Telemundo Station Chief Killed in Kenya Crash
Telemundo Station Chief Killed in Kenya Crash
The News
José Alberto Suárez, the 55-year-old president and general manager of Telemundo's television stations in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers-Naples, was killed Wednesday when a helicopter crashed in northern Kenya.
Kenya's Civil Aviation Authority said the aircraft went down around 9:13 a.m. local time near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, according to the New York Post.
All seven people aboard, including the pilot, were killed, NBC News' "Today" reported. Americans were among the dead: Variety, citing NBC's Miami station, reported that four Americans died in the crash, while the New York Post reported five.
Suárez, a Florida native, spent about 20 years at NBCUniversal and ran three Spanish-language stations serving some of the largest Hispanic audiences in Florida.
Timeline
The helicopter crashes near the foothills of Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, Kenya, per the country's Civil Aviation Authority. All seven aboard are killed.
NBCUniversal News Group chairman Cesar Conde, NBCU Local chairman Valari Staab and Telemundo station group president Jose Cancela confirm Suárez's death in a memo to employees, obtained by Variety.
Variety, Deadline, the New York Post, Mediaite and Tampa's WFLA report the death.
Reactions
"We are heartbroken to learn the tragic news that José was killed in a helicopter accident in Kenya," Conde, Staab and Cancela said in their statement. "José was an exceptional colleague who cared deeply about his teams, the communities they served and the important role our stations play in people's lives."
The executives said Suárez "brought energy, humor, warmth and a strong sense of purpose to his work, and his impact was felt far beyond the stations he led," adding: "Our hearts are with his loved ones, and with all of José's colleagues and friends who are grieving this terrible loss."
In the version of the memo reported by the New York Post, the executives called Suárez "a deeply respected leader and beloved friend and colleague across NBCU Local and NBCU News Group" and said "the suddenness and circumstances of José's passing make this loss especially difficult to comprehend."
What's Next
Kenya's Civil Aviation Authority is the investigating body. No cause for the crash has been reported.
The identities of the other six people killed, including the pilot, have not been released in the reporting so far.
NBCUniversal said it will share plans to honor Suárez's life and legacy in the days ahead. The company has not named a successor at the three Florida stations.
More
Suárez held multiple roles at NBCUniversal over roughly two decades, including leading stations in San Antonio, Sacramento, Fresno, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. Most recently he was general manager of Telemundo 31 in Orlando, Telemundo 49 in Tampa and Telemundo Ft. Myers-Naples.
Before running stations, he was director of creative services and programming for NBC's WTVJ in Miami, and earlier held digital media roles at NBC 6 in Miami and Telemundo 51. Before joining NBCUniversal he worked in news and on-air roles at outlets in Florida, Ohio and Texas. Variety reported he had been a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists since 1998, according to his LinkedIn profile.
His honors included the 2019 Lone Star Emmy for overall excellence while he led Telemundo 60 in San Antonio, a Suncoast chapter Emmy for outstanding station promotion image at NBC 6, three Cleveland-chapter Emmys for outstanding daily newscast, and several Associated Press awards for his work at Fox Toledo/WUPW.
The New York Post published family photographs of Suárez, including one with his daughter Amanda at her graduation.
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