His parents raised him in Berkeley, California. Silence irks activists, stirs questions about suspension, Oakland NAACP calls for Frank Somervilles reinstatement at KTVU. Somerville later excused that saying he had mistakenly taken an Ambien before going on the air. While Somerville was attending San Francisco State University in 1981, he interned at KTVU. Now, though, Somerville appears to be putting it out there that he's looking for a job. The collision occurred eastbound on West Grand Avenue, Windham wrote. Frank Somerville is a journalist and news anchor for KTVU. 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. Stay up to date! In 1992, he became co-anchor of the station's popular Mornings on 2 show. 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.". Jurors hopelessly deadlocked in Bay Point murder trial, mistrial declared Somerville has reportedly been "suspended indefinitely" after a behind-the-scenes disagreement about his coverage of the22-year-old vlogger's disappearance. 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%. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. Crime and Public Safety | Theyre not re-signing me. 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. NEW - 21 HRS AGO. Crime and Public Safety | Why is 'Gabriel Salazar car accident' trending? The driver of the Audi stepped out before Somerville pushed the vehicle across the intersection with his car before ramming it into a light pole, according to documents provided to SFGATE by the district attorneys office. 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. Related Articles 2. Crime and Public Safety | This latest incident, coming just six weeks after Somervilles return to the anchor desk, will undoubtedly trigger speculation about his future with the station. Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville shared a Facebook post Saturday reflecting on his arrest and his termination from KTVU nearly a year later. 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. Previously: Anchorman Frank Somerville's Future at KTVU In Doubt As Rumors Swirl About High Drama In the Newsroom. Sources said that Somerville was informed by station management the next day that he was being suspended. His name came after his father's friend, Frank Patty and his parental grandfather, William Somerville . The longtime news anchor faced a rocky 2021. He was named after his father's childhood friend, Frank Patty, and his paternal grandfather, William Somerville. 42 Portfolio is located in Union Square, Somerville. Somerville, 63, won the awards at KTVU, which included an accolade for best on-camera news anchor. I work out every day.. [13], In December 2022, Somerville went public about his dismissal from the station on a Facebook post. Somervilles arrest came after he crashed his Porsche into another car in a downtown intersection in an accident caught on video. He is due to appear Feb. 28. I think its probably time to (let them know) were still listening and waiting, Holland said. Somerville was pulled off the air over his coverage of Gabby's case, MSNBC host Joy Reiddiscussed the Gabby Petito case. On March 19, 1958, Frank Somerville was born in San Luis Obispo, California, US. 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. [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. 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. It should have been much more about stepping into the journalism and giving respect and honor to the issue and people youre purporting to be in service of.. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. As per the sources, he was named after his father's friend Frank Patty. [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. But beyond that, the outlet did not get much more information from Somerville, who has had a rocky 2021. The disagreement, said sources, occurred earlier in the week after the body of Petito was discovered in Wyoming. 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. 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. Somervilles Bay Area roots helped make him popular with viewers. 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. But as community groups voice frustration, questions also remain over Somervilles suspension. 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.. 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. In interviews this week, Somerville declined to say anything more about his departure from KTVU, his arrest or his plans. 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). "No one at the station Fox/KTVU has contacted me. 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 . Arianna Fitts would now be eight years old, but she hasnt been seen since 2016, and CNN is shining new light on her case in hopes of a breakthrough. 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. "The Petito family certainly deserves answers and justice. 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. He became co-anchor of the stations highly rated Mornings on 2 in 1992. I would love to work at one of the other stations in the market. Somerville is the adoptive father of a Black teen daughter. 80346 /80620. 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. 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.". 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 is facing two DUI charges following a car accident on Dec. 30, 2021. 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. A KTVU spokesperson later explained that he left the air to focus on his health.. 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. He's still in mourning over the cancellation of "Freaks and Geeks. Among them, whether the anchor was offering an effective or appropriate way to challenge the medias often lopsided obsession with stories about White women in jeopardy. 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? AdWeek's TVSpy blog is covering his disappearance from the air as well. 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. Thats just a guess. 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. He was also named anchor of Channel 2 News at 5 in April 2005, when it was launched. Federal jury finds Bay Area man guilty in string of East Bay bank robberies In a May broadcast of KTVUs 10 p.m. news program, Somerville was recorded slurring his words and abruptly left midbroadcast with no explanation. Frank Somerville finally returns to KTVU: Are viewers owed an explanation? 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. Neither Fox nor KTVU has made any official statement on the matter. FRANK Somerville has reportedly been pulled off the air at KTVU over his coverage of the Gabby Petito case. [5] He then attended San Francisco State University. But if Petitos story needs to be told, so do the stories of thousands of overlooked women of color, they said. So, nothing like this happens again. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, March 7th 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the same location. [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. Shortly before the 5 p.m. broadcast, Eikel told Somerville she planned to cut the tag after newsroom editors raised concerns. Leslie Shawn Rayburn posted this. KTVU News Director Amber Eikel has allegedly taken Somerville off the air until further notice, as Liberman reports. 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. [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. Speaking about the case ofmissing geologist Daniel Robinson, she added: "I never heard of it until this friend of mine sent it to me. 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. The Alameda County District Attorneys Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE. As Somerville has pointed out on social media, he is the father of an adopted Black daughter. He is extremely sorry to the person he hit and has provided all information to his insurance company to cover the other drivers losses. 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. They had told me long before that.. By the end of the broadcast, co-anchor Julie Haener had taken over solo, and did the signoff for the show. Somerville does not believe that his Dec. 30 arrest in Oakland on suspicion of driving under the influence was a factor in the stations decision. 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. In November, Somerville told this news organization that management had not contacted him since September, when he was suspended from his anchoring duties for an off-air dispute about coverage of the Gabby Petito case. Holland wondered if KTVU or Fox simply hope the controversy will disappear. That's a shivering duck sheltering a puppy with its wings. Somerville, who has an adopted black daughter, reportedly pushed back after the tagline was refused. He was named as a person of interest in the case, and his remains were found in Florida last week. 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. Related Articles 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. I wish I could apologize to all of them in person. 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. All rights reserved, with driving under the influence following an arrest in late December in Oakland. This property is currently available for sale and was listed by MLS PIN on Mar . "I couldn't leave work at work," Somerville. So, I'm assuming I've done my last newscast," Somerville said. Since his departure from KTVU, he has steadily posted videos on Instagram featuring an assortment of commentary. The multiple Emmy winner lives in Oakland, grew up in Berkeley and graduated from Berkeley High and San Francisco State University. I would give anything to work there. ", "My guess is that Im not coming back to Channel 2, Somerville tells the Chronicle. 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. Petito, 22, had been reported missing earlier this month while on a cross-country camping trip. Frank Somerville is an American journalist and three-time Emmy Award winner. The venerated KTVU anchor spoke to the Bay Area News Group in an interview published . Sources said Eikel was willing to assign a reporter to do a separate, more in-depth story. ), He disputed one comment that said he looked sick on a video he posted talking about an incident in which his daughter was allegedly racially profiled. All this drama isnt good, Somerville said. 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[16][17][18][19], Somerville has been a vegetarian since the age of 12. 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 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. Silence irks activists, stirs questions about suspension. 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. In 2008, he was named co-anchor of the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, replacing 40-year veteran Dennis Richmond. Since Somervilles suspension, two rallies have been held outside the KTVU studios in Jack London Square on Oct. 2 and and Oct. 12, both sparked by Somervilles reported desire to address disparities in media coverage of White crime victims like Petito versus women of color. 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. But she hadnt and the new tag was removed. He was named after his father's childhood friend, Frank Patty, and his paternal grandfather, William 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. The couple has two daughters - one of which, Callie, who was adopted in 2005 when she was a baby. Somerville takes these charges very seriously. 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. He noted that his contract is up in January, so it seems like the management is just waiting that out. As of now, he is already 64 years old and his zodiac sign is Pisces. [6], Somerville was an intern at KTVU in 1981, while attending San Francisco State. Somerville was born on March 19, 1958, in San Luis Obispo, California, but was raised in Berkeley. "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. And the photo has since gone. Woman suspected of making threats toward Christian schools campus in Walnut Creek arrested 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 . Joshua Bote is the tech editor at SFGATE. George Galvis, executive director of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, which helped organize the Oct. 12 rally, said KTVUs silence is a response.. Somerville, a white male, is being lionized and becoming the topic of the story and not the women who have been ignored, Reynolds said. Theyre the backbone of Channel 2. 1 newscast in the market. 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. A search-warrant obtained blood sample later yielded a result of .24 blood-alcohol content. 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