(CNN Spanish) — Omar Marchant, television and radio businessman, died early this Friday in the city of Miami and at the age of 88, as confirmed by the family on social networks and also by a source from CNN en Español, close to the family.
His professional beginnings were in his native Cuba. Already settled in Miami, he began to work on local radio and then on television, becoming one of the great creators of what is today the national Hispanic television structure in the United States.
“A happy guy,” is how he once said he would like to be described. A joy that he achieved, in part, thanks to a notable professional career alongside other notable figures such as Mario Kreutzberger, better known as Don Francisco. And just like Don Francisco, Marchant also got to stand in front of the cameras to become a variety show host.
Courtesy storiesdelatv.com
His friendship with the Spanish singer Julio Iglesias gave him, as Marchant once said, professional and personal satisfaction. And Julio Iglesias himself admitted having learned a lot from the Cuban businessman at the beginning of his career.
Another celebrity, his compatriot Emilio Estefan, once said that when talking about Spanish-language television in Miami, he would have to talk about Marchant. and Estefan did not end his praise there: in fact, he thanked her for the support she received from him, just when she was beginning her musical career with who would later become his wife, the singer Gloria Estefan.
Marchant was vice president and director of promotions and special events at Univision between 1972 and 1994. He also worked at the Telemundo network. Throughout his extensive career, with his countless pioneering projects and initiatives linked to Spanish-language media in Miami, he left an indelible mark on Latin culture in the United States.
