‘Good Morning America’ Mourns Beloved ‘Family Member’ Francisco Saldaña at 70

Good Morning America ended its September 3 broadcast on a deeply emotional note, as the ABC morning show paid tribute to longtime team member Francisco Antonio “Fran” Saldaña, who died on August 29 at the age of 70.

Saldaña was remembered not simply as a colleague, but as a cherished member of the GMA family. Contributing anchor Rebecca Jarvis introduced the tribute by celebrating the longtime staffer, while photos from his life and career appeared on screen.

“Fran had an extraordinary career,” Jarvis said, recalling a professional journey that began in the Dominican Republic and eventually brought him to ABC News.

A remarkable career in television

Born in Santo Domingo, Saldaña began working in television during the early 1970s at Tele-Inde, Channel 13.

His career quickly took him beyond the studio. While still in his early 20s, he traveled with reporter Noris Desena to cover the Nicaraguan Revolution as a cameraman. During that assignment, the pair lost contact with their newsroom, causing concern about their safety.

After moving to the United States, Saldaña continued building an extensive career across television production, education and engineering.

From 1981 to 1982, he served as an assistant professor of media production and technology at Essex County College. He also helped relocate WOR-TV Channel 9’s operations from New York to New Jersey.

Saldaña later joined Newark’s Connection Cable, which eventually became Gateway Cable, Cablevision and then Altice USA. There, he worked as an engineer while also mentoring people entering the television industry.

From television innovation to ‘GMA’

His work extended well beyond technical responsibilities.

As programming manager for Cablevision of Newark and South Orange, Saldaña produced and directed public affairs programming that received five ACE Award nominations, along with CEBA, CAPE and IRIS honors and multiple Emmy nominations.

He later became director of NJ Local Programming, where he was credited in his obituary with creating Cablevision’s first tapeless workflow. The technology was subsequently adopted throughout the New York metropolitan area.

In 2017, after nearly five decades in television, Saldaña joined Disney and ABC News as a maintenance engineer, providing technical support to Good Morning America.

That role made him an important part of the team working behind the scenes to bring the morning program to viewers each day.

Colleagues remember his humor and curiosity

Whit Johnson also reflected on Saldaña’s remarkable path, noting that he had done everything from launching cable systems to teaching college before becoming a treasured member of the GMA engineering team.

Johnson said the team would remember Saldaña for his curiosity, love of travel and gardening, and his humor.

His interests outside television were just as wide-ranging.

According to his obituary, Saldaña was known for his energy, technical savvy and dark humor. He was passionate about gardening, cycling, politics and world events, and enjoyed traveling, exploring different cultures and discovering great food.

He also had a particular love for Brazilian music and culture. His enthusiasm earned him the affectionate nickname “Caipirinha King,” inspired by his own version of Brazil’s national drink.

A life centered on family and community

For Saldaña, his interests were often most meaningful when shared with the people closest to him.

His obituary describes him as a loyal friend and mentor who cared deeply about his community and advocated for his neighborhood. At home, he enjoyed tending to his lawn and garden, often pausing to chat with neighbors.

His professional accomplishments were extensive, but his family and personal relationships remained at the center of his life.

Saldaña was married to Soraida Peres for 22 years. He is survived by his wife, sons Charles Frank Saldaña and Lucas Francisco Saldaña, grandchildren Anthony Saldaña and Noah Saldaña, niece Yelitza Alford, as well as a large extended family and circle of friends.

According to the obituary from Megaro Memorial Home, Saldaña died at his home in Newark, New Jersey, from congestive heart failure on August 29, 2026.

‘He will be missed’

As the tribute came to an end, Gio Benitez offered a final farewell to their longtime colleague.

The message from the GMA team was simple but heartfelt: Saldaña’s presence would be missed.

After 52 years in television, his career had taken him from the Dominican Republic to major newsrooms, classrooms and television engineering teams — ultimately making him part of the Good Morning America family.

For those who worked alongside him, Thursday’s tribute was a chance not only to mourn his passing, but to remember the extraordinary career, personality and warmth he brought with him throughout those decades.