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Machado at his 70th birthday party in 2005.

Mário Machado (born Mário José de Souza Machado; April 22, 1935 – May 4, 2013)[1] was an American television and radio broadcaster and actor. He made television history when, in 1970, he became the first American of Chinese heritage to be an on-air television news reporter and anchor in Los Angeles and perhaps in the nation.[2]

Early life

[edit]

Machado was born in Shanghai, China. His father, Carlos Jacinto de Lourdes Gouveia Furtado Machado, was a vice-chancellor of the Portuguese Consulate in Shanghai, and his mother, Chinese-Portuguese Maria Teresa de Sousa, was a homemaker.[3]

After studying for two years at St. John's Military Academy in Los Angeles at the age of 11, Machado's education was obtained at the British Thomas Hanbury School, St. Francis Xavier College in Shanghai, and a business college in Hong Kong. He emigrated to Seattle in 1956, and became a US citizen in 1965.[4]

Career

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Before entering the broadcasting field, Machado worked in management for IBM Corporation.[4]

Television

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Machado's television career began in 1967, when he signed on at KHJ-TV (now KCAL-TV) as an on-air news reporter, a first for a Chinese American. The following year he began working as a color commentator at CBS owned-and-operated KNXT (now KCBS-TV) in Los Angeles. In 1969, he became the first Consumer Affairs reporter in the nation at KNXT.[4] He became a regular reporter in 1970 on the CBS nightly broadcast, The Big News, which was Los Angeles' most popular newscast in the 1960s. He worked there with news icon, Jerry Dunphy.

In the early and mid-1970s, Machado hosted the daily news and interview show, Noontime, which aired for seven years on KNXT.[4]

In 1982, he was the announcer of the short-lived syndicated game show called That **** Quiz Show (That Awful! Quiz Show), hosted by Greg & John Rice.

As host of the medical investigation show, Medix,[4] which ran for 208 episodes over eight seasons, he was nominated three times for "Outstanding Achievement as Host." The show garnered several Emmys and Emmy nominations.

When not hosting his own talk shows or anchoring the news, Machado often played the part of a reporter, news anchor, or himself on many popular television programs.

Acting

[edit]

On the big screen, as well, Machado often portrayed a news anchor or reporter, notably as Casey Wong in the three RoboCop films. Among the other notable films in which he plays the reporter are Brian's Song (1971), Oh, God! (1977), The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979), Rocky III (1982), and Scarface (1983).

Machado also appeared as himself in the Banacek episode "Detour to Nowhere" (1972), The Brady Bunch (1974), Blue Thunder (1983), Without Warning (1994), and An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997).

Machado's last acting role was the 1998 episode "The Nature of Nurture" of the television series Beverly Hills, 90210.

Machado's distinctive voice can also be heard on a number of films for Retinitis Pigmentosa International's TheatreVision, which provides blind audiences with a description of what is happening on the screen.

Sports

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As a star collegiate athlete and former soccer player, Machado was able to indulge his love for soccer by serving as the English language commentator at four FIFA World Cup soccer championships: in Mexico (1970), Germany (1974), Argentina (1978) and Spain (1982) for audiences throughout North America, and also at the 1984 Olympic Games.[citation needed]

He was the Voice of Soccer for the CBS Television Network in 1968 and in 1976, covering the North American Soccer League (NASL). He did the television play-by-play of both legs for CBS' broadcast of the NASL's first championship.[5] He hosted the weekly soccer program, The Best of the World Cup for the Spanish International Network. Machado hosted Star Soccer from England on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Public television stations for six years.[citation needed]

He served as Commissioner of the American Soccer League in 1981.[citation needed]

Between 1976 and 1984 he published Soccer Corner Magazine, for fellow enthusiasts of the sport.[citation needed].

When the English Premier League was formed in 1992, Machado was the narrator of the weekly Prem highlights program produced in England and syndicated nationally across the United States. [citation needed]

He was one of the founding members of AYSO with his friend Hans Stierle, and in 1971 he helped change AYSO policy to allow girls to play. In recognition for his contributions to the sport, Machado was inducted into the AYSO Hall of Fame in 1999.[citation needed]

Old China Hands

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As president of MJM Communications, Machado produced numerous special events including the Beverly Hills St. Patrick's Day Parades[6] of 1985 and 1986, the Pet Parade, and the Festival of Nations for Los Angeles County's 150th anniversary, and in 1986, he produced the first official Spanish language coverage of the Rose Parade for Telemundo/KVEA.

An event that has produced results that are still ongoing is the Old China Hands Reunion of 1996. Between September 3 and 9 of that year 1,100 former residents of China from all corners of the world gathered at MGM Grand Las Vegas hotel in Las Vegas for a reunion that has been called by attendees the biggest and best Old China Hands Reunion.[3]

A large collection of oral histories of individuals who left China in the 1940s and 1950s were gathered by Machado and co-producer, Barbara Egyud, at this event, in collaboration with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas History Department. These oral histories formed the nucleus of the Old China Hands Archive housed at the University Library at California State University, Northridge.[7][8] Robert Gohstand, a retired Geography professor at CSUN and Shanghai classmate of Machado, recognized the importance of saving these stories for posterity, and now heads the Old China Hands Archive at California State University, Northridge which was inaugurated in 2002.[9][10][11][12]

Personal life

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Machado's marriage to Marie Christine D’Almada Remedios produced four children.

Machado died on May 4, 2013, at age 78, in West Hills, California.[1]

Awards and honors

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Machado's work on television has earned him eight Emmy Awards and ten nominations. His last Emmy was for his work on the television special U.S. Citizenship: A Dream Come True, which was broadcast in over 120 countries.

  • Howard Blakeslee Award
  • San Francisco's Interceptor Award
  • Mario Machado Day proclaimed by Mayor Benjamin Norton for December 4, 1983, in Beverly Hills, California.
  • Honorary mayor of Granada Hills for eight years.
  • Los Angeles Commissioner of Cultural Affairs.
  • Was one of the founding members of Nosotros, founded by Ricardo Montalbán in 1970 to improve the image of Latino actors.
  • President Ronald Reagan appointed Machado to the Child Safety Partnership in 1986.
  • 1987 commendation by Los Angeles County for "outstanding work on behalf of women, children and families."
  • Announcer for Pope John Paul II Mass at Dodger Stadium
  • Rode on the "Icons of Freedom" float in the 1988 Tournament of Roses Parade celebrating the U.S. Constitution. He rode with Mickey Mouse, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, boxing champion Muhammad Ali, and others.
  • Honda Motors established the Mario J. Machado Scholarships in 1991
  • Induction in 1999 to the AYSO Hall of Fame:[13]
  • Served as Grand Marshal of numerous Los Angeles Chinatown's Chinese New Year Parades.
  • Honored for his contributions by Chinese Historical Society 1999.
  • John Anson Ford Humanitarian Award in 1994
  • Cited for advancing role of Latinos in media[14]
  • 1996 Humanitarian of the Year Award for more than 2,800 hours of service in 27 years.
  • Carried the Olympic Flame through downtown Los Angeles prior to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

Filmography

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Year Title Role
1971 Brian's Song Reporter #1
1977 Oh, God! TV Reporter
1979 The Concorde ... Airport '79 Reporter #1
1982 Rocky III Interviewer
1983 Scarface Interviewer
1983 Blue Thunder Himself
1985 St. Elmo's Fire Kim Sung Ho
1987 RoboCop Casey Wong
1988 Jack's Back Anchorman
1988 Dead Man Walking Himself
1990 RoboCop 2 Casey Wong
1993 RoboCop 3
1995 Casas de fuego Cadaver
1997 An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn Himself

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Mario Machado

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Mario Machado (born Mario José de Souza Machado; April 22, 1935 – May 4, 2013) was a Portuguese-Chinese-American television and radio broadcaster and actor who pioneered Asian American representation in Los Angeles media. Born in Shanghai to a Portuguese consular official father and a Chinese-Portuguese mother, Machado immigrated to the United States and began his broadcasting career in 1967 as the first Chinese American on-air news reporter and anchor in Los Angeles at KHJ-TV (now KCAL-TV). He later joined KNXT (now KCBS-TV) as a consumer reporter on "The Big News" and advanced to anchor roles, earning eight Emmy Awards for his work in journalism over three decades. In parallel, Machado pursued acting, providing voiceovers for news segments in films such as Scarface (1983), RoboCop (1987), and Rocky III (1982), which showcased his distinctive on-air presence beyond traditional broadcasting. His career bridged news reporting, sports commentary, and entertainment, establishing him as a trailblazer for ethnic minorities in American media until his death from complications of myelodysplastic syndrome.

Early Life

Birth and Family Background

Mario Machado, born Mário José de Souza Machado, entered the world on April 22, 1935, in , . His birth in the international enclave of reflected the cosmopolitan environment shaped by foreign diplomatic presences during the Republican era. Machado's father, Carlos Jacinto de Lourdes Gouveia Furtado Machado, held a position as vice-chancellor at the consulate in , underscoring the family's ties to Portuguese colonial and diplomatic networks in . His mother was of mixed Chinese and ancestry, contributing to Machado's Eurasian heritage that blended European and East Asian roots. This parental background positioned the family amid Shanghai's diverse expatriate community, where Portuguese officials maintained influence through consular roles amid the city's treaty port status.

Childhood in Shanghai and Immigration to the United States

Mario Machado was born on April 22, 1935, in , , to a Portuguese father and a Chinese-Portuguese mother. His father, Carlos Jacinto de Lourdes Gouveia Furtado Machado, served as vice-chancellor of the consulate in , positioning the family within the city's diplomatic community. Machado's early childhood unfolded amid Shanghai's vibrant international enclave, where he attended the British Thomas Hanbury School and later St. Francis Xavier College, institutions catering to the foreign resident population. These schools provided education in English and other Western curricula, reflecting the multicultural environment of pre-1949 Shanghai before the Communist takeover altered the city's foreign presence. Family photographs from the era, including those at the Shanghai Race Course, document Machado's siblings and peers engaging in social activities typical of youth. Following his schooling in , Machado pursued further studies at a business college in , likely prompted by the shifting political landscape in after 1949. At age 21, he emigrated to the , arriving in in 1956 to continue his education and begin professional pursuits. He later naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1965.

Professional Career

Initial Broadcasting Roles

Machado entered broadcasting in 1967 by joining KHJ-TV (now ), Channel 9 in , as an on-air news reporter, becoming the first Chinese American to hold such a position in the city's television market. In this initial role, he covered general news stories, contributing to his rapid rise amid limited representation of in U.S. media at the time. The following year, in , Machado expanded into sports broadcasting as a for , focusing on North American Soccer League games, leveraging his background as a former soccer player to provide insightful analysis. This marked one of his early national exposures, preceding more extensive soccer commentary roles. In 1969, he transitioned to KNXT (now KCBS-TV), where he pioneered the nation's first dedicated consumer affairs reporting segment on the local newscast "The Big News," investigating product safety and consumer rights issues. At KNXT, he also hosted the midday interview program "Noontime" and served as a sports commentator, solidifying his multifaceted early presence in television.

Television News and Reporting

Machado entered television news in 1967 by joining in as an on-air reporter, marking him as the first Chinese American news reporter in the city's history. Two years later, in 1969, he transitioned to , starting as a consumer affairs reporter and advancing to anchor positions. At KNXT/KCBS, Machado hosted the weekday midday program Noontime, which combined segments with interviews, contributing to his reputation as a versatile broadcaster. He remained a fixture in for decades, delivering reports and anchoring segments that emphasized local consumer issues and general coverage. His news work garnered eight , recognizing excellence in reporting, producing, and on-air performance, including contributions to specials like U.S. Broadcast to . Machado's pioneering role earned him inclusion on the Asian American Journalists Association's Honor Roll of Asian American Pioneers in U.S. in 2010.

Sports Broadcasting

Machado transitioned into sports broadcasting in 1968, joining as a , where his background as a collegiate soccer player at informed his analysis of matches. As a former player, he emphasized tactical insights and player perspectives, contributing to early efforts to explain soccer's nuances to American audiences unfamiliar with the sport. From the late 1960s through the early 1970s, he served as the play-by-play announcer for CBS's telecasts of North American Soccer League (NASL) games, providing English-language commentary that helped introduce professional soccer to a broader U.S. viewership during the league's formative years. Machado also hosted the weekly Star Soccer program on Spanish-language station KMEX-TV in , blending highlights and interviews to engage bilingual audiences. In subsequent years, he expanded his soccer coverage by hosting Star Soccer from England on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations for six years, featuring international matches and analysis. Machado provided color commentary for CBS's network broadcasts of major events, including World Cup tournaments and the soccer competitions at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where he covered 18 matches across men's and women's events. His multilingual skills—fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Mandarin—enabled versatile roles, such as narrating games on Spanish-language television alongside his English work.

Acting in Film and Television

Machado began his acting career in the early , appearing in television films and series while maintaining his broadcasting work, often cast in roles that drew on his journalistic expertise such as reporters or announcers. His credits include the 1971 television movie , where he played a supporting role, and Oh, God! (1977), directed by , in which he portrayed a news figure. In the 1980s, Machado gained prominence in feature films, frequently typecast as television interviewers or anchors. Notable examples include (1982), where he voiced the ring announcer conducting a pre-fight with , and Scarface (1983), directed by , in which he appeared as a station interviewer discussing events with . He also featured in action-oriented productions like (1983) as a pilot and (1985) in a minor role. Machado's most enduring film role was as Asian-American news anchor Casey Wong in the RoboCop series, starting with (1987), followed by (1990) and (1993), where his character delivered on-scene reports amid the franchise's dystopian narrative. On television, he made guest appearances in episodic series such as (1966–1973), (1969–1974), and (1984–1996), typically as broadcast professionals. Over his acting tenure, he amassed dozens of credits, with his portrayals consistently emphasizing authoritative media figures rather than leading dramatic parts.

Involvement in Old China Hands

Mario Machado organized the Old China Hands Reunion and Conference in 1996, a four-day event that drew over 1,100 attendees who had lived in prior to the Communist in 1949. The gathering focused on about life in cities like , where Machado himself was born in 1935 to a father and Chinese mother, and included panels, exhibits, and storytelling sessions to preserve expatriate experiences. Produced through his company, MJM Communications, the event highlighted the unique multicultural history of pre-revolutionary , with Machado emphasizing 's cosmopolitan allure during his opening remarks. In the years following, Machado co-founded the Old China Hands Archives at , compiling oral histories from individuals who fled after the 1949 revolution and subsequent upheavals like the . These efforts documented personal accounts of displacement, cultural loss, and adaptation, with Machado personally conducting interviews and curating materials from 1994 to 2001, including correspondence, planning documents, and reunion artifacts preserved in the Mario J. Machado Collection. The archives serve as a repository for firsthand narratives, countering official narratives by privileging perspectives on the era's social and economic dynamics in and concessions.

Personal Life

Marriage and Family

Mario Machado married Marie Christine D'Almada Remedios, and the couple had four children: Brian, Michelle, Dennis, and . Machado's wife predeceased him several years before his death in 2013.

Health Challenges and Death

Machado was diagnosed with , a neurodegenerative disorder, and had been living with the condition for several years prior to his death. The disease progressively impaired his motor functions, contributing to his placement in a convalescent facility in West Hills, . On May 4, 2013, Machado died at the age of 78 from complications of , exacerbated by his advanced . His daughter, Michelle Machado, confirmed the cause and circumstances to the , noting he had been ill for an extended period.

Recognition and Legacy

Awards and Professional Honors

Machado received eight from the for his broadcasting work, including producing and reporting, with a total of ten nominations across his career. His final Emmy was awarded for the television special U.S. Citizenship: A Dream Come True. These honors recognized his contributions to news, sports commentary, and special programming in television from the onward. In 1994, he was presented with the John Anson Ford Humanitarian Award for his community involvement and broadcasting excellence. The following year, 1995, County named him Humanitarian of the Year, highlighting his efforts in and media. Machado was inducted onto the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) Honor Roll of Asian American Pioneers in U.S. in 2010, acknowledging his trailblazing role as one of the first Chinese-American on-air news personalities in major markets. This recognition underscored his impact on diverse representation in American media.

Pioneering Influence and Cultural Impact

Machado's entry into Los Angeles television news in 1967 as a reporter and anchor at KNXT (later ) marked him as the first Chinese-American in such a role in the market, challenging the era's predominance of white broadcasters and opening pathways for Asian professionals. Colleagues later credited him with establishing standards for minority representation in local media, influencing subsequent hires and normalizing non-European faces in authoritative on-air positions during a period of limited diversity. In sports broadcasting, Machado pioneered English-language coverage of soccer for American audiences, joining as a in 1968 and narrating North American Soccer League games through the early 1970s. Drawing from his own experience as a competitive soccer player, his energetic play-by-play style—marked by personal anecdotes and tactical insights—helped elevate the sport's visibility in the U.S., where it had previously struggled for mainstream traction, contributing to growing interest ahead of events like the 1994 World Cup hosted domestically. His recurring portrayals of journalists in films, including the news reporter in Scarface (1983), the interviewer in (1982), and on-air personalities in the series (1987–1993), extended his influence into popular culture, offering visible examples of Asian-American professionals in credible, non-stereotypical roles amid Hollywood's sparse minority casting at the time. This dual career bridged and , subtly advancing perceptions of multicultural competence in media without relying on tokenized narratives.

References

  1. https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/mario-machado-las-1st-asian-american-newscaster-dies-at-78/
  2. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/tv-newsman-actor-mario-machado-492024/
  3. https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/news/mario-machado-la-newsman-and-actor
  4. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-mario-machado-dead-20130505-story.html
  5. http://aaja-la.org/2013/05/in-memoriam-mario-machado-pioneer-los-angeles-tv-and-radio-broadcaster-1935-2013/
  6. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0532478/
  7. http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2013/05/mario_machado_newscaster.php
  8. https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8q81f9k/
  9. https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-xpm-2013-may-09-la-me-passings-20130509-story.html
  10. https://www.thewrap.com/mario-machado-dies-cbs-robocop-rocky-los-angeles-89571/
  11. https://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20130505/obituary-chinese-portuguese-newscaster-sportscaster-actor-mario-machado-ayso-co-founder-dies-at-78/
  12. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/news/emmy-winning-l-newsman-mario-machado-dies-78-192408827.html
  13. https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/rip-mario-machado-pioneer-of-soccer-on-us-television-20130601-CMS-76380.html/
  14. https://rafu.com/2013/05/pioneering-newscaster-mario-machado-dies-at-78/
  15. https://watch.plex.tv/person/mario-machado
  16. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/44050-mario-machado?language=en-US
  17. https://kids.kiddle.co/Mario_Machado
  18. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mario-machado/credits/3030444539/
  19. https://www.gluckman.com/ShanghaiJews2.html
  20. https://www.historyforsale.com/mario-machado-autographed-signed-photograph/dc36701/660
  21. https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8q81f9k/dsc/
  22. https://www.eonline.com/news/415194/mario-machado-scarface-actor-and-veteran-los-angeles-news-anchor-dead-at-78
  23. https://patch.com/california/woodlandhills/emmy-award-winning-newscaster-mario-machado-dies
  24. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2013/05/06/los-angeles-newscaster-mario-machado-dies-at-78/
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