "Grandes Viejas Pero Buenas" albums, featuring classic songs from the 1960s to 1980s.
• Willie produced albums to help people, such as "Dos voces....un sentimiento" for earthquake victims and "My Own Way" for children in the Hospital Bloom.

Awards and Recognition

Willie Maldonado has received many special awards for his long and important career in broadcasting.

• In 2005, he received the "Our Stars" award for his long career.
• In 2006, he was given the Golden Microphone award in Guatemala.
• He received the CIBN International Award for Arts & Entertainment in 2008.
• In 2012, the Secretariat of the Presidency of El Salvador recognized him for his contributions to broadcasting.
• The Alberto Masferrer University awarded him an honorary doctorate in Communicology in 2015.
• He has also received awards like the "Galardón al Orgullo Salvadoreño" (Award for Salvadorean Pride) and "Communicator of the Year" from various universities.
• In 2018, he received the "Maestre Integral" Award and was recognized as a "Radio and TV Personality."

Written Work

Willie Maldonado also contributed to newspapers, sharing his knowledge of music and art.

• From 1967 to 1969, he was a founder and editor of the "Con Permiso" section in Diario El Mundo.
• From 1970 to 1975, he continued writing for Diario Latino and later for Diario El Mundo, often with full pages or even eight-page supplements dedicated to artistic and musical topics.

See also

In Spanish: Willie Maldonado para niños