Frank Somerville has spoken out for the first time since his Dec. 30 arrest for a suspected DUI. 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. 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. 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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. Hes one of the highest paid anchors in the Bay Area, but his contract is up in March. Frank Somerville finally returns to KTVU: Are viewers owed an explanation? Somerville, driving a 2014 Porsche 911, rear-ended a silver Audi. 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. Crime and Public Safety | Before moving to Frank's current city of Somerville, MA, Frank lived in Bolton MA.In the past, Frank has also been known as Frank J Bacci. 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. He is extremely sorry to the person he hit and has provided all information to his insurance company to cover the other drivers losses. [13], In December 2022, Somerville went public about his dismissal from the station on a Facebook post. Staff writer Harry Harris contributed to this report. 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 . According to Windham's statement, Somerville showed symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol when officers reached him. 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 . Info stolen in Oakland ransomware attack set to be released Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Frank Somerville is a journalist and news anchor for KTVU. Mr. He is also survived by many uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. Somerville was born on March 19, 1958, in San Luis Obispo, California, but was raised in Berkeley. 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. Reid hosted a discussion with representatives from the Black and Missing Foundation andNot Our Native Daughters Foundation when she made the comments. 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. 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. 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. "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. 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. 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 has worked as an online coordinator and, before that, a copy editor and page designer for Bay Area-based newspapers and magazines. I work out every day.. But she hadnt and the new tag was removed. Somervilles next hearing will take place May 6. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! I wish I could apologize to all of them in person. [citation needed] He attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1976. In wake of scandal, East Bay school district keeps a close eye on staff behavior 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. Former SF anchor Frank Somerville publicly opens up about arrest, KTVU exit. Since his suspension, Somerville has shared videos and posts on Instagram his social media platform of choice since leaving KTVU. But the way this story captivated the nation has many wondering why not the same media attention when people of color go missing?" He said it was deeply concerning that KTVU wasnt even willing to have a conversation about media coverage when it serves the Bay Areas diverse viewers. NEW - 21 HRS AGO. "The Petito family certainly deserves answers and justice. Somerville pushed back, but was overruled, a newsroom source said. The Berkeley native had been an intern at KTVU many years before. 3bd. 2. 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. Reid said. Somervilles arrest came after he crashed his Porsche into another car in a downtown intersection in an accident caught on video. In interviews this week, Somerville declined to say anything more about his departure from KTVU, his arrest or his plans. Ive given my heart and soul to Channel 2, he told the Bay Area News Group. I just dont notice the things you see, he added. The collision occurred eastbound on West Grand Avenue, Windham wrote. [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. 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. But Reynolds also faulted KTVU for fueling the controversy by not meeting with activists to discuss their complaints about coverage, saying that journalism organizations must offer a level of transparency and accountability., While not publicly commenting to reporters about his suspension, Somerville took to Instagram late last month to thank his fans for his support in standing up for what he believes no matter the consequences., We in the media cant be afraid to look in the mirror and ask ourselves tough questions about race and our coverage, Somerville said. Ive given my heart and soul to Channel 2. 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 . This was Somervilles second suspension in a tumultuous year. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. On March 19, 1958, Frank Somerville was born in San Luis Obispo, California, US. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. Who is Frank Somerville? 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. 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. "I couldn't leave work at work," Somerville. Jurors hopelessly deadlocked in Bay Point murder trial, mistrial declared Somerville has kept his relationship with Donna mostly private, however, in an interview with the National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences, he opened up about his personal life. "No one at the station Fox/KTVU has contacted me. Last fall, he told this news organization that he anticipated his days anchoring at KTVU were over after he was suspended in September for an off-air dispute about the coverage of the Gabby Petito 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. 1. 53-127 m (174-417 ft) (avg. 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. A search-warrant obtained blood sample later yielded a result of .24 blood-alcohol content. 2 Frank Somerville Credit: Facebook/Frank Somerville Who is Frank Somerville's wife? Leslie Shawn Rayburn posted this. But I have no reason to think otherwise.". For whatever reason, they decided not to re-sign me.. 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. ", Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. More than a month after Frank Somerville was suspended from KTVU, the popular anchor remains off the air with no word from either him or the station about if or when he might return. OAKLAND The Alameda County District Attorneys Office has filed two misdemeanor charges against former KTVU news anchor Frank Somerville in connection with his arrest late last year on suspicion of driving under the influence, authorities said. 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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. Sources said Eikel was willing to assign a reporter to do a separate, more in-depth story. The longtime news anchor faced a rocky 2021. 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. In 1992, he became co-anchor of the station's popular Mornings on 2 show. Somerville wanted the tag to address domestic violence and the medias tendency to overlook reports about missing and slain women of color, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, which obtained a copy of Somervilles original tag. Somerville has had a tumultuous year. The longtime news anchor faced a rocky 2021. 1 newscast in the market. The couple has two daughters - one of which, Callie, who was adopted in 2005 when she was a baby. George Galvis, executive director of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, which helped organize the Oct. 12 rally, said KTVUs silence is a response.. The FBI has issued an arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie, Petitos 23-year-old fianc. Somerville is the adoptive father of a Black teen daughter. Theyre not re-signing me. 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. 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. [16][17][18][19], Somerville has been a vegetarian since the age of 12. 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. 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. [2][3][4], Somerville was born on March 19, 1958, in San Luis Obispo, California, but was raised in Berkeley. 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. Somerville was hospitalized shortly after the incident and was booked at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. The California native first started at KTVU as an intern in 1981 while attending San Francisco State University. 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. 2. KTVU was prepared to air a news report detailing the latest developments in the case. 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. I also helped make the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts No. He's still in mourning over the cancellation of "Freaks and Geeks. 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. 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. Sources told the outlet that Somerville was informed by station management the next day that he was being suspended. 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. All rights reserved, with driving under the influence following an arrest in late December in Oakland. Crime and Public Safety | I feel great, he said in response. Silence irks activists, stirs questions about suspension. FRANK Somerville has reportedly been pulled off the air at KTVU over his coverage of the Gabby Petito case. He became co-anchor of the stations highly rated Mornings on 2 in 1992. ", "My guess is that Im not coming back to Channel 2, Somerville tells the Chronicle. Following the suspension and subsequent social media attention, two rallies were held in support of Somerville outside KTVU headquarters in Oakland. 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. 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.. 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. His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. His name came after his father's friend, Frank Patty and his parental grandfather, William Somerville . In 2008, he was named co-anchor of the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, replacing 40-year veteran Dennis Richmond. Related Articles A KTVU spokesperson later explained that he left the air to focus on his health.. At that point, Somerville stopped driving; police arrived a short time 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. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! By the end of the broadcast, co-anchor Julie Haener had taken over solo, and did the signoff for the show. 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.. Email us at exclusive@the-sun.com or call 212 416 4552. "I still want to continue working, Somerville tells the Mercury News. Its really, really sad, because Ive given 31 years to the station, he said. George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. They had told me long before that.. 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. His parents raised him in Berkeley, California. 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.". [1] During his three decades at KTVU in Oakland, California, Somerville received three Emmy Awards, including one for best on-camera news anchor. 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.. But if Petitos story needs to be told, so do the stories of thousands of overlooked women of color, they said. Frank Celeste, Gibson Sotheby's International Realty. There was no word on how heated the discussion got. 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. 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. Crime and Public Safety | 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.. 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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. Staff writers Harry Harris and Rick Hurd contributed to this report. What Somerville did that was so wrong is less clear. [5] He then attended San Francisco State University. And the photo has since gone. 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.. 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. 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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. 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. 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.. Reynolds said Somerville may have been well-intentioned, and that he certainly seems passionate about fairness in coverage. Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox. Somerville, a white male, is being lionized and becoming the topic of the story and not the women who have been ignored, Reynolds said.
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