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¡Despierta América!
Genre	Current Affairs Interview Current Events News
Directed by	Francy González Michel Martinez
Starring	Angelica Vale Ana María Canseco Neida Sandoval Birmania Ríos Raúl González Karla Martínez Rafael José (former full-time, now occasional host) Fernando Arau (former host) Giselle Blondet (former host) Jackie Guerrido
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	Spanish
Production
Executive producer(s)	Mari García Márquez
Producer(s)	Víctor José Santiago
Location(s)	Miami, Florida
Running time	180 minutes (including commercials)
Broadcast
Original channel	Univision
Original run	April 14, 1997 – Present
Chronology
Related shows	Good Morning America
External links
Official website

¡Despierta América! (Spanish for Wake Up America!) is a popular Spanish language morning show which has aired on the Univision television network since 1997. It is broadcast from the network's studios in Miami, Florida, and is hosted by Angelica Vale, Ana María Canseco, Neida Sandoval, Raúl González and Karla Martínez. Neida Sandoval also has news (noticias) updates every half-hour and Jackie Guerrido provides the weather report. The hosts are also joined by their sidekick and show dog mascot Chispita. Other reporters also provide entertainment and gossip segments.

Despierta América is known for coining the catch phrase, "échate pa' acá" ("Come here"), which is a segment regarding news and gossip about Latin entertainers.

Fernando Arau, a former host, and Neida Sandoval had been on ¡Despierta América! since the show's inception in 1997. Ana Maria Conseco has been on the show the second-longest and is best known for her "échate pa' acá" segments. She also is a frequent guest hostess of El Gordo y La Flaca. As of March 2, 2009, Fernando Arau was released from his contract. Arau celebrated his farewell with a mariachi band.

Trivia

• In the spring of 2006, Magic Johnson (who does not speak Spanish) surprised the hosts on set and was later interviewed by Raul in English about a special youth program, which Raul would translate for the regular Spanish-language viewers.
• The hour of programming on Univision (which usually consists of past archived and music video shows) before Despierta América features a modified version of the show's time bug.
• John Cena was on the morning show, after the movie 12 Rounds.

See also

• List of television shows set in Miami

External links

• Despierta América page at Univision.com
• Univision website
• ¡Despierta América! at the Internet Movie Database