Now, the tagline controversy has put Somerville in a position that journalists usually find uncomfortable: instead of reporting on the story, he is the story. A KTVU spokesperson later explained that he left the air to focus on his health.. Its really, really sad, because Ive given 31 years to the station, he said. "I couldn't leave work at work," Somerville. Silence irks activists, stirs questions about suspension. For whatever reason, they decided not to re-sign me.. According to Windham's statement, Somerville showed symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol when officers reached him. The longtime news anchor faced a rocky 2021. Who is KTVU TV anchor Frank Somerville? | The US Sun [citation needed] He attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1976. Longtime Bay Area Anchor Frank Somerville Off Air Since Slurred - SFist Somerville, now 64, was arrested at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 30 in the 2200 block of Broadway following a collision between his 2014 Porsche 911 and a silver Audi, according to a probable cause statement by Officer Natalie Windham. ", "My guess is that Im not coming back to Channel 2, Somerville tells the Chronicle. George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. The case of Gabby has sparked a national outcry as her fianc Brian Laundrie continues to evade authorities. He has been taking many steps to address the circumstances that led to this case, including attending meetings and working on himself so that nothing like this ever happens again, Dugan said. Crime and Public Safety | "No one at the station Fox/KTVU has contacted me. Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville is facing two DUI charges following a car accident on Dec. 30, 2021. That's a shivering duck sheltering a puppy with its wings. Stay up to date! This latest incident, coming just six weeks after Somervilles return to the anchor desk, will undoubtedly trigger speculation about his future with the station. Somerville was off the air for more than nine weeks before returning in August to Channel 2s The Ten OClock News without addressing his unusual absence. Franqueville, Somme - Wikipedia When I saw Will Smith stand up for his wife, it reminded me of what I didnt do 30 years ago, he says in the video. Somerville was off the air for much of the summer following his now-infamous May 30 newscast, when he repeatedly slurred and stumbled over his words and appeared to have trouble reading off the teleprompter. After graduation he worked at local stations in Santa Rosa, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Providence, Rhode Island, before returning to the San Francisco Bay Area. Who is Frank Somerville's wife, Donna? KTVU anchor's family life explored Frank Somerville is a journalist and news anchor for KTVU. Frank Somervilles 31-year career at KTVU, where his nightly anchoring duties made him one of the Bay Areas most beloved TV news personalities, officially came to an end Friday, as his contract expired and the station opted to not bring him back. Mr. But if Somerville thought the issue was so important, then he should have used his journalistic gravitas to push for a second story to run after the segment or a series of stories to run over the next couple days, Reynolds said. Following Somervilles suspension, two rallies were held outside the KTVU studios in Jack London Square in October, both sparked by his reported desire to address disparities in media coverage of White crime victims like Petito versus women of color. The multiple Emmy winner lives in Oakland, grew up in Berkeley and graduated from Berkeley High and San Francisco State University. While Somerville was attending San Francisco State University in 1981, he interned at KTVU. Frank Somerville - Biography - IMDb On Wednesday night's 6 o'clock broadcast, Heather Holmes anchored the show with Andre Senior, saying at the top of the hour, "Frank and Julie are off tonight.". By the end of the broadcast, co-anchor Julie Haener had taken over solo, and did the signoff for the show. The request was denied by KTVU news director Amber Eikel, who called the tagline inappropriate, a source told SFGATE in September, leading to criticism from the Oakland chapter of the NAACP. . Somerville has reportedly been "suspended indefinitely" after a behind-the-scenes disagreement about his coverage of the22-year-old vlogger's disappearance. Frank Somerville says he believes he won't be coming back to KTVU DSW is closing on Powell Street, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen says the metaverse scares her, and SF Mayor London Breed has come out vocally in support of the recall of three school board members. There was no word on how heated the discussion got. Galvis said activists intentions werent to wag the finger but to foster a dialogue with a media organization thats a Bay Area icon with tremendous power.. Alameda County DA charges former TV anchor Frank Somerville with DUIs His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. Robert Neil O'Keefe Jr. Obituary (1981 - 2023) | Somerville, New Jersey The veteran anchor was told that the tagline was inappropriate and he apparently pushed back on it. Reportedly, Somerville butted heads with KTVU News Director Amber Eikel over the addition of this "tag" that Somerville wanted to say on air, with Eikel saying that the topic deserved separate coverage at a later date. Frank Somerville (born March 19, 1958) is an American television journalist. KTVU's "Ten O'Clock News" has long held the top spot for the Bay Area's highest rated news broadcast. She'd now be 8 years old, and her case got little national attention at the time and she remains unaccounted for. I would give anything to work there. This past week, Mornings On 2 anchor Mike Mibach has been in Somervilles chair, including on Thursday nights newscasts at 5 and 6 p.m. when he simply introduced himself: Im Mike Mibach., Somerville said his health was great, a point he also made in a photo he shared on Instagram with his 5,100 followers this week. She has previously reported or edited for Bay Area news and lifestyle publications, including Walnut Creek Patch, and Diablo, Oakland and Alameda magazines, as well as The Nation in Bangkok, Thailand and The Economist. According to The Mercury News, Somerville wanted to add a tagline to a segment about the case to point out the disparity in the coverage of missing persons cases of white women relative to women of color. He took an indefinite leave of absence in June following a broadcast of the TheTenO'ClockNewsonKTVU in which he slurred lines and left mid-broadcast, resulting in speculation over his health and well-being. Ive given my heart and soul to Channel 2. She has previously reported or edited for Bay Area news and lifestyle publications, including Walnut Creek Patch, and Diablo, Oakland and Alameda magazines, as well as The Nation in Bangkok, Thailand and The Economist. [5], In 2013, Somerville apologized on behalf of KTVU for an incident in which racist pilot names were read out in a broadcast on Asiana Airlines Flight 214. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Joshua Bote is the tech editor at SFGATE. Somerville wanted to add a brief tagline at the end of the report that questioned the extraordinary level of media coverage devoted to the story. The request was denied by KTVU news director Amber Eikel, who called the tag line inappropriate, according to the source. You can see video of the Sunday 10 o'clock broadcast below, in which Somerville has difficulty reading from his teleprompter. Viral Kids' Star Ms. Rachel Is Taking a Break From Social Media After Backlash Over Co-Star Who Uses They/Them Pronouns, Actor Tom Sizemore, of Saving Private Ryan,' Dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Wife and Son, Los Gatos Mom Accused of Hosting Alcohol-Fueled Teen Parties Attacked in Jail, Hospitalized. Jay C. Barmann is a fiction writer and web editor who's lived in San Francisco for 20+ years. KTVU's Frank Somerville faces 2 DUI charges after car crash - SFGATE 80346 /80620. Sources at the station said news director Amber Eikel and editors didnt think Somervilles proposed tag, a brief closing the story, was an appropriate way to cover the issue and would blur the lines between an anchor delivering a straight news story and offering editorial commentary. The Berkeley native had been an intern at KTVU many years before. Twitter just announced the launch of its Twitter Blue product, a new subscription service with extra perks for avid users that is rolling out today in Australia and Canada ahead of a wider launch. And the photo has since gone. Somerville has had a tumultuous year. Somerville was pulled off the air over his coverage of Gabby's case, MSNBC host Joy Reiddiscussed the Gabby Petito case. All rights reserved, with driving under the influence following an arrest in late December in Oakland. The couple has two daughters - one of which, Callie, who was adopted in 2005 when she was a baby. Somerville is the adoptive father of a Black teen daughter. The public silence from Channel 2 and Fox, its parent network, has fueled community frustration over the ostensible reason he was suspended a reported dispute over his push to add a brief commentary on racial inequity to the end of a straight-news story about the disappearance of social media influencer Gabby Petito, whose case had attracted a firestorm of media coverage. KTVU anchor Frank Somerville anchors the five o'clock news at the KTVU studio on Tuesday, May 5, 2009, in Oakland, Calif. It's been one year since Somerville replaced longtime anchor Dennis . Longtime Bay Area News Anchor Frank Somerville Charged With DUI I think its probably time to (let them know) were still listening and waiting, Holland said. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Somerville has a Black daughter and wanted to add a note at the end of any news story on Petito about the rates of domestic violence for Black women in America. Since his suspension, Somerville has shared videos and posts on Instagram his social media platform of choice since leaving KTVU. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Its another strange twist in a turbulent year for Somerville. Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville, who's been off the air since being suspended by management in September over a disagreement about the coverage of the Gabby Petito case, is speaking out and telling the press that he doesn't expect he'll be back at the station and also, no one from the station or Fox has even bothered contacting him. I just dont notice the things you see, he added. Shortly before the 5 p.m. broadcast, Eikel told Somerville she planned to cut the tag after newsroom editors raised concerns. Following a car crash late last December, embattled Bay Areareporter Frank Somerville now faces two DUI charges. In wake of scandal, East Bay school district keeps a close eye on staff behavior Somerville did not reply to repeated efforts to contact him, nor did representatives from Fox News, who said last month only that the anchor had been suspended pending further review. No one at KTVU, including news director Amber Eikel, would speak on the record. Mini Bio (1) Frank Somerville co-anchors the weekday editions of "KTVU Channel 2 News at 5," "KTVU Channel 2 News at 6" and "The Ten O'Clock News on KTVU Channel 2." Somerville joined San Francisco's KTVU Channel 2's Mornings on 2 and The Noon News in January 1992. Crime and Public Safety | Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Update: A spokesperson for Fox tells the Mercury News, "We can confirm Frank is taking time away from the desk to focus on his health and we welcome his return when he is ready.". ContactGeorge Kelly at 408-859-5180. Joshua Bote is the tech editor at SFGATE. The Alameda County District Attorneys Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE. 42 Portfolio, Somerville, MA 02143 | MLS# 73083938 | Trulia [8] He returned to the anchor chair on August 4 without addressing the incident that saw his brief departure. After the collision, the Audis driver managed to get out of their car, according to the statement, but Somerville kept driving east on West Grand, pushing the Audi across the intersectionuntil it hit a pole on the southwest corner. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, booked into Santa Rita Jail on that charge and later released with a citation to appear. In an interview with the Bay Area News Group published Friday, the celebrated former KTVU anchor confirmed that his former employer will not re-sign him and allegedly not because of his arrest. Early Life and Education. I work out every day.. I feel great, he said in response. As of now, he is already 64 years old and his zodiac sign is Pisces. The photo shows him with a beard and the caption: I think I look pretty cool for 63 if I do say so myself In response to a follower who said Somerville didnt look well, he said, I feel great. So I am done at Channel 2, Somerville said in a brief phone interview this week with the Bay Area News Group. Somerville reportedly told the producer that Eikel had approved a shortened version, a source said. 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Over the years he has become one of the station's most recognisable having presented on screen for more than two decades. Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox. Jurors hopelessly deadlocked in Bay Point murder trial, mistrial declared Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville, who's been off the air since being suspended by management in September over a disagreement about the coverage of the Gabby Petito case, is speaking out and . Somerville, 63, won the awards at KTVU, which included an accolade for best on-camera news anchor. Elevation. He said the couple spend their "together time" at the gym and that the pair "encourage each otherto keep pushing.". According to station sources, Somerville, 63, has been "suspended indefinitely" by Channel 2 management after a disagreement with news director Amber Eikel over coverage of the Gabby Petito. Holland wondered if KTVU or Fox simply hope the controversy will disappear. The California native first started at KTVU as an intern in 1981 while attending San Francisco State University. The FBI has issued an arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie, Petitos 23-year-old fianc. If not, Ill go to other stations outside of the market. Sources told the outlet that Somerville was informed by station management the next day that he was being suspended. 42 Portfolio, Somerville, MA 02143 is a 9 bedroom, 18 bathroom, 15,789 sqft multi-family built in 1900. I would love to work at one of the other stations in the market. 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