Álvaro Moreno de la Santa is passionate about many things: his Spanish homeland, his family, the importance of integrity in his career… and England. With four older brothers who had been to the country, and growing up captivated by English literature and the works of Joseph Conrad and tales of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Poppins, Álvaro has described it as “a place I fell in love with”.
It was this love, combined with a desire to improve his English proficiency and career prospects, that ultimately brought him to study in the UK and demonstrates the transformative power of cultural immersion and personal determination.
"I really wanted to know the culture," Álvaro reflects. "I decided the best way was to go to university there. I didn't want to go to London or a big metropolis because these big cities are the same around the world. I read something about the Black Country, about the real heart of England, and wanted to go there. I wasn't disappointed at all. It was a very lovely, very wonderful experience, and still is, to be honest, every time that I go."
In 1994, Álvaro enrolled directly into the second year of a media and communication studies degree with a focus on the history of art and design at the University of Wolverhampton. Transitioning from his studies in Seville to the university’s Dudley Campus, he was pleasantly surprised by the university’s teaching approach. “The way the university teaches came as a huge surprise for me,” he recalls. “At Wolverhampton, as a student, you weren’t just a number: you had a name, a background, and the professor wanted to know you.”
Beyond his studies, Álvaro embraced the full spectrum of student life. He worked at the Light House Cinema, and then took up a job at Harry Ramsden’s, frying fish and chips at Hilton Park on the M6, honing his English language skills and enhancing his ability to connect with people. “It was a lovely experience because being in Wolverhampton, it wasn’t just attending the classes; it was a life experience,” he says.
The university’s supportive environment left a lasting impression on Álvaro. “The classes, the lecturers, they were designed to make it easy for the student, to make learning easy with freedom of speech and freedom of thinking. You felt cared for,” he emphasises. This nurturing atmosphere extended many years beyond his graduation. Álvaro recalls attending the Alumni Awards in 2023 and 2024, where he was touched by the continued warmth and recognition from the university community. “They still care about me, and honestly, it’s very touching. I’m very proud to be part of the university,” he shares.
Armed with the knowledge and tools gained from Wolverhampton, after graduation Álvaro ventured to the United States. With a brother in Chicago, he secured internships at Univision, a Spanish-language channel, and later at Telemundo. His journey then took him to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he worked for CNN and NBC as they also launched a Spanish-language channel.
Initially aspiring to work behind the camera, Álvaro's career trajectory shifted during his first internship. A Mexican anchor, Hector Alvarez, suggested he try presenting. "He asked me my name and joked with me: 'Cameras are very heavy; you could be in front of the camera, work less, and earn more!' He saw something in me that I didn't yet know," Álvaro recalls. This pivotal advice led him to embrace on-camera roles, setting the stage for a successful career in television journalism.
Returning to Spain, Álvaro's career flourished. He spent several years at various channels, including a public broadcaster in Andalusia, reaching over eight million viewers. His experience in the US proved invaluable when a joint venture between CANAL+ and CNN sought to launch a 24-hour news channel. "Because of my experience in America, I really wanted that job – it's the biggest channel. I did the casting, and they said, 'Okay, you're in.' I was in charge of their very first news show! I remember it was the 27th of January 1999. It was a big moment in my career – only three years after graduation!" he exclaims.
Throughout his broadcasting career, Álvaro says he has done “every job except weatherman”, such as anchoring, reporting, sport, the very late show, and the morning show. Now he runs and presents Canal Sur Noticias’ biggest show, ‘Noticias 1’ every afternoon. His career has seen him anchoring and reporting on significant events, from elections in Brussels to major international stories.
He often travels across Europe, covering events such as Brexit, the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the invasion of Ukraine, and devastating floods in Valencia. Reflecting on these experiences, he notes the profound impact of witnessing history unfold and the responsibility of conveying these stories to his audience.
“I was at Westminster after Queen Elizabeth II died, and remember the long, long queue. I interviewed the first person in the line. The third was from a Latin American country and speaking Spanish, so we did an interview for my channel. It was a very touching experience, especially as my mother is a similar age to the Queen, and she was always comparing their lives, witnessing her life through television and newspapers – so when the Queen died, it was very sad for my mother, and for all of us.
“When Russia invaded Ukraine, we went to the Polish frontier and spent a week in the refugee camps. There were a lot of old people, women and children because the men were all fighting. We went with two big coaches full of supplies, left the supplies at the refugee camp, and brought back about 80 refugees: I interviewed them, and they all thought they’d be in Spain for a few months and then go home. They had plans: to get married, or had just bought a new car or house. One woman told me she had a ticket for the opera she’d bought well in advance. It’s so sad. None of us could guess the war would continue so long.
“More recently I did some coverage that was very, very hard about the terrible floods in Valencia. The rain was awful – the amount of land affected. Two hundred and twenty-two people died officially. You can’t imagine the devastation of buildings, millions upon millions of euro's worth of damage. Thousands of cars swept away. We’re used to watching these images from India or Bangladesh – but you don’t think of it happening here. It was incredible. We booked a hotel, and on the first night we flew from Seville to Valencia, except when we got there, we didn’t have a hotel! It had been destroyed. There were no roads, no shops, no taxis. We had to find somewhere to sleep and a way to report. There was no internet, so you can’t go live, you have to find another way to broadcast and connect.”
Álvaro’s respect for his audience, and acknowledgement of his responsibility as a broadcaster is clear. He is regularly recognised by the public and says he will always stop and talk to people: “People see me every day, for half an hour – and I have responsibility because people trust me. They’ve seen me for years – I’m part of their life. They see me in the supermarket or the restaurant, but also on TV: I’m telling them what’s going on in the world, in their area, what politicians are saying. They trust me, and I can’t betray that trust because they’ve opened up their homes to me and let me into their living rooms. They share their lives with me, and I find that very touching, very interesting.”
Despite his extensive travels and experiences, Álvaro's connection to the UK remains strong. He envisions retiring there one day, perhaps working in a pub, serving beer – a nod to his fondness for British culture. In a delightful twist, one of his sons, Nicholas, pursued visual effects studies in Dublin through a partnership with the University of Wolverhampton, continuing the family's educational legacy.
papacy in the Vatican
His appreciation to the University of Wolverhampton is equally strong: “The university gave me the tools to understand the present and future world and I am very grateful for that. In addition, I am so thankful to the university for awarding me the Outstanding Career Service Award in 2023. This honorary award, recognising a graduate who has maintained a level of success in their industry over a considerable amount of time, really means a lot to me.”
Álvaro's journey underscores the profound impact of embracing new cultures, the importance of seizing opportunities, and the enduring value of education. We all seek to broaden our horizons and make meaningful connections across the globe, though perhaps not all of us will be transmitting through the television screen while we do so.
“As a journalist, I try to make a difference to people’s beliefs – to make them see things a different way. We have to show the audience what’s going on honestly, and to make them think, to take a moment to consider things. Because in this age of AI, where it can be hard to know what’s true, you have to take time to consider that’s real. If we can change one person’s way of thinking, or make a positive change to one person’s life, we’ve achieved something.”
