A KTVU spokesperson later explained that he left the air to focus on his health.. Somerville, who has an adopted black daughter, reportedly pushed back after the tagline was refused. [7], In June 2021, Somerville took a personal leave of absence from KTVU following an on-air incident during which he struggled to read the script for several stories and appeared to slur his words. 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? 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. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Somervilles attorney Shannan Dugan acknowledged the charges. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. 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. 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. 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Silence irks activists, stirs questions about suspension. Because Mr. Somervilles case is pending, he cannot personally comment at this time, but he takes full responsibility for what happened that night.. OAKLAND The Alameda County District Attorney's Office has filed two misdemeanor charges against former KTVU news anchor Frank Somerville in connection with his arrest late last year on. Somerville was not involved in that flub. Neither Fox nor KTVU has made any official statement on the matter. The Alameda County District Attorneys Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE. Frank Somerville (born March 19, 1958) is an American television journalist. "[11], On December 30, 2021, Somerville was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after an automobile collision. Visitation will be held on Monday, March 6th 2023 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Cusick Funeral Home (80 Mountain Ave, Somerville, NJ 08876). You can see video of the Sunday 10 o'clock broadcast below, in which Somerville has difficulty reading from his teleprompter. 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. So, I'm assuming I've done my last newscast," Somerville said. Somerville reportedly told the producer that Eikel had approved a shortened version, a source said. frank somerville house. 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 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. FRANK Somerville has reportedly been pulled off the air at KTVU over his coverage of the Gabby Petito case. Frank Somerville is an American journalist and three-time Emmy Award winner. 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.. The Berkeley native had been an intern at KTVU many years before. By the end of the broadcast, co-anchor Julie Haener had taken over solo, and did the signoff for the show. "I still want to continue working, Somerville tells the Mercury News. 42 Portfolio is located in Union Square, Somerville. 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. 2. 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Stay up to date! 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. Ive given my heart and soul to Channel 2. 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. The veteran anchor was told that the tagline was inappropriate and he apparently pushed back on it. 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. Somerville was booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin after his arrest, then released with a citation to appear in court. 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 . There was no word on how heated the discussion got. 4ba. 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. 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. 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. [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. Since his departure from KTVU, he has steadily posted videos on Instagram featuring an assortment of commentary. 1. [2][3][4], Somerville was born on March 19, 1958, in San Luis Obispo, California, but was raised in Berkeley. Crime and Public Safety | Somerville did reply to local media commentator Rich Lieberman on Monday saying he'd be back on the air that night and that the incident was simply a mistake regarding his prescription medication. In interviews this week, Somerville declined to say anything more about his departure from KTVU, his arrest or his plans. Related Articles Why is 'Gabriel Salazar car accident' trending? Its another strange twist in a turbulent year for Somerville. Somerville, driving a 2014 Porsche 911, rear-ended a silver Audi. Somerville was hospitalized shortly after the incident and was booked at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Days later, a spokesperson for Fox the network that owns and operates KTVU announced that Somerville would take an indefinite leave of absence to focus on his health.. 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. Over the years he has become one of the station's most recognisable having presented on screen for more than two decades. [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. Joshua Bote is the tech editor at SFGATE. For whatever reason, they decided not to re-sign me.. Staff writer Harry Harris contributed to this report. I also helped make the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts No. 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. Somervilles last newscast for KTVU was on Sept. 21. Somervilles Bay Area roots helped make him popular with viewers. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. He said the couple spend their "together time" at the gym and that the pair "encourage each otherto keep pushing.". Seven weeks later, he was off the air again. Look closely at this picture. Crime and Public Safety | I appreciate and admire what they do every day.. 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. 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. An ABC News report,citing statistics from the FBIs National Crime Information Center stated that at the end of 2020, the FBI had more than 89,000 active missing person cases, and 45 percent of those were people of color. 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 . He has worked as an online coordinator and, before that, a copy editor and page designer for Bay Area-based newspapers and magazines. 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. [citation needed] He attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1976. He is due to appear Feb. 28. "I couldn't leave work at work," Somerville. 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. The longtime KTVU news anchor is married to his wife, Donna Wright, a television producer. Somerville, 63, won the awards at KTVU, which included an accolade for best on-camera news 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), Wheres Frank Somerville? NEW - 21 HRS AGO. KTVU's "Ten O'Clock News" has long held the top spot for the Bay Area's highest rated news broadcast. At that point, Somerville stopped driving; police arrived a short time later. The multiple Emmy winner lives in Oakland, grew up in Berkeley and graduated from Berkeley High and San Francisco State University. Additionally, he spent his childhood in Berkeley and was raised there. I wish I could apologize to all of them in person. 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. 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. His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. He was named after his father's childhood friend, Frank Patty, and his paternal grandfather, William Somerville. He is a graduate of Bowie State University in Maryland with a BS degree in communications. 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. Email us at exclusive@the-sun.com or call 212 416 4552. His suspension came just six weeks after a previous leave of absence for health issues when he struggled to read his teleprompter and slurred his words during a broadcast in May. 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. 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. 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. What Somerville did that was so wrong is less clear. 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. [citation needed] He attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1976. Holland wondered if KTVU or Fox simply hope the controversy will disappear. 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. And I guess thats the issue, isnt it?. I would love to work at one of the other stations in the market. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! As per his date of birth, his birth sign is Pisces. 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.. The venerated KTVU anchor spoke to the Bay Area News Group in an interview published . 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.". The case of Gabby has sparked a national outcry as her fianc Brian Laundrie continues to evade authorities. I would give anything to work there. But the way this story captivated the nation has many wondering why not the same media attention when people of color go missing?" Write by: . Reynolds said Somerville may have been well-intentioned, and that he certainly seems passionate about fairness in coverage. I just dont notice the things you see, he added. But she hadnt and the new tag was removed. Somerville takes these charges very seriously. But he wouldn't be back on the air until August, and then within weeks, this controversy erupted behind the scenes about the Petito case. Frank Somerville finally returns to KTVU: Are viewers owed an explanation? 3bd. The crash had nothing to do with it, Somerville said, saying managers had decided to cut him loose months earlier. 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.". "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. He is also survived by many uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. As of now, he is already 64 years old and his zodiac sign is Pisces. 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 news anchor Frank Somerville again has been removed from the air, but this time a newsroom spat not an on-air meltdown appears to be the reason. He was also named anchor of Channel 2 News at 5 in April 2005, when it was launched. Elevation. 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. Crime and Public Safety | $5,550,000. All rights reserved, with driving under the influence following an arrest in late December in Oakland. But as community groups voice frustration, questions also remain over Somervilles suspension. Sign up for NBC Bay Areas Housing Deconstructed newsletter. 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 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. AdWeek's TVSpy blog is covering his disappearance from the air as well. 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. About Frank; Contact Information; Court Records; Frank Bacci is 50 years old today because Frank's birthday is on 09/10/1972. Federal jury finds Bay Area man guilty in string of East Bay bank robberies Email: joshua.bote@sfgate.com and Signal: 707-742-3756, Frank Somerville now faces 2 DUI charges after car crash in 2021, Horoscope for Friday, 3/03/23 by Christopher Renstrom, Wife of Jeffrey Vandergrift issues somber update, No seriously, dont drive up to Tahoe this weekend, The best fried chicken is at a San Francisco strip club, Scream publicity stunt floods Bay Area dispatch with 911 calls, Snowboarder dies at Tahoe ski resort following historic blizzard, Arrest in killing of woman seen running through Tahoe campground, Rain reenters Bay Area forecast: Have an umbrella near you, The Warriors broke Russell Westbrook, just like old times, Mochi muffin bakery closes SF cafe after just 4 months, Two more Shake Shack restaurants head to the Bay Area, Why every Californian needs an air quality monitor, In search of vegan food, I found a world-class Mendocino inn, 6 Cabo hotels for your spring break vacation, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Jay C. Barmann is a fiction writer and web editor who's lived in San Francisco for 20+ years. This latest incident, coming just six weeks after Somervilles return to the anchor desk, will undoubtedly trigger speculation about his future with the station. Franqueville ( French pronunciation: [fkvil]; Picard: Franqville) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France . A tag is a brief closing to a story thats typically read by an anchor. In 2008, he was elevated to one of the stations marquee positions when he was anointed co-anchor of the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, replacing 40-year veteran Dennis Richmond. Somerville was hospitalized shortly after the incident and was booked at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. The disagreement, said sources, occurred earlier in the week after the body of Petito was discovered in Wyoming. 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. 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. Theylearned that Somerville had been driving a 2014 Porsche east on West Grand when he rear-ended an Audi stopped at the intersection. The longtime news anchor faced a rocky 2021. Hes one of the highest paid anchors in the Bay Area, but his contract is up in March. 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. As first reported by the Mercury News on Thursday, the venerated KTVU broadcaster faces two misdemeanor charges from the Alameda County District Attorneys Office one for driving under the influence of alcohol and a second for driving with a blood alcohol level of over 0.08% with potentially enhanced penalties because his BAC was over 0.15%. In an interview with the Bay Area News Group published Friday, the celebrated former KTVU anchor. 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. Theyre not re-signing me. [16][17][18][19], Somerville has been a vegetarian since the age of 12. 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. I work out every day.. KTVU News Director Amber Eikel has allegedly taken Somerville off the air until further notice, as Liberman reports. 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.