John Sommese

John Sommese attended Smithtown High School West in Smithtown, New York, where he played varsity lacrosse. After graduation he enrolled at State University of New York (SUNY), majoring in media management, and earning his BA in 1988. After college, Mr. Sommese was hired by Time Buying Services/RDR in New York City, negotiating radio and television advertising purchases for major brand companies.

John Sommese joined American Home Products (AHP) in 1992 as a media buyer for in-house advertising agency John F. Murray Advertising. AHP is the parent company for Advil, Chef Boyardee, Woolite, and numerous other brands that have significant advertising profiles. In 1995, Mr. Sommese became an account executive for Blair Television, representing the company's stations to New York advertising agencies.

In 1998, John Sommese was recruited by TeleRep, a company that started out as a sales representative for three Chris Craft Broadcasting stations and grew to become the nation's leading television representative, with over $100 billion in annual billings. TeleRep eventually merged with Cox Broadcasting, and operates under its own banner, and in conjunction with Cox Reps.

John Sommese has held numerous positions with TeleRep over a 14 year period, working as an account executive, New York Sales Manager, General Sales Manager, and Vice President. Mr. Sommese launched the CW network programming with numerous station affiliates and has initiated sponsorships with major sports franchises including the Colorado Rockies, the Detroit Pistons, the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago Bulls, and many others. He set strategy and executed New York sales for 12 Tribune owned and operated television stations; he is now the single point of sales contact for senior management of 24 U.S. television stations. John Sommese continues to grow corporate strategies for TeleRep and Cox Reps in an ever evolving media landscape.