TV, radio icon Juan Alberto Badía dies

TV and radio host Juan Alberto Badía has died, at the age of 64. Yesterday he had put into a chemically induced coma at the intensive care unit of the Hospital Austral, where he was admitted on Monday for pneumonia treatment.

Badía had battled mediastine cancer for over a year after being diagnosed in 2010. Early yesterday his niece reported that Badía was in a chemically induced coma.

The television icon is to be buried in a small and private ceremony this afternoon in the presence of family and friend at Jardín de Paz ceremony in the district of Pilar, Greater Buenos Aires. 

His family (including his wife Mariana, his three children and his sister and TV producer Marisa) and celebrity friends like Marcelo Tinelli, Fernando Bravo and Julio Lagos accompanied Badía at the hospital since he was admitted.

Badía had been diagnosed with mediastine cancer when a tumor was extracted from his thorax. A month ago he received emergency surgery to treat a case of diverticulitis.

He was honoured at the 2012 Martin Fierro awards ceremony for his outstanding contribution to journalism both in tv and radio.

Badía, a hardcore Beatles fan, helped launch the career of popular television host Marcelo Tinelli in the 1980s.