José Suárez, Telemundo executive, dies in Kenya helicopter crash
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NBCUniversal has confirmed that José Suárez, president and general manager of Telemundo 31, Telemundo 49 and Telemundo Ft. Myers–Naples, died on Wednesday 19 August 2026, aged 55, after a helicopter crash in Kenya. Senior executives, including NBCU Newsgroup Chairman César Conde, NBCU Local Chairman Valari Staab and Telemundo Station Group President José Cancela, issued a joint statement praising his leadership, warmth and dedication to the communities his stations served.
Suárez had a long career in local television, previously serving as president and general manager of Telemundo stations in Fresno, Sacramento and Utah, and earlier working at NBC 6/WTVJ in Miami as director of creative services and local programming, including as executive producer on local newscasts and the entertainment show "6 in The Mix". Before joining NBCUniversal, he was news director at stations in Florida, Ohio and Texas, and received several industry honours, including a Suncoast Emmy, three Cleveland-chapter Emmys and multiple Associated Press awards.
- Telemundo executive José Suárez, 55, died in a Kenya helicopter crash
- Death confirmed by NBCUniversal on Wednesday, 19 August 2026
- He led Telemundo stations in Miami, Fresno, Sacramento and Utah
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José Suárez led three NBCUniversal-owned Telemundo stations — Telemundo 31 in Miami, Telemundo 49, and Telemundo Ft. Myers–Naples — as president and general manager, overseeing Spanish-language local news and programming for Hispanic communities in Florida. Telemundo is one of the two major Spanish-language television networks in the United States, alongside Univision, and its local stations play an important role in news coverage for Latino audiences in their markets.
Before taking on this role, Suárez built a long career in local television, holding similar leadership positions at Telemundo stations in Fresno, Sacramento and Utah, and working earlier at NBC 6/WTVJ in Miami. He also spent time as a news director at stations in Florida, Ohio and Texas, and picked up industry awards including a Suncoast Emmy and three Cleveland-area Emmys along the way, reflecting a career spent largely in regional broadcast journalism and station management.
His death is being reported because of his seniority within NBCUniversal's Telemundo division and the tributes it has drawn from network executives, who have spoken of his impact on the communities his stations served.
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Originally published by Deadline as “José Suárez Dies: Telemundo Executive Was 55”.