Cox Media Group Appoints Omesh Somaru as VP/GM in Jacksonville, Florida

In a significant move for CMG-TV Jacksonville, Omesh Somaru has been appointed as the new Vice President and General Manager, effective from January 1. Somaru, who has been with CMG for 17 years, will be taking over from Bob Longo, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Somaru, a University of Central Florida graduate with a TV and broadcasting degree, has a rich history with CMG. Before his current role as Director of Sales, he worked in the financial services sector and gained valuable experience at CMG's stations in Orlando, Memphis, and San Francisco.

Under Somaru's leadership, Action Sports Jax, the region's only local all-sports streaming channel, will continue to deliver 10 hours of original programming a day. He played a key role in the launch of Action Sports Jax and Telemundo Jacksonville.

Somaru's tenure at CMG has been marked by significant achievements. He has helped CMG's stations in Jacksonville achieve record revenue shares across both core and digital. In the last year alone, CMG-TV Jacksonville collected 8,500 books for children and provided thousands of school supplies to local students. The station also helped save over 450 lives through its blood drive.

Dan York, CMG's President and CEO, believes Somaru is the right choice to lead the stations in Jacksonville and continue their success. "Omesh has been a valuable asset to our team for many years," York said. "His dedication, leadership, and commitment to our community make him the ideal candidate for this role."

Somaru will lead a team at CMG-TV Jacksonville, which includes WJAX-TV and Hoffman Communications-owned WFOX-TV, both based in Jacksonville. As part of its community initiatives, CMG-TV Jacksonville awards $500 every month to a viewer as part of its Doing Good in the Neighborhood program.

Somaru lives in the Jacksonville area with his wife, Ailee, and daughter, Sophia. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and rooting for his favourite sports teams.

As Somaru prepares to take on his new role, he expressed his excitement and gratitude. "I am honoured to be given this opportunity and I look forward to continuing to serve our community and lead our talented team at CMG-TV Jacksonville," he said.

With Somaru at the helm, CMG-TV Jacksonville is poised for continued growth and success in the new year.