Reid said. The venerated KTVU anchor spoke to the Bay Area News Group in an interview published . 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. 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Related Articles But if Petitos story needs to be told, so do the stories of thousands of overlooked women of color, they 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.. Leslie Shawn Rayburn posted this. "I couldn't leave work at work," Somerville. About Frank; Contact Information; Court Records; Frank Bacci is 50 years old today because Frank's birthday is on 09/10/1972. 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. By the end of the broadcast, co-anchor Julie Haener had taken over solo, and did the signoff for the show. 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. 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). Frank Somerville finally returns to KTVU: Are viewers owed an explanation? 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. His parents raised him in Berkeley, California. Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville shared a Facebook post Saturday reflecting on his arrest and his termination from KTVU nearly a year later. [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. [citation needed] He attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1976. Somerville, 63, took over as anchor of the six o'clock and ten o'clock news broadcasts at KTVU in 2008, following the retirement of Dennis Richmond. 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. 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 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. ContactGeorge Kelly at 408-859-5180. 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.". 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.. There was no word on how heated the discussion got. 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. Somerville is the adoptive father of a Black teen daughter. 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. 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. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Somerville was pulled off the air over his coverage of Gabby's case, MSNBC host Joy Reiddiscussed the Gabby Petito case. 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. I appreciate and admire what they do every day.. 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. But the way this story captivated the nation has many wondering why not the same media attention when people of color go missing?" Reid hosted a discussion with representatives from the Black and Missing Foundation andNot Our Native Daughters Foundation when she made the comments. Somerville has had a tumultuous year. He took a nine-week leave to focus on his health and had only returned in August. [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. In a May broadcast of KTVUs 10 p.m. news program, Somerville was recorded slurring his words and abruptly left midbroadcast with no explanation. 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. Somerville's attorney said that he is "attending meetings and working on himself. February 27, 2023 equitable estoppel california No Comments . 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%. "[11], On December 30, 2021, Somerville was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after an automobile collision. In 2008, he was named co-anchor of the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, replacing 40-year veteran Dennis Richmond. Frank Somerville is a journalist and news anchor for KTVU. 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. Crime and Public Safety | He's still in mourning over the cancellation of "Freaks and Geeks. ", Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Franqueville ( French pronunciation: [fkvil]; Picard: Franqville) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France . You can see video of the Sunday 10 o'clock broadcast below, in which Somerville has difficulty reading from his teleprompter. 1 newscast in the market. Somerville, 63, won the awards at KTVU, which included an accolade for best on-camera news anchor. frank somerville house. (He was a prolific Facebook user until September. 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. 3,096 sqft. 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. Since then, Fox and station management have refused to publicly speak to the issue. The longtime news anchor faced a rocky 2021. He is also survived by many uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Somervilles arrest came after he crashed his Porsche into another car in a downtown intersection in an accident caught on video. 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? Additionally, he spent his childhood in Berkeley and was raised there. I helped make Mornings on 2 the No. 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 . 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. 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. The couple has two daughters - one of which, Callie, who was adopted in 2005 when she was a baby. NEW - 21 HRS AGO. For whatever reason, they decided not to re-sign me.. In wake of scandal, East Bay school district keeps a close eye on staff behavior But she hadnt and the new tag was removed. "I feel like a total idiot," Somerville allegedly said. 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. . He said the couple spend their "together time" at the gym and that the pair "encourage each otherto keep pushing.". 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. The disagreement, said sources, occurred earlier in the week after the body of Petito was discovered in Wyoming. 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. Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox. Theyre not re-signing me. I just dont notice the things you see, he added. Because Mr. Somervilles case is pending, he cannot personally comment at this time, but he takes full responsibility for what happened that night.. 2. Seven weeks later, he was off the air again. 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. As per the sources, he was named after his father's friend Frank Patty. His name came after his father's friend, Frank Patty and his parental grandfather, William Somerville . Frank Somerville is an American journalist and three-time Emmy Award winner. 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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. Somerville is expected to appear in court Feb. 28, the Bay Area News Group reports. Somervilles Bay Area roots helped make him popular with viewers. 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. 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. Somervilles next hearing will take place May 6. Early Life and Education. The longtime KTVU news anchor is married to his wife, Donna Wright, a television producer. Following the suspension and subsequent social media attention, two rallies were held in support of Somerville outside KTVU headquarters in Oakland. Thats just a guess. Frank Somerville has spoken out for the first time since his Dec. 30 arrest for a suspected DUI. So I am done at Channel 2, Somerville said in a brief phone interview this week with the Bay Area News Group. 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 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 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. But I have no reason to think otherwise.". 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. 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.". As per his date of birth, his birth sign is Pisces. 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 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. 42 Portfolio, Somerville, MA 02143 is a 9 bedroom, 18 bathroom, 15,789 sqft multi-family built in 1900. 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. "Well, the answer actually has a name: Missing White Woman Syndrome, the term coined by the late and greatGwen Ifillto describe the media and public fascination with missing white women likeLaci PetersonorNatalee Holloway,while ignoring cases involving of people of color.".