If you’ve lived in New York City, chances are you couldn’t escape Adhemar Montagne.
His presence was a trusted staple on television screens everywhere – from corner neighborhood delis to Chelsea happy hour bars, delivering the news that mattered. Montagne was THE face of NY1 Noticias, the first 24-hour Spanish-language news station in New York City.
But, today, Montagne has swapped the Big Apple for Southern charm, where, starting in 2024, he became the new face of Telemundo Atlanta. The move might surprise some long-time fans, but for Montagne, it was a logical next chapter of his life.
I recently caught up with the veteran news anchor to discuss his career on the small screen, and what it’s like for a famous New Yorker to live in the Deep South. It was quickly obvious that the Emmy-winning TV newsman has lived a full life … all over the globe. And, he’s just getting started.
Adhemar Montagne and His Diplomatic Upbringing
Montagne’s life is one of constant motion, since birth. Born in England to a Peruvian diplomat father, he’s lived everywhere. “We moved to Chile, then Colombia, then El Salvador,” he explains. These days, it would be normal for him to have school reunions on two or three continents, depending on the grade being celebrated.
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From the United Nations to the Newsroom
Interestingly, Montagne says his childhood dream wasn’t to be a journalist. He wanted to be a pilot until his dad ruined if for him, lovingly, of course. “My dad told me about the dangers of Russian planes back then,” he laughs. Afraid to fly, he chose a different path. “My parents would tell me ‘you’d be good in front of the cameras,’” he says. So he chose to study communications at the university level.
His first career landed him a gig at the United Nations in New York City, where he met a journalist who saw his potential for TV. After a successful tryout, his career took off. From San Antonio to San Francisco, to Los Angeles, and eventually back to New York again, Montagne became a trusted voice on major networks. “People would stop me on the street and say, ‘I remember you from Telemundo!’ even years later,” he says.
But it was his 16-year tenure at NY1 Noticias that cemented his status as a media icon.
Trading the Big Apple for the Peach State
Now as a news anchor for Telemundo in Georgia, Montagne says he’s embracing “Southern hospitality” in Atlanta. “The winters are great,” he says. “I don’t miss the cold of New York and New Jersey.”
He’s says he’s enjoying the simple pleasures like biking along the Silver Comet Trail and dining at his new favorite Peruvian restaurant, Madre Selva in Buckhead, a trendy neighoborhood of Atlanta. “They have two types of ceviche and fantastic pulpo,” he raves.
And, no matter where life’s taken him, Montagne believes Latinos share the same core values.
Adhemar Montagne
“Every place is different, but what Latinos everywhere share is a deep sense of family and faith. Those values stay consistent no matter where you are.”
As our conversation wraps up, Montagne thinks back on the places he’s lived. “I miss the ocean,” he admits, “but I love where life has taken me. And I’m excited for what’s next.”
