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. [6] Who is Frank Somerville? Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. Venerated KTVU anchor Frank Somerville will be 'taking time - SFGATE 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. I would love to work at one of the other stations in the market. 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. Frank Bacci (J), 50 Public Records - Somerville Massachusetts Somerville was pulled off the air over his coverage of Gabby's case, MSNBC host Joy Reiddiscussed the Gabby Petito case. I think its really indicative of the silencing and invisibility of Black and brown people, said Galvis, whose group worked with Restoring Justice for Indigenous Peoples to organize the rally. 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. She'd now be 8 years old, and her case got little national attention at the time and she remains unaccounted for. 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. A station spokesperson could not be reached as of Friday evening, and Eikel declined to comment. Stay up to date! I appreciate and admire what they do every day.. This latest incident, coming just six weeks after Somervilles return to the anchor desk, will undoubtedly trigger speculation about his future with the station. KTVU anchor Frank Somerville remains off air after abrupt Sunday exit Why is 'Gabriel Salazar car accident' trending? 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. 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. 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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KTVU again removes Frank Somerville from the 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 . Since then, Fox and station management have refused to publicly speak to the issue. Somervilles Bay Area roots helped make him popular with viewers. 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. [5] He then attended San Francisco State University. The FBI has issued an arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie, Petitos 23-year-old fianc. Somerville takes these charges very seriously. 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. 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. Elevation. 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. "[11], On December 30, 2021, Somerville was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after an automobile collision. Who is Frank Somerville's wife, Donna? KTVU anchor's family life explored Related Articles 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.. He is extremely sorry to the person he hit and has provided all information to his insurance company to cover the other drivers losses. Crime and Public Safety | Somerville was not involved in that flub. 1 newscast in the market. His parents raised him in Berkeley, California. Because Mr. Somervilles case is pending, he cannot personally comment at this time, but he takes full responsibility for what happened that night.. There was no word on how heated the discussion got. 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. Robert Neil O'Keefe Jr. Obituary (1981 - 2023) | Somerville, New Jersey 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. The crash had nothing to do with it, Somerville said, saying managers had decided to cut him loose months earlier. Somerville was hospitalized shortly after the incident and was booked at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville speaks about addiction struggles Driver allegedly hit by Frank Somerville says TV anchor floored his Write by: . TV Streaming | Jay C. Barmann is a fiction writer and web editor who's lived in San Francisco for 20+ years. 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. 53-127 m (174-417 ft) (avg. 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. Frank Somerville is an American journalist and three-time Emmy Award winner. ", "My guess is that Im not coming back to Channel 2, Somerville tells the Chronicle. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office filed charges against former Bay Area news anchor Frank Somerville following a Dec. 30 car wreck in a busy downtown Oakland intersection. 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. Additionally, he spent his childhood in Berkeley and was raised there. They had told me long before that.. Hes one of the highest paid anchors in the Bay Area, but his contract is up in March. The next day, Somerville was told he was suspended for defying a superiors orders, sources said. In 1992, he became co-anchor of the station's popular Mornings on 2 show. 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. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. In 2008, he was named co-anchor of the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, replacing 40-year veteran Dennis Richmond. 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. We wanted to give KTVU a chance to see if they would independently respond, said George Holland, the president of the Oakland chapter of the NAACP, which hosted a rally for 40 to 50 people on Oct. 2. The multiple Emmy winner lives in Oakland, grew up in Berkeley and graduated from Berkeley High and San Francisco State University. Frank Somerville has spoken out for the first time since his Dec. 30 arrest for a suspected DUI. Frank Somerville: KTVU anchor fired for discussion on 'missing - MEAWW He is a graduate of Bowie State University in Maryland with a BS degree in communications. And the photo has since gone. Crime and Public Safety | Who is KTVU TV anchor Frank Somerville? | The US Sun Somerville was hospitalized shortly after the incident and was booked at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Somerville's attorney said that he is "attending meetings and working on himself. 3,096 sqft. Frank Somerville - Facebook By the end of the broadcast, co-anchor Julie Haener had taken over solo, and did the signoff for the show. As of now, he is already 64 years old and his zodiac sign is Pisces. I just dont notice the things you see, he added. Another white person in Pacific Heights has been captured on video being an asshole to a person of color, this time questioning a man who was delivering Narcan to a nearby halfway house. Crime and Public Safety | Woman suspected of making threats toward Christian schools campus in Walnut Creek arrested Neither Fox nor KTVU has made any official statement on the matter. 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. [8] He returned to the anchor chair on August 4 without addressing the incident that saw his brief departure. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! This was Somervilles second suspension in a tumultuous year. Frank Somerville finally returns to KTVU: Are viewers owed an explanation? 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.. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Reid hosted a discussion with representatives from the Black and Missing Foundation andNot Our Native Daughters Foundation when she made the comments. Somervilles arrest came after he crashed his Porsche into another car in a downtown intersection in an accident caught on video. "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. 2. 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. Crime and Public Safety | KTVU News Director Amber Eikel has allegedly taken Somerville off the air until further notice, as Liberman reports. 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. 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 . 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. Sign up for NBC Bay Areas Housing Deconstructed newsletter. 4ba. His next scheduled court appearance will be 9 a.m. May 6 at Oaklands Wiley Manuel courthouse, a district attorney spokesperson said. 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. And I guess thats the issue, isnt it?. 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. Frank Somerville says he's done at KTVU, apologizes to newsroom for 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. Email us at exclusive@the-sun.com or call 212 416 4552. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Somervilles last newscast for KTVU was on Sept. 21. George Galvis, executive director of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, which helped organize the Oct. 12 rally, said KTVUs silence is a response.. 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. 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. 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? Somerville was born on March 19, 1958, in San Luis Obispo, California, but was raised in Berkeley. 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.". The California native first started at KTVU as an intern in 1981 while attending San Francisco State University. 42 Portfolio, Somerville, MA 02143 is a 9 bedroom, 18 bathroom, 15,789 sqft multi-family built in 1900. 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. But the way this story captivated the nation has many wondering why not the same media attention when people of color go missing?" TV anchor Frank Somerville 'pulled off air' over Gabby Petito dispute 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.