Telemundo station chief José Suárez killed in Kenya crash

José Alberto Suárez, president and general manager of Telemundo‘s TV stations in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers-Naples, Florida, died Wednesday in a helicopter crash, according to the NBCUniversal-owned broadcaster. He was 55.

Suárez was one of four Americans who died in a helicopter crash in Samburu County in northeastern Kenya, according to NBC’s Miami station. All seven people aboard the aircraft, including the pilot, were killed, NBC News’ “Today” reported.

In a memo to employees, NBCUniversal News Group chairman Cesar Conde, NBCU Local chairman Valari Staab and Telemundo station group president Jose Cancela said: “We are heartbroken to share the tragic news that José Suárez, the president and general manager of the Telemundo-owned stations in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers, was killed in a helicopter accident in Kenya. José was a deeply respected leader and beloved friend and colleague across NBCU Local and NBCU News Group.”

The memo continued, “José was an exceptional colleague and mentor to many. He cared deeply about his teams, the communities they served and the essential role our stations play in people’s lives. He brought energy, humor, warmth and a strong sense of purpose to his work, and his impact was felt far beyond the stations he led. The suddenness and circumstances of José’s passing make this loss especially difficult to comprehend. Our hearts are with his loved ones, and with all of José’s colleagues and friends across NBCUniversal who are grieving this terrible loss. We will share more about how we will honor José’s life and legacy in the days ahead.”

Suárez worked for NBCU in multiple roles over the course of 20 years, including leading stations in San Antonio, Sacramento, Fresno, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. Most recently, he was GM of Telemundo 31 (Orlando), Telemundo 49 (Tampa) and Telemundo Ft. Myers-Naples.

Before becoming a station leader, Suárez was director of creative services and programming for NBC’s WTVJ in Miami. Earlier, he had held digital media roles with the NBC 6 in Miami and Telemundo 51. Before joining NBCU, Suárez held news and on-air roles for media outlets in Florida, Ohio and Texas. He had been a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists since 1998, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Suárez received multiple honors during his career, including the 2019 Lone Star Emmy for overall excellence while he was president and GM of Telemundo 60 San Antonio; a Suncoast Chapter Emmy award for outstanding station promotion image with NBC 6; three Cleveland-chapter Emmys for outstanding daily newscast; and several AP awards for his work at Fox Toledo/WUPW. 

-Variety