Jose Diaz-Balart Biography
Jose Diaz-Balart is a Cuban-American anchor working for MSNBC as an anchor of the news program, José Díaz-Balart Reports. He joined the MSNBC news team in 2010, after previously working for Noticias Telemundo.
After a brief stint in radio, Diaz-Balart entered the field of print journalism in the mid-1980s, working for United Press International. In December 1984, he assumed the role of Central American Bureau Chief for what was then known as the Spanish International Network (now Univision). A key figure in journalism, he co-founded Telemundo News in 1987, giving rise to Noticias Telemundo/HBC. Subsequently, he established himself as a television news reporter in Miami, contributing to WTVJ from 1988 until CBS hired him in May 1996. In August 1996, he made history as the first Cuban-American to host a network news program, anchoring CBS News’ “This Morning.” Returning to Spanish-language network television in 2000, he became the anchor of Telemundo’s new morning program, “Esta Mañana.”
He went on to co-host Telemundo’s first-morning news and entertainment show, “Esta Mañana,” along with its public affairs show, “Cada Día.” Additionally, from 2002, he hosted a monthly interview program on Telemundo, “Enfoque con José Díaz-Balart,” where he interviewed a diverse range of newsmakers, including political leaders and presidential candidates, having interviewed every U.S. president since Ronald Reagan. In 2003, he returned to English-language TV and his former station in Miami, WTVJ, as a news anchor. By 2009, he assumed the role of anchor for Telemundo’s evening newscast, “Noticias Telemundo.” From 2010, he contributed reporting for NBC and, in a groundbreaking move, substituted for Contessa Brewer on MSNBC Live in June 2011, becoming the first U.S. journalist to broadcast both English and Spanish newscasts on two networks simultaneously.
Between 2014 and 2016, Díaz-Balart hosted the 10 AM news hour for MSNBC, succeeding Chris Jansing. His hosting duties expanded to “The Daily Rundown” in November 2014, evolving into “MSNBC Live with José Díaz-Balart” during MSNBC’s dayside programming restructuring in 2015. In late 2015, he began filling in as an anchor for the Saturday edition of NBC Nightly News, officially becoming the host in July 2016, a position he still holds. On February 18, 2016, he moderated the Democratic Town Hall with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in Las Vegas, Nevada. In June 2019, he co-moderated the first Democratic Presidential Debates on NBC and Telemundo. On September 7, 2021, it was announced that he would step down as the anchor of the weeknight editions of Noticias Telemundo to host a new 10 A.M. show called “José Díaz-Balart Reports” on MSNBC.
He continues to anchor NBC Nightly News Saturday and remains involved in breaking news and special events coverage for Telemundo, in addition to hosting monthly specials. Diaz-Balart has been honored with several prestigious awards throughout his career. Notably, he is the recipient of five national Emmys for his outstanding contributions to the Telemundo Network. This led him to earn the title of Outstanding Newscast Anchor for the 2020-2021 period. His earlier achievements include two SunCoast Emmy awards during his tenure at WTVJ-TV in Miami, an Associated Press Award, and four Hispanic Excellence in Journalism Awards, all earned in the 1980s. He has also been recognized with a Du Pont and Peabody award. Acknowledging his excellence, Media 100 has named him the best news anchor three times.
Furthermore, Hispanic Business Magazine honored him as one of the “100 most influential people in the U.S.” In 2010, the National Academy of Television Sciences awarded him the Silver Circle Award. In 2012, Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable presented him with the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Hispanic Television at the 10th Annual Hispanic Television Summit, produced by Schramm Marketing Group. GQ Magazine named him the Best International Journalist in 2017. Most recently, in 2022, he was bestowed with the TV Broadcast Journalist Award by the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association in Washington DC. These accolades underscore his significant impact and recognition in the field of journalism.
Jose Diaz-Balart Salary
Diaz-Balart earns an annual salary of about $47,000-$120,000.
Jose Diaz-Balart Net Worth
Diaz-Balart has an estimated net worth of about $1 Million – $7 Million which he has earned through his career as an anchor.
Jose Diaz-Balart Age
Diaz-Balart was born on November 7, 1960, in Winchester, United States. He is 64 years old as of 2024, and he celebrates his birthday on the 7th of November every year.
Jose Diaz-Balart Height and Weight
Diaz-Balart stands at a height of 5 feet 11 inches tall however, information about his weight has not been disclosed.
Jose Diaz-Balart Family
Diaz-Balart is the son of Hilda Caballero Brunet and Rafael Díaz-Balart y Gutiérrez who is a Cuban-American lawyer and politician. He has three siblings: Lincoln Díaz-Balart, an attorney and former U.S. representative, Rafael Díaz-Balart, who works as a banker and Mario Díaz-Balart, serving as a U.S. representative. Additionally, his uncle, Waldo Diaz-Balart, is a renowned painter. Notably, his aunt, Mirta Diaz-Balart, was the first wife of Fidel Castro, making Fidel Castro his uncle by marriage. Furthermore, his first cousin was the late Fidel Castro Jr., also known as Fidelito.
Jose Diaz-Balart Wife and Children
Diaz-Balart is married to Brenda and together they have been blessed with two children, whom they named; Katrina and Sabrina. He resides in New York together with his family.
MSNBC
While working for MSNBC Diaz-Balart co-works alongside:
Social Media Platform
Diaz-Balart is very active on his Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages. He has 88.3k followers on Twitter 87.5k followers on Instagram and 79.7k followers on Facebook.