Marcelo Tinelli

Marcelo Hugo Tinelli (born April 1, 1960, in Bolívar, Buenos Aires Province), is an Argentine TV host, media producer and businessman, best known as the host of the TV show ShowMatch broadcast on Argentina's El Trece. He is one of the most iconic figures in Argentina's television. Besides Pope Francis, Tinelli is one of the most famous supporters of the San Lorenzo de Almagro football club of all time. He is the current Vice-President of the Boedo's side.

Tinelli was working on Radio Rivadavia as football sportscaster before Juan Alberto Badía brought him to TV to Badía y Compañía. In 1990, after several years as sports commentator, he created the light-content Videomatch, based on sport results, easy jokes, hidden cameras and bloopers. Around 1996 the program left the lightest contents and included musical shows and guests. In 1999 he received the Golden Martín Fierro Award for Videomatch. The show is still aired, but under the name of Showmatch.

He created the TV production company Ideas del Sur (Ideas from the South), which has produced many TV shows including Okupas, Buenos Vecinos, Tumberos, Fugitivos and Los Roldán. He also bought Radio Uno FM station, and the Spanish Segunda División football club CD Badajoz. In 2002, he helped found the volleyball team Club Ciudad de Bolívar, based in his native San Carlos de Bolívar. The team came to be the most successful of the Argentine league.

He has two daughters, Micaela and Candelaria, with ex-wife María Soledad Aquino(married May 1986 to March 1993), a son and a daughter, Francisco and Juanita, with his second wife Paula Robles (married November 1997), and a son, Lorenzo, with model Guillermina Valdés, his current partner.

Videomatch/ShowMatch

He became popular as the presenter of Argentina's high-rated show Videomatch on the Argentine network Telefe. The variety show had sketches, musical guests, contests, and introduced bloopers to the Argentine audience.

Tinelli caused controversy in 2005, when he announced plans to switch to Canal 9, the third highest rated network.^[1] His show increased the average audience of Canal 9 by giving the network the highest-rated show in the country.

In 2006 Tinelli announced a switch to El Trece, Telefe's largest competitor. Tinelli works at El Trece since then, and also produces TV dramas with his own production company, Ideas del Sur.

The show title changed from Videomatch to Showmatch since the Videomatch name was owned by Telefe. Showmatch is also the name of a short-lived version of Videomatch that aired in Spain. ShowMatch included many segments of contests with stage acts, such as dancing or singing. In 2009 it included a segment called Gran Cuñado (Big Brother-in-Law) with parodies of Argentine politicians, that generated great stir in real political world.^[2]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marcelo Tinelli.

• Marcelo Tinelli at the Internet Movie Database
• Tinelli's TV history (Spanish)