[2][3][4], Somerville was born on March 19, 1958, in San Luis Obispo, California, but was raised in Berkeley. Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville shared a Facebook post Saturday reflecting on his arrest and his termination from KTVU nearly a year later. 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. He works out and practices the Israeli martial art of Krav Maga.[20]. 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 . Silence irks activists, stirs questions about suspension, Oakland NAACP calls for Frank Somervilles reinstatement at KTVU. The case of Gabby has sparked a national outcry as her fianc Brian Laundrie continues to evade authorities. [16][17][18][19], Somerville has been a vegetarian since the age of 12. I work out every day.. Somerville later excused that saying he had mistakenly taken an Ambien before going on the air. Somervilles next hearing will take place May 6. [5] He then attended San Francisco State University. During a now-infamous May 30 newscast, he repeatedly slurred and stumbled over his words and appeared to have trouble reading off the teleprompter. Frank Somerville finally returns to KTVU: Are viewers owed an explanation? 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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. In wake of scandal, East Bay school district keeps a close eye on staff behavior The request was denied by KTVU news director Amber Eikel, who called the tag line inappropriate, according to the source. I would give anything to work there. 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. For whatever reason, they decided not to re-sign me.. 1 newscast in the market. 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. Stay up to date! The next day, Somerville was told he was suspended for defying a superiors orders, sources said. [13], In December 2022, Somerville went public about his dismissal from the station on a Facebook post. As of now, he is already 64 years old and his zodiac sign is Pisces. [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. Joshua Bote is the tech editor at SFGATE. In an interview with the Bay Area News Group published Friday, the celebrated former KTVU anchor. About Frank; Contact Information; Court Records; Frank Bacci is 50 years old today because Frank's birthday is on 09/10/1972. He took a nine-week leave to focus on his health and had only returned in August. But even with such declarations, community activists say they have yet to hear from the station managers or Fox about their concerns. Related Articles George Galvis, executive director of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, which helped organize the Oct. 12 rally, said KTVUs silence is a response.. . Longtime KTVU news anchor Frank Somerville was booked into jail early Friday morning for allegedly driving under the influence, after a car crash at a busy intersection in downtown Oakland. [1] During his three decades at KTVU in Oakland, California, Somerville received three Emmy Awards, including one for best on-camera news anchor. He is due to appear Feb. 28. Frank Celeste, Gibson Sotheby's International Realty. As per the sources, he was named after his father's friend Frank Patty. 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 homicide case. Ive given my heart and soul to Channel 2, he told the Bay Area News Group. Alameda County DA charges former TV anchor, 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), Alameda County DA charges former TV anchor Frank Somerville with DUIs, Info stolen in Oakland ransomware attack set to be released, Woman suspected of making threats toward Christian schools campus in Walnut Creek arrested, Federal jury finds Bay Area man guilty in string of East Bay bank robberies, Jurors hopelessly deadlocked in Bay Point murder trial, mistrial declared, In wake of scandal, East Bay school district keeps a close eye on staff behavior. Sources told the outlet that Somerville was informed by station management the next day that he was being suspended. 53-127 m (174-417 ft) (avg. Last week, the City of San Leandro also issued an official proclamation honoring the multiple Emmy-winning anchor for speaking out about missing women of color and setting an example of strength and equity to our community and those worldwide.. [8] He returned to the anchor chair on August 4 without addressing the incident that saw his brief departure. "I feel like a total idiot," Somerville allegedly said. The multiple Emmy winner lives in Oakland, grew up in Berkeley and graduated from Berkeley High and San Francisco State University. 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. 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. 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. Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox. While Somerville was attending San Francisco State University in 1981, he interned at KTVU. "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. [6] All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! [12], Somerville's suspension from KTVU would become permanent in January 2022 when his contract expired and KTVU would decide not to re-sign him. And I wont stop fighting for equal media representation for all victims.. [citation needed] He attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1976. George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. 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. 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Write by: . He is extremely sorry to the person he hit and has provided all information to his insurance company to cover the other drivers losses. In a May broadcast of KTVUs 10 p.m. news program, Somerville was recorded slurring his words and abruptly left midbroadcast with no explanation. 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.". 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. I just dont notice the things you see, he added. As of Thursday afternoon, officials at KTVU and at Fox had not responded to repeated emails asking about Somervilles departure or about whether they had offically signed a replacement. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Frank Somerville said Tuesday that he expects he has anchored his last newscast at KTVU, given that management hasn't contacted him since he was suspended in September for an off-air dispute. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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 said. 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. 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. NEW - 21 HRS AGO. According to Windham's statement, Somerville showed symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol when officers reached him. Email:
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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. 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. He became co-anchor of KTVU's morning news program in 1992 and was the first anchor of the 5 p.m. newscast when it launched in 2005. His parents raised him in Berkeley, California. But as community groups voice frustration, questions also remain over Somervilles suspension. Early Life and Education. 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. 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. Frank Somerville's 31-year career at KTVU, where his nightly anchoring duties made him one of the Bay Area's most beloved TV news personalities, officially came to an end Friday, as his. 69 m or 226 ft) 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km 2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. He was named after his father's childhood friend, Frank Patty, and his paternal grandfather, William Somerville. Somervilles Bay Area roots helped make him popular with viewers. 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. Officers who spoke with Somerville said he exhibited symptoms of being under the influence of an alcoholic beverage: bloodshot/watery eyes, thick/slurred speech, and odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person.. He was named as a person of interest in the case, and his remains were found in Florida last week. Thats just a guess. 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. Jay C. Barmann is a fiction writer and web editor who's lived in San Francisco for 20+ years. 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. The venerated KTVU anchor spoke to the Bay Area News Group in an interview published . 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. I helped make Mornings on 2 the No. So I am done at Channel 2, Somerville said in a brief phone interview this week with the Bay Area News Group. "No one at the station Fox/KTVU has contacted me. Sign up for NBC Bay Areas Housing Deconstructed newsletter. 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. At the time, Somerville said he had not yet lined up offers to work at other stations but wanted to keep working and was disappointed about how his time at KTVU had ended. All this drama isnt good, Somerville said. Because Mr. Somervilles case is pending, he cannot personally comment at this time, but he takes full responsibility for what happened that night.. Somerville, who has a mixed-race daughter, wanted to make a statement at the end of a segment regarding "missing white woman syndrome," a term coined by the late Gwen Ifill about American media's obsession with the disappearance of young, pretty Caucasian women, when very little national attention is given to the thousands of people of color who go missing every year. The California native first started at KTVU as an intern in 1981 while attending San Francisco State University. KTVU was prepared to air a news report detailing the latest developments in the case. 42 Portfolio is located in Union Square, Somerville. ", He adds, "It makes me really sad, because Ive given 31 years to the station. [citation needed] He attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1976. FRANK Somerville has reportedly been pulled off the air at KTVU over his coverage of the Gabby Petito case. In a May broadcast of KTVU's 10 p.m. news program,. He added that the decision was made long before December, when the alleged DUI took place. 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. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Somervilles attorney Shannan Dugan acknowledged the charges. Crime and Public Safety | Reid hosted a discussion with representatives from the Black and Missing Foundation andNot Our Native Daughters Foundation when she made the comments. TV Streaming | That's a shivering duck sheltering a puppy with its wings. 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. I work out every day.. 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. This property is currently available for sale and was listed by MLS PIN on Mar . 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. frank somerville house. The FBI has issued an arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie, Petitos 23-year-old fianc. Shortly before the 5 p.m. broadcast, Eikel told Somerville she planned to cut the tag after newsroom editors raised concerns. 2. "[11], On December 30, 2021, Somerville was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after an automobile collision. 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. 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. 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. In related news, CNN is reckoning with its Petito coverage and just took up a local missing-persons case involving Arianna Fitts, a Bay Area girl who is black, and who went missing in 2016 at the age of 2. He said the couple spend their "together time" at the gym and that the pair "encourage each otherto keep pushing.". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. His last video was published March 31, voicing his perspective on the Will Smith slap at the Oscars and recounting anincident in which his wifes boss repeatedly harassed her. Reynolds, a former editor at the Oakland Tribune and Bay Area News Group, said it would have resulted in the very disparity (in coverage) he was seeking to address.. Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville speaks about addiction struggles that he says spurred DUI wreck Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville opened up about his struggles with addiction on Dec.. Frank Somerville is a journalist and news anchor for KTVU. According to a police statement in charging documents obtained Thursday, officers responded to Broadway and West Grand Avenue at about 8:20 p.m. Dec. 30, 2021 for a vehicle collision. The crash had nothing to do with it, Somerville said, saying managers had decided to cut him loose months earlier. Following a car crash late last December, embattled Bay Areareporter Frank Somerville now faces two DUI charges. ", 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. These rallies were followed by the City of San Leandro issuing an official proclamation honoring Somerville "for speaking out about missing women of color and setting an example of strength and equity to our community and those worldwide.". He returned in August, but a month after, was suspended permanently following turmoil over the coverage of Gabby Petito, the missing van-lifer who was killed by her fiance Brian Laundrie in September. 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. Its really, really sad, because Ive given 31 years to the station, he said. 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.