Somervilles Bay Area roots helped make him popular with viewers. As per his date of birth, his birth sign is Pisces. Crime and Public Safety | 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. 1 newscast in the market. During a now-infamous May 30 newscast, he repeatedly slurred and stumbled over his words and appeared to have trouble reading off the teleprompter. I helped make Mornings on 2 the No. 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. 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. 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. He was named after his father's childhood friend, Frank Patty, and his paternal grandfather, William Somerville. 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. 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. Since his suspension, Somerville has shared videos and posts on Instagram his social media platform of choice since leaving KTVU. 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. 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 . There was no word on how heated the discussion got. AdWeek's TVSpy blog is covering his disappearance from the air as well. Crime and Public Safety | That's a shivering duck sheltering a puppy with its wings. Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox. ", "My guess is that Im not coming back to Channel 2, Somerville tells the Chronicle. 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. Crime and Public Safety | 1. 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.. Following a car crash late last December, embattled Bay Areareporter Frank Somerville now faces two DUI charges. Stay up to date! A search-warrant obtained blood sample later yielded a result of .24 blood-alcohol content. Somerville later excused that saying he had mistakenly taken an Ambien before going on the air. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Crime and Public Safety | So I am done at Channel 2, Somerville said in a brief phone interview this week with the Bay Area News Group. What Somerville did that was so wrong is less clear. FRANK Somerville has reportedly been pulled off the air at KTVU over his coverage of the Gabby Petito case. He is due to appear Feb. 28. 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. 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. And I guess thats the issue, isnt it?. His next scheduled court appearance will be 9 a.m. May 6 at Oaklands Wiley Manuel courthouse, a district attorney spokesperson said. Frank Somerville (born March 19, 1958) is an American television journalist. 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. He became co-anchor of the stations highly rated Mornings on 2 in 1992. [5] He then attended San Francisco State University. On March 19, 1958, Frank Somerville was born in San Luis Obispo, California, US. And I wont stop fighting for equal media representation for all victims.. 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. 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.". Sources told the outlet that Somerville was informed by station management the next day that he was being suspended. Leslie Shawn Rayburn posted this. 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. [5] He then attended San Francisco State University. I work out every day.. 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. 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. Theyre not re-signing me. 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. Frank Somerville has spoken out for the first time since his Dec. 30 arrest for a suspected DUI. 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. Sign up for NBC Bay Areas Housing Deconstructed newsletter. 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. "I couldn't leave work at work," Somerville. Somerville has reportedly been "suspended indefinitely" after a behind-the-scenes disagreement about his coverage of the22-year-old vlogger's disappearance. 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. Thats just a guess. There was no word on how heated the discussion got. Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox. [8] He returned to the anchor chair on August 4 without addressing the incident that saw his brief departure. He is also survived by many uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. 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. They had told me long before that.. Additionally, he spent his childhood in Berkeley and was raised there. As per the sources, he was named after his father's friend Frank Patty. 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. NEW - 21 HRS AGO. Holland wondered if KTVU or Fox simply hope the controversy will disappear. A KTVU spokesperson later explained that he left the air to focus on his health.. Somerville's attorney said that he is "attending meetings and working on himself. The longtime news anchor faced a rocky 2021. Somerville reportedly told the producer that Eikel had approved a shortened version, a source said. The disagreement, said sources, occurred earlier in the week after the body of Petito was discovered in Wyoming. The collision occurred eastbound on West Grand Avenue, Windham wrote. 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. He returned in August, but a month after, was suspended permanently following turmoil over the coverage of Gabby Petito, the missing van-lifer who was killed by her fiance Brian Laundrie in September. 2 Frank Somerville Credit: Facebook/Frank Somerville Who is Frank Somerville's wife? Alameda County DA charges former TV 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), Alameda County DA charges former TV anchor Frank Somerville with DUIs, Info stolen in Oakland ransomware attack set to be released, Woman suspected of making threats toward Christian schools campus in Walnut Creek arrested, Federal jury finds Bay Area man guilty in string of East Bay bank robberies, Jurors hopelessly deadlocked in Bay Point murder trial, mistrial declared, In wake of scandal, East Bay school district keeps a close eye on staff behavior. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSunUS and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunUS, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Frank Somerville, Donna Wright Somerville and their two daughters, Brian Laundrie cops narrow search based on new intelligence as rancher says Gabby Petito's fianc is NOT in reserve, Mystery as mom & son, 2 fall to their deaths before game at San Diego Padres stadium as cops probe suspicious case, Horrifying moment two starving Afghan boys are lashed to a wooden post by the Taliban for stealing bread, ISIS leader Abu Omar Khorasani executed by Taliban at Afghan prison as jihadis wage war after Afghanistans collapse, Inwood shooting: 'Five shot' outside Manhattan restaurant as 'gunman opened fire at crowd', Sickening moment young woman in a black bikini viciously attacks a teenage sunbather, Gabriel Salazar 'car accident': Heartbroken pals pay tribute to TikTok star Gabe amid reports influencer died aged 19. Somervilles arrest came after he crashed his Porsche into another car in a downtown intersection in an accident caught on video. While Somerville was attending San Francisco State University in 1981, he interned at KTVU. Crime and Public Safety | [13], In December 2022, Somerville went public about his dismissal from the station on a Facebook post. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Elevation. As Somerville has pointed out on social media, he is the father of an adopted Black daughter. 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. Somerville, a white male, is being lionized and becoming the topic of the story and not the women who have been ignored, Reynolds said. Frank Somerville finally returns to KTVU: Are viewers owed an explanation? Ive given my heart and soul to Channel 2. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Somervilles attorney Shannan Dugan acknowledged the charges. I work out every day.. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Frank Celeste, Gibson Sotheby's International Realty. The California native first started at KTVU as an intern in 1981 while attending San Francisco State University. He is a graduate of Bowie State University in Maryland with a BS degree in communications. KTVU was prepared to air a news report detailing the latest developments in the case. Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville shared a Facebook post Saturday reflecting on his arrest and his termination from KTVU nearly a year later. 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. 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.. 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. Get all the latest & greatest posts delivered straight to your inbox, Longtime Bay Area Anchor Frank Somerville Off Air Since Slurred-Speech Broadcast On Sunday, AdWeek's TVSpy blog is covering his disappearance, fake names of the pilots of Asiana Airlines Flight 214, 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. Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville is facing two DUI charges following a car accident on Dec. 30, 2021. 53-127 m (174-417 ft) (avg. 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. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, March 7th 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the same location. Write by: . A picture of him styling his Black, adopted daughter's hair went viral on the Internet. 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. 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). The longtime news anchor faced a rocky 2021. His name came after his father's friend, Frank Patty and his parental grandfather, William Somerville . I just dont notice the things you see, he added. 80346 /80620. Sources said Eikel was willing to assign a reporter to do a separate, more in-depth story. [6] 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. I also helped make the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts No. ", Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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). 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. Because Mr. Somervilles case is pending, he cannot personally comment at this time, but he takes full responsibility for what happened that night.. 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%. 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. 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. 2. Reid hosted a discussion with representatives from the Black and Missing Foundation andNot Our Native Daughters Foundation when she made the comments. Since then, Fox and station management have refused to publicly speak to the issue. Somerville spoke this morning to local media hound Rich Lieberman who said Somerville was speaking to him exclusively but very quickly Somerville gave quotes to the Mercury News and the Chronicle saying that he's all but certain he won't ever be at the anchor desk again at KTVU. 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. So, nothing like this happens again. Jurors hopelessly deadlocked in Bay Point murder trial, mistrial declared When an officer-administered field sobriety test showed signs of impairment, Somerville consented to an alcohol screening test; he blew two tests, registering .239 and .219 blood-alcohol levels, according to the statement. Its another strange twist in a turbulent year for Somerville. 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 . Somerville is expected to appear in court Feb. 28, the Bay Area News Group reports. Who is Frank Somerville? At that point, Somerville stopped driving; police arrived a short time later. In interviews this week, Somerville declined to say anything more about his departure from KTVU, his arrest or his plans. If not, Ill go to other stations outside of the market. 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.. 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. MSNBC host Joy Reiddiscussed the Gabby Petito case on her showon September 20. Seven weeks later, he was off the air again. 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. 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. The months-long saga surrounding longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville may have finally reached its conclusion. 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. According to Windham's statement, Somerville showed symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol when officers reached him. 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. In an interview with the Bay Area News Group published Friday, the celebrated former KTVU anchor confirmed that his former employer will not re-sign him and allegedly not because of his arrest. This was Somervilles second suspension in a tumultuous year. The FBI has issued an arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie, Petitos 23-year-old fianc. Somerville pushed back, but was overruled, a newsroom source said. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. He was also named anchor of Channel 2 News at 5 in April 2005, when it was launched. A tag is a brief closing to a story thats typically read by an anchor. Silence irks activists, stirs questions about suspension, Oakland NAACP calls for Frank Somervilles reinstatement at KTVU. I wish I could apologize to all of them in person. February 27, 2023 equitable estoppel california No Comments . But as community groups voice frustration, questions also remain over Somervilles suspension. 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.. 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. 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. Jay C. Barmann is a fiction writer and web editor who's lived in San Francisco for 20+ years. The next day, Somerville was told he was suspended for defying a superiors orders, sources said. 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. His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. KTVU News Director Amber Eikel has allegedly taken Somerville off the air until further notice, as Liberman reports. Joshua Bote is the tech editor at SFGATE. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. 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.. Frank Somerville said Tuesday that he expects he has anchored his last newscast at KTVU, given that management hasn't contacted him since he was suspended in September for an off-air dispute. . 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. The veteran anchor was told that the tagline was inappropriate and he apparently pushed back on it. Frank Somerville is an American journalist and three-time Emmy Award winner. Mr. Sources said that Somerville was informed by station management the next day that he was being suspended. 2. 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. [2][3][4], Somerville was born on March 19, 1958, in San Luis Obispo, California, but was raised in Berkeley. Look closely at this picture. [citation needed] He attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1976. He said the couple spend their "together time" at the gym and that the pair "encourage each otherto keep pushing.". But I have no reason to think otherwise.". 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.". But even with such declarations, community activists say they have yet to hear from the station managers or Fox about their concerns. 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. [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. All rights reserved, with driving under the influence following an arrest in late December in Oakland. Email: joshua.bote@sfgate.com and Signal: 707-742-3756, Frank Somerville speaks out for the first time since arrest for suspected DUI, 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, Amazon to shutter all Amazon Go stores in San Francisco, Officials warn Bay Area travelers to avoid Tahoe this weekend, expect delays, Snowboarder dies at Tahoe's Heavenly ski resort following recent blizzard, Salesforce continues to slash office space with six-floor tower sublease, Third Culture Bakery closes San Francisco cafe after just 4 months, Hackers claim Oakland ransomware attack, leak 'confidential' data, 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). 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. 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. Frank Somerville has spoken out for the first time since his Dec. 30 arrest for a suspected DUI. 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. Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville shared a Facebook post Saturday reflecting on his arrest and his termination from . And the photo has since gone. Stay up to date! Since his departure from KTVU, he has steadily posted videos on Instagram featuring an assortment of commentary. [14][15], Somerville was married to television producer Donna Wright Somerville for more than 20 years; the couple has two daughters. 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. Silence irks activists, stirs questions about suspension. $5,550,000. I would love to work at one of the other stations in the market. 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. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! He noted that his contract is up in January, so it seems like the management is just waiting that out. 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 . 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. 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?