Jackie Nespral
Encyclopedia
Jackie Nespral is an American
television anchor
for WTVJ-TV
, the NBC
owned and operated station in Miramar, Florida
.
area
of Miami, attended St. Brendan High School
and graduated in the Class of 1984.
Nespral began her entertainment and television
career as a college student at the University of Miami
, where she was elected Orange Bowl Queen in Miami in 1985 and 1986 and was also inducted into UM's Iron Arrow Honor Society
.
She graduated from the University of Miami
with degrees in psychology
and communications
. Following her graduation from the University of Miami, Nespral went on to complete a degree in print and broadcast journalism
at Florida International University
in Miami, Florida
.
gameshow. She then joined Univision's TV Mujer (or TV Woman) on its final season. After the cancellation of TV Mujer, she was chosen as one of the anchors, in 1990, of Univision's national news show, Noticias y Mas ("News and More").
She also worked for the Cuban-American channel, Television Marti, and at CNN
's Miami affiliate, Dynamic Cablevision.
in 1991, where, as weekend host of NBC's Today Show, she was the first Hispanic
anchorwoman for an English
newscast in the United States. She co-hosted the show with NPR's Scott Simon
.
station in Miramar, Florida. She currently anchors the 5pm, 6pm and 11pm newscasts for the station.
organization. She is also involved with the Columbia Women's Center, the Child Development Center and the Amigos for Kids organizations.
Nespral has earned an Emmy Award
, an Easter Seals
award and an honorable mention from the American Women in Radio and Television organization during her television news career.
She is married to Dr. Armando Hassun Jr. with whom she has three daughters (Carolina, Frances, and Isabelle) and one son (Armando, Jr.). She has two brothers (Jose and Frank).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television anchor
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
for WTVJ-TV
WTVJ
WTVJ, virtual channel 6 , is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC television network, located in Broward County. WTVJ shares its TV studio and office facility with co-owned Telemundo station WSCV in Miramar, Florida, and its transmitter is located near Sun Life Stadium in north...
, the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
owned and operated station in Miramar, Florida
Miramar, Florida
Miramar is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city was named after the Miramar district of Havana, Cuba. As of the 2010 census, the population was 122,041...
.
Early years and education
Nespral grew up in the Little HavanaLittle Havana
Little Havana is a neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. Home to many Cuban immigrant residents, Little Havana is named after Havana, the capital and largest city in Cuba. The approximate boundaries are the Miami River , SW 16th Street , SR 9/West 27th Avenue and I-95...
area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
of Miami, attended St. Brendan High School
St. Brendan High School
St. Brendan High School is a co-educational private Roman Catholic high school in the Westchester neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. The school is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami.- History :...
and graduated in the Class of 1984.
Nespral began her entertainment and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
career as a college student at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, where she was elected Orange Bowl Queen in Miami in 1985 and 1986 and was also inducted into UM's Iron Arrow Honor Society
Iron Arrow Honor Society
The Iron Arrow Honor Society is a highly selective secret society and honor society at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida for students, faculty, staff and alumni...
.
She graduated from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
with degrees in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and communications
Communication studies
Communication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
. Following her graduation from the University of Miami, Nespral went on to complete a degree in print and broadcast journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
.
Univision, Television Marti and CNN
Nespral began her career in television as a spokesmodel for Sabado Gigante, a UnivisionUnivision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
gameshow. She then joined Univision's TV Mujer (or TV Woman) on its final season. After the cancellation of TV Mujer, she was chosen as one of the anchors, in 1990, of Univision's national news show, Noticias y Mas ("News and More").
She also worked for the Cuban-American channel, Television Marti, and at CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Miami affiliate, Dynamic Cablevision.
The Today Show
Nespral moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1991, where, as weekend host of NBC's Today Show, she was the first Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
anchorwoman for an English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
newscast in the United States. She co-hosted the show with NPR's Scott Simon
Scott Simon
Scott Simon is an American journalist and the host of Weekend Edition Saturday on National Public Radio.- Life and career :...
.
WTVJ-TV
In 1994, Nespral returned to Miami, where she was assigned as anchorwoman for WTVJ-TV, the NBC O&OOwned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated...
station in Miramar, Florida. She currently anchors the 5pm, 6pm and 11pm newscasts for the station.
Personal
Nespral is a board director member for the March of DimesMarch of Dimes
The March of Dimes Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies.-Organization:...
organization. She is also involved with the Columbia Women's Center, the Child Development Center and the Amigos for Kids organizations.
Nespral has earned an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, an Easter Seals
Easter Seals (US)
Easter Seals is a nonprofit charitable organization that assists more than one million children and adults with autism and other disabilities and special needs annually through a network of more than 550 service sites in the United States, Canada, Australia and Puerto Rico...
award and an honorable mention from the American Women in Radio and Television organization during her television news career.
She is married to Dr. Armando Hassun Jr. with whom she has three daughters (Carolina, Frances, and Isabelle) and one son (Armando, Jr.). She has two brothers (Jose and Frank).