Host: Alberto Vasallo of El Mundo Boston launches “La Hora Del Café”.
La Hora del Café: The morning crew that livestreams daily: Alejandra Amaya; Angela Abad (center); Alberto Vasallo, III; Natalia Aponte Reyes.
BOSTON, MA — March 15, 2022 — (NOTICIAS NEWSWIRE) — Since its launch in January, the groundbreaking “La Hora del Café” public affairs show has become a popular livestream program for avid consumers of local politics, news, and community events.
Hosted by broadcast veteran Alberto Vasallo III, “The Coffee Hour” features on-air guests, live interviews, and exclusive stories centered around the news of the day.
Vasallo, the award-winning publisher of El Mundo newspaper and longtime host of the “Urban Update” show aired by Boston’s former NBC affiliate Channel 7, takes the Spanish-language audience through a daily high-energy mix of breaking news, community announcements, and conversations with local leaders commenting on issues of the day.
“The show focuses on breaking down the daily news of the day in a way the community can digest quickly and go on about their day,” said Vasallo. “Just like your morning coffee, it’s a great way to start the day.”
The 60-minute show is streamed live on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
Airing at 7 a.m. from its studio in East Boston, the fast-paced La Hora del Café has already become a regular stop for elected officials and candidates for public office to discuss their work as current and aspiring public servants, with an emphasis on explaining their background, experience, and vision.
“We are providing a safe, yet a very direct way for our leaders to engage and communicate directly with the community,” said Vasallo.
Candidates recently featured on the show include Salem state rep hopefuls Domingo Dominguez and Manny Cruz; Chelsea City Councilor Judith Garcia, who is running for state rep; state senate candidate Pavel Payano from Lawrence; and Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, running for Suffolk County District Attorney.
In the East Boston special election for a Boston City Council seat, Vassallo interviewed both Tania del Rio and Gigi Coletta shortly after their official announcements.
Lawrence Mayor Brian de Pena and Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson have already appeared on the show, with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Gov. Charlie Baker, and gubernatorial candidate Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz scheduled to join Vasallo soon.
Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia made a memorable recent appearance where she openly discussed her past struggles with mental health issues and her drive to succeed in spite of living in the shadow of the law as the daughter of an undocumented worker.
The feature interviews and guest appearances combine with community announcements and breaking news updates to provide viewers with a textured portrait of life in Boston.
Natalia Aponte Reyes, the show’s producer and also a co-host, books at least three guests each morning and says the response from prospective guests has been overwhelming.
“So far getting interesting and compelling guests to come on has not been a problem. I am very happy on how quickly the word has gotten around about the show and we already have a large and loyal daily audience,” said Reyes.
Between live-stream and on-demand views, the show reaches a weekly average of 20,000 households a week.
“And that is all organic as we have not moved a finger to promote or market it as we first wanted to make sure we could produce a high-quality product from a production point of view. I think our eight-week trial period has been a success,” said Reyes.
Behind the controls is 35-year-old Alejandra Amaya, who came to El Mundo Boston with over ten years of experience in producing live streams in her native Colombia.
“It’s the perfect storm for us to have a unique show. We have the credibility that the El Mundo Boston brand brings of over 50 years of service to the community,” she said.
“Plus we have a well-known host who can literally call anyone on his phone and have them come on as guests the next day. Finally, we have a team of very dedicated people who love serving the community by informing them and teaching them on a wide range of issues and topics.”
On-air co-host Angela Abad, news editor Maximo Torres and Senior Graphic designer Juan Luis Montero round off the morning crew team.
In the next few weeks, the show will incorporate new elements to separate it even more from traditional morning shows.
In their upcoming daily “Job of the Day” segment, they will feature specific job openings that are looking to be filled by a more diverse pool of talent. The community-service segment will offer ongoing reminders of the June 3rd Latino Career Expo, which is expected to feature over 40 companies looking to hire Latinos.
Future production plans include remote locations to provide a closer look at a variety of Latino population centers across Massachusetts.
“We are bringing all our Commonwealth’s communities to our audience,” said Vasallo. “It’s been a great run so far and we look forward to making Hora del Café an even more vital part of everyone’s morning routine.”
Main Photo Caption: Live from East Boston: The broadcast studio in action with co-hosts Angela Abad, Natalia Reyes, and Alejandra Amaya.