El Rey Network tonight (June 22) is launching Maria, an hourlong talk show aimed at Latinos in this election year, airing Mondays through Wednesdays. The channel has ordered 39 episodes of the show, which airs at 7 and 10 p.m. ET.
The host is a public policy advocate, a principal at the Dewey Square Group, leading the Multicultural and Public Affairs practices, and a CNN political contributor. Guests scheduled for the opening episode include co-host Amy Hinojosa, president and CEO of MANA, a National Latina organization, and Cid Wilson, president and CEO of the Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility. Tuesday's slated guests are Sister Norma Pimentel of Catholic Charities and Los Angeles Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, District 51. Wednesday's scheduled guests are Monica Ramirez, founder of Justice for Migrant Women, and Congressman Gil Cisneros (Democrat in California).
El Rey Network is an English-language entertainment channel jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been in a position to contribute to the conversation about the relevance and significance of Latino culture and voices in the U.S., but being in the driver’s seat is a humbling opportunity that Robert and El Rey have made possible," Cardona said in a statement. "As we face what is arguably the most important election in a generation, we want to empower U.S. Latinos at this critical moment – to understand that they can have a seat at the table – that they don’t need permission to act, they just need to share their voices so they ring in the ears of those in Washington who may be hearing, but not listening. In my experience, you must be able to start a conversation to have one and right now, having that conversation and demanding change is more important than ever.”
Rodriguez said in the statement: “El Rey is a radically different storytelling platform – an opportunity to leverage the many creative and independent voices in the Latinx community. Maria is yet another talented voice we are amplifying -- with her years of politics, media, and advocacy, she is uniquely positioned to share the stories of our community on the front lines. On behalf of our partners and stakeholders, I am thrilled to have Maria Cardona spearheading this important program and I urge everyone to not just tune in but to take a stand.”
