Don Francisco
Also known as: Don Francisco, Mario Kreutzberger
Television Host and Producer
Miami Connection
Don Francisco transformed Miami into a hub for Spanish-language television by producing Sábado Gigante at Univision Studios from 1986 to 2015, employing local talent and boosting the city's media industry. His show fostered community among Hispanic families in South Florida and beyond, making him a household name. His long-term residency, including a high-profile home on Indian Creek Island, underscored his personal commitment to the region.
About
Mario Luis Kreutzberger Blumenfeld, born in 1940 in Talca, Chile to German-Jewish immigrants fleeing Nazi persecution, launched his career in Chilean television in 1962 with Show Domingal, later renamed Sábado Gigante. In 1986, he moved production to Miami, Florida, adapting the show for Univision's Hispanic viewers in the U.S., where it became a cultural staple with contests, comedy, interviews, and the iconic Cámara Viajera segment visiting over 185 countries. The program ran for 53 years until its finale in Miami in 2015. After Univision, he joined Telemundo in 2016 and later appeared on CNN en Español with Don Francisco: Reflections alongside María Celeste Arrarás. Now in his 80s, he remains a broadcasting icon with deep ties to South Florida, including owning and recently selling a mansion on Indian Creek Island.