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. KTVU suspended veteran anchor Frank Somerville after the station news director nixed his proposal to add commentary about racial justice to coverage of the Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito homicide . The California native first started at KTVU as an intern in 1981 while attending San Francisco State University. Mr. Thats just a guess. His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. Elevation. The FBI has issued an arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie, Petitos 23-year-old fianc. 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. Somerville has said in the past that he wants to work two or three more years and would like to finish his career at KTVU. In further comments to Lieberman over the phone, reported on his 415 Media blog, Somerville allegedly insisted he had not been drinking, and had just mistakenly taken Ambien before going on the air. However, she agreed with the editors who thought the tag on its own wasnt a sufficient way to cover the story and would blur the lines between an anchor delivering a straight news story and offering editorial commentary, sources said. "Frank Somerville to replace Dennis Richmond", "KTVU's Somerville settling in as Richmond's replacement", "Asiana: Anchor says KTVU never sounded-out racist pilot names", "KTVU anchor Somerville to take time away after slurred newscast", "Frank Somerville returns to KTVU after two months of leave", "Frank Somerville suspension: How the dispute over 'Gabby' Petito coverage unfolded at KTVU", "Frank Somerville says he's done at KTVU, apologizes to newsroom for 'drama', "Frank Somerville arrested for suspected DUI after crash", "Frank Somerville says KTVU wouldn't re-sign him: 'I am done', "Frank Somerville publicly opens up about arrest, KTVU exit", "Former KTVU Anchor Frank Somerville Speaks Publicly About Addiction Issues", "Image of Bay Area news anchor doing his daughter's hair touches people all over country | The Mommy Files | an SFGate.com blog", "Tender photo of TV anchor un-braiding daughter's hair goes viral", "A white dad does his black daughter's hair, and the Internet smiles", "10 Questions for Frank Somerville; Up Close and Personal with KTVU's Top Dog; And Something that may Surprise You", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frank_Somerville&oldid=1133399814, American television reporters and correspondents, Berkeley High School (Berkeley, California) alumni, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 16:12. The case of Gabby has sparked a national outcry as her fianc Brian Laundrie continues to evade authorities. But beyond that, the outlet did not get much more information from Somerville, who has had a rocky 2021. Martin Reynolds, co-executive director for the Oakland-based Maynard Institute, which promotes diversity in Americas newsrooms, said Somervilles reported solution, to tack a commentary on at the end of a straight news story, would have been lazy, as opposed to assigning a full story on the topic. Crime and Public Safety | 1 newscast in the market. The disagreement, said sources, occurred earlier in the week after the body of Petito was discovered in Wyoming. George Galvis, executive director of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, which helped organize the Oct. 12 rally, said KTVUs silence is a response.. Since his suspension, Somerville has shared videos and posts on Instagram his social media platform of choice since leaving KTVU. Meanwhile, the media coverage issue Somerville had hoped to raise has garnered plenty of attention in recent days as debate rages over how much is too much. Sources said he wanted to point out that the U.S. media often disproportionately covers tragedies involving young White women, while largely ignoring similar cases involving women of color and Indigenous people. The multiple Emmy winner lives in Oakland, grew up in Berkeley and graduated from Berkeley High and San Francisco State University. Theylearned that Somerville had been driving a 2014 Porsche east on West Grand when he rear-ended an Audi stopped at the intersection. A tag is a brief closing to a story thats typically read by an anchor. Sources said Eikel was willing to assign a reporter to do a separate, more in-depth story. In interviews this week, Somerville declined to say anything more about his departure from KTVU, his arrest or his plans. Somerville takes these charges very seriously. He was off 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. Joshua Bote is the tech editor at SFGATE. 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. [9] In September 2021, he was suspended for disobedience after seeking to keep a "tag" concerning domestic violence and "missing white woman syndrome" in a story on the Gabby Petito case. 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 Black women in America face, an unnamed source with knowledge of the situation told SFGATE in September. [8] He returned to the anchor chair on August 4 without addressing the incident that saw his brief departure. George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. 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Sources said that Somerville was informed by station management the next day that he was being suspended. Somerville pushed back, but was overruled, a newsroom source said. Franqueville ( French pronunciation: [fkvil]; Picard: Franqville) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France . The City of San Leandro also issued an official proclamation honoring him for speaking out about missing women of color and setting an example of strength and equity to our community and those worldwide.. He said the couple spend their "together time" at the gym and that the pair "encourage each otherto keep pushing.". 2. Earlier this year, Somerville disappeared from the air without explanation after a fairly strange Memorial Day Weekend broadcast in which he was slurring words and seemed unable to read the teleprompter. On Tuesday, the district attorneys office charged Somerville with driving under the influence of alcohol, as well as driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08, with an added clause for having a level over .15. In 1992, he became co-anchor of the station's popular Mornings on 2 show. According to two KTVU newsroom sources, who declined to give their names because they were not authorized to speak on the record, Somerville wanted to add a 46-second tag to an update on the Petito case, which aired Sept. 21. After the initial collision, the driver of the Audi got out of their vehicle and Somerville, in his Porsche, allegedly pushed the Audi across the intersection of Broadway and West Grand Avenue until the Audi hit a pole on the southwest corner of the intersection, Windham's statement said. 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. Get all the latest & greatest posts delivered straight to your inbox, Longtime Bay Area Anchor Frank Somerville Off Air Since Slurred-Speech Broadcast On Sunday, AdWeek's TVSpy blog is covering his disappearance, fake names of the pilots of Asiana Airlines Flight 214, Day Around the Bay: San Jose Man Arrested In Connection With PG&E Transformer Explosions, Berkeley Poised to Close Famed Anthropology Library, Angry Students In Full Occupy Mode, The SFPD Brags About Busting Johns Seeking Sex Workers on Capp Street. Neither Fox nor KTVU has made any official statement on the matter. But the way this story captivated the nation has many wondering why not the same media attention when people of color go missing?" MSNBC host Joy Reiddiscussed the Gabby Petito case on her showon September 20. Holland wondered if KTVU or Fox simply hope the controversy will disappear. Somerville was not involved in that flub. She graduated from Northwestern University with a BA degree in German studies and from Mills College with a MFA degree in creative writing and English. ", "My guess is that Im not coming back to Channel 2, Somerville tells the Chronicle. 42 Portfolio, Somerville, MA 02143 is a 9 bedroom, 18 bathroom, 15,789 sqft multi-family built in 1900. [6] Additionally, he spent his childhood in Berkeley and was raised there. The case of Gabby has sparked a national outcry as her fianc Brian Laundrie continues to evade authorities. Meanwhile, Oakland police are awaiting the results of blood tests before turning the case over to Alameda County prosecutors to decide whether to file charges. Before the 6 p.m. broadcast, a producer, not familiar with the earlier discussions between Somerville and Eikel, noticed that a shortened tag had been added to the Petito update. 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. I just dont notice the things you see, he added. 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. The New York-born Petito was slain during a cross-country van trip with her fiance, Brian Laundrie. [5] He then attended San Francisco State University. He also was off the air for much of last summer following a now-infamous May 30, 2021 newscast, when he repeatedly slurred and stumbled over his words and appeared to have trouble reading off the teleprompter. I feel great, he said in response. Frank Somerville (born March 19, 1958) is an American television journalist. As per the sources, he was named after his father's friend Frank Patty. [10] In November 2021, he said in an interview with the Bay Area News Group that KTVU had not contacted him and that "All indications are that Im never going to anchor at Channel 2 again. Somerville reportedly told the producer that Eikel had approved a shortened version, a source said. MSNBC host Joy Reid criticized her own industry on her prime-time program, calling the Petito coverage an example of missing White woman syndrome, a term coined by the late PBS anchor Gwen Ifill to describe the medias often lopsided focus on white women and girls when they go missing. "[11], On December 30, 2021, Somerville was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after an automobile collision. Theyre the backbone of Channel 2. Reynolds said Somerville may have been well-intentioned, and that he certainly seems passionate about fairness in coverage. But a shortened version of the tag made it into the script for that evening's broadcast, which allegedly prompted Somerville's suspension for insubordination. Petito, 22, had been reported missing earlier this month while on a cross-country camping trip. Look closely at this picture. 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 was pulled off the air over his coverage of Gabby's case, MSNBC host Joy Reiddiscussed the Gabby Petito case. In November, Somerville insisted he was right to push for the commentary, but he publicly apologized for all the drama because of the way it affected people who work at the station. Martha Ross is a Bay Area News Group features writer for The Mercury News and East Bay Times who covers everything and anything related to popular culture, society, health, womens issues and families. Frank Somerville finally returns to KTVU: Are viewers owed an explanation? Sources told the outlet that Somerville was informed by station management the next day that he was being suspended. [6], Somerville was an intern at KTVU in 1981, while attending San Francisco State. "The Petito family certainly deserves answers and justice. He was also named anchor of Channel 2 News at 5 in April 2005, when it was launched. KTVU's news division was infamously responsible for broadcasting the offensive fake names of the pilots of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 following a July 2013 crash at SFO, a mistake they blamed on the National Transportation Safety Board who, in turn, blamed a summer intern. But she hadnt and the new tag was removed. 42 Portfolio is located in Union Square, Somerville. Following the suspension and subsequent social media attention, two rallies were held in support of Somerville outside KTVU headquarters in Oakland. Former KTVU news anchor Frank Somerville was charged earlier this week with driving under the influence following an arrest in late December in Oakland, Alameda County prosecutors and police. 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. After a brief return, he was suspended indefinitely by KTVU management following a dispute over coverage of the Gabby Petito missing person and homicide case. He first joined the San Francisco Bay Area station in 1991 and in 2008 became an anchor of the six o'clock and ten o'clock news broadcasts. KTVU's "Ten O'Clock News" has long held the top spot for the Bay Area's highest rated news broadcast. He grew up in the Los Angeles area, went to UC Berkeley and has previously worked as a news reporter at USA Today and SFGATE and as a music writer at NPR. The venerated KTVU anchor spoke to the Bay Area News Group in an interview published . Chuck Barney is the TV critic and columnist for the Bay Area News Group. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville shared a Facebook post Saturday reflecting on his arrest and his termination from . KTVU anchor Frank Somerville, one of the most recognizable of the Bay Area's news personalities having been on the air at KTVU since 1991, was pulled from a Sunday broadcast and has not returned . ", KTVU again removes Frank Somerville from the air, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Los Gatos: Hundreds still without power as Black Road repair project finishes early. On September 26, it was reported thatSomerville was pulled off the air over his coverage of Gabby's casejust days after Joy Reid's "missing white women" comments. 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. A KTVU spokesperson later explained that he left the air to focus on his health.. Frank Somerville, a veteran TV newscaster suspended from KTVU following a dispute over coverage of the Gabby Petito homicide case, said Tuesday that he believes he is not returning to the station . He was named after his father's childhood friend, Frank Patty, and his paternal grandfather, William Somerville. 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. 2. That night he pushed to add a brief commentary on racial inequity to the end of a news update about the disappearance of Petito, a young White woman and social media influencer whose case had attracted a firestorm of media coverage. By the end of the broadcast, co-anchor Julie Haener had taken over solo, and did the signoff for the show. Woman suspected of making threats toward Christian schools campus in Walnut Creek arrested [2][3][4], Somerville was born on March 19, 1958, in San Luis Obispo, California, but was raised in Berkeley. This latest incident, coming just six weeks after Somervilles return to the anchor desk, will undoubtedly trigger speculation about his future with the station. Stay up to date! . Somerville was hospitalized shortly after the incident and was booked at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. (He was a prolific Facebook user until September. The collision took place near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Broadway Street just after 7:45 p.m. Dec. 31, 2021, Oakland police said at the time. At that point, Somerville stopped driving; police arrived a short time later. Frank Somerville has spoken out for the first time since his Dec. 30 arrest for a suspected DUI. KTVU anchor Frank Somerville, one of the most recognizable of the Bay Area's news personalities having been on the air at KTVU since 1991, was pulled from a Sunday broadcast and has not returned since after slurring his speech on air. All rights reserved, with driving under the influence following an arrest in late December in Oakland. Hes one of the highest paid anchors in the Bay Area, but his contract is up in March. The local Fox affiliate has yet to comment on the incident, and as the Mercury News reported, Somerville has declined to respond to them for comment. As Somerville has pointed out on social media, he is the father of an adopted Black daughter. When an officer-administered field sobriety test showed signs of impairment, Somerville consented to an alcohol screening test; he blew two tests, registering .239 and .219 blood-alcohol levels, according to the statement. He noted that his contract is up in January, so it seems like the management is just waiting that out. Frank Somerville says KTVU wouldnt re-sign, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Los Gatos: Hundreds still without power as Black Road repair project finishes early, Frank Somerville says KTVU wouldnt re-sign him: I am done at Channel 2, Bay Area TV anchor Frank Somerville arrested on suspicion of DUI after crash in Oakland, Frank Somerville says hes done at KTVU, apologizes to newsroom for drama, Wheres Frank Somerville? 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. Somervilles Bay Area roots helped make him popular with viewers. Ive given my heart and soul to Channel 2, he told the Bay Area News Group. Frank Somerville has spoken out for the first time since his Dec. 30 arrest for a suspected DUI. 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. He is a graduate of Bowie State University in Maryland with a BS degree in communications. [13], In December 2022, Somerville went public about his dismissal from the station on a Facebook post. He believes that his automotive collision that happened the month before did not play a role, instead, he believes management had already decided to cut him loose months earlier. KTVU News Director Amber Eikel has allegedly taken Somerville off the air until further notice, as Liberman reports. PUBLISHED: June 1, 2021 at 12:54 p.m. | UPDATED: November 9, 2021 at 3:19 p.m. KTVU news anchor Frank Somerville was off the air again Tuesday following his abrupt exit from a Sunday night . Somerville, 63, took over as anchor of the six o'clock and ten o'clock news broadcasts at KTVU in 2008, following the retirement of Dennis Richmond. I wish I could apologize to all of them in person. 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. So, nothing like this happens again. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSunUS and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunUS, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Frank Somerville, Donna Wright Somerville and their two daughters, Brian Laundrie cops narrow search based on new intelligence as rancher says Gabby Petito's fianc is NOT in reserve, Mystery as mom & son, 2 fall to their deaths before game at San Diego Padres stadium as cops probe suspicious case, Horrifying moment two starving Afghan boys are lashed to a wooden post by the Taliban for stealing bread, ISIS leader Abu Omar Khorasani executed by Taliban at Afghan prison as jihadis wage war after Afghanistans collapse, Inwood shooting: 'Five shot' outside Manhattan restaurant as 'gunman opened fire at crowd', Sickening moment young woman in a black bikini viciously attacks a teenage sunbather, Gabriel Salazar 'car accident': Heartbroken pals pay tribute to TikTok star Gabe amid reports influencer died aged 19. Get all the latest & greatest posts delivered straight to your inbox, Frank Somerville Speaks, Says He's Likely Out at KTVU, fairly strange Memorial Day Weekend broadcast, just took up a local missing-persons case, Anchorman Frank Somerville's Future at KTVU In Doubt As Rumors Swirl About High Drama In the Newsroom, Day Around the Bay: San Jose Man Arrested In Connection With PG&E Transformer Explosions, Berkeley Poised to Close Famed Anthropology Library, Angry Students In Full Occupy Mode, The SFPD Brags About Busting Johns Seeking Sex Workers on Capp Street. Staff writers Harry Harris and Rick Hurd contributed to this report. Somerville displayed symptoms of driving under the influence of alcohol, with bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person. After a field sobriety test showed signs of impairment, the documents said, two separate breathalyzer tests found that Somerville had blood alcohol levels of 0.239% and 0.219%.
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