He grew up in the Los Angeles area, went to UC Berkeley and has previously worked as a news reporter at USA Today and SFGATE and as a music writer at NPR. Write by: . 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. The collision occurred eastbound on West Grand Avenue, Windham wrote. In an interview with the Bay Area News Group published Friday, the celebrated former KTVU anchor. 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 request was denied by KTVU news director Amber Eikel, who called the tag line inappropriate, according to the source. KTVU's "Ten O'Clock News" has long held the top spot for the Bay Area's highest rated news broadcast. Jay C. Barmann is a fiction writer and web editor who's lived in San Francisco for 20+ years. [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. 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. The Berkeley native had been an intern at KTVU many years before. Over the years he has become one of the station's most recognisable having presented on screen for more than two decades. 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. 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. Somervilles next hearing will take place May 6. Reynolds said Somerville may have been well-intentioned, and that he certainly seems passionate about fairness in coverage. Somerville was hospitalized shortly after the incident and was booked at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. 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. 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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Frank Somerville finally returns to KTVU: Are viewers owed an explanation? 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 . Previously: Anchorman Frank Somerville's Future at KTVU In Doubt As Rumors Swirl About High Drama In the Newsroom. KTVU News Director Amber Eikel has allegedly taken Somerville off the air until further notice, as Liberman reports. And I guess thats the issue, isnt it?. Somerville has had a tumultuous year. He is also survived by many uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. 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. Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville is facing two DUI charges following a car accident on Dec. 30, 2021. Born Frank William Somerville on 19th March 1958 in San Luis Obispo, California, Frank Somerville is a journalist. According to Windham's statement, Somerville showed symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol when officers reached him. 2. But I have no reason to think otherwise.". Why is 'Gabriel Salazar car accident' trending? 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. Somerville later excused that saying he had mistakenly taken an Ambien before going on the air. By the end of the broadcast, co-anchor Julie Haener had taken over solo, and did the signoff for the show. On Tuesday, the district attorneys office charged Somerville with driving under the influence of alcohol, as well as driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08, with an added clause for having a level over .15. Staff writers Harry Harris and Rick Hurd contributed to this report. Woman suspected of making threats toward Christian schools campus in Walnut Creek arrested Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville shared a Facebook post Saturday reflecting on his arrest and his termination from KTVU nearly a year later. Joshua Bote is the tech editor at SFGATE. 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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. Venerated KTVU anchor Frank Somerville, days after an odd Sunday broadcast in which he can be seen on-air slurring his speech while reading a teleprompter, will be on indefinite leave starting . 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. 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. She'd now be 8 years old, and her case got little national attention at the time and she remains unaccounted for. NEW - 21 HRS AGO. [14][15], Somerville was married to television producer Donna Wright Somerville for more than 20 years; the couple has two daughters. Theyre the backbone of Channel 2. What Somerville did that was so wrong is less clear. The disagreement, said sources, occurred earlier in the week after the body of Petito was discovered in Wyoming. As per his date of birth, his birth sign is Pisces. Reid said. 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.. There was no word on how heated the discussion got. 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. 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. Frank Somerville is an American journalist and three-time Emmy Award winner. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Look closely at this picture. He is extremely sorry to the person he hit and has provided all information to his insurance company to cover the other drivers losses. Following a car crash late last December, embattled Bay Areareporter Frank Somerville now faces two DUI charges. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Somervilles attorney Shannan Dugan acknowledged the charges. [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. Crime and Public Safety | Silence irks activists, stirs questions about suspension, Oakland NAACP calls for Frank Somervilles reinstatement at KTVU. 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. Ive given my heart and soul to Channel 2. 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. As of now, he is already 64 years old and his zodiac sign is Pisces. 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%. Somerville was hospitalized shortly after the incident and was booked at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. 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.. As of Thursday afternoon, officials at KTVU and at Fox had not responded to repeated emails asking about Somervilles departure or about whether they had offically signed a replacement. 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.". FRANK Somerville has reportedly been pulled off the air at KTVU over his coverage of the Gabby Petito case. 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. 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. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. 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? 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. 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He is due to appear Feb. 28. ContactGeorge Kelly at 408-859-5180. 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. Thats just a guess. This property is currently available for sale and was listed by MLS PIN on Mar . He has worked as an online coordinator and, before that, a copy editor and page designer for Bay Area-based newspapers and magazines. 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. [13], In December 2022, Somerville went public about his dismissal from the station on a Facebook post. 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. "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. 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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. 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. 1. In interviews this week, Somerville declined to say anything more about his departure from KTVU, his arrest or his plans. 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. So I am done at Channel 2, Somerville said in a brief phone interview this week with the Bay Area News Group. "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.". 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. 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. Related Articles 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. The longtime news anchor faced a rocky 2021. His name came after his father's friend, Frank Patty and his parental grandfather, William Somerville . Ive given my heart and soul to Channel 2, he told the Bay Area News Group. "I still want to continue working, Somerville tells the Mercury News. Sources said that Somerville was informed by station management the next day that he was being suspended. 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. 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. While Somerville was attending San Francisco State University in 1981, he interned at KTVU. 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. AdWeek's TVSpy blog is covering his disappearance from the air as well. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Mr. FRANK Somerville has reportedly been pulled off the air at KTVU over his coverage of the Gabby Petito case. A KTVU spokesperson later explained that he left the air to focus on his health.. "No one at the station Fox/KTVU has contacted me. 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. Officers who spoke with Somerville said he exhibited symptoms of being under the influence of an alcoholic beverage: bloodshot/watery eyes, thick/slurred speech, and odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person.. The couple has two daughters - one of which, Callie, who was adopted in 2005 when she was a baby. TV Streaming | He's still in mourning over the cancellation of "Freaks and Geeks. I work out every day.. For whatever reason, they decided not to re-sign me.. ", He adds, "It makes me really sad, because Ive given 31 years to the station. 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. About Frank; Contact Information; Court Records; Frank Bacci is 50 years old today because Frank's birthday is on 09/10/1972. He noted that his contract is up in January, so it seems like the management is just waiting that out. Frank Somerville, the anchor for KTVU, has been 'suspended indefinitely' by the network Credit: Facebook/Frank Somerville. A picture of him styling his Black, adopted daughter's hair went viral on the Internet. 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 . He was named after his father's childhood friend, Frank Patty, and his paternal grandfather, William Somerville. 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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. On September 26, it was reported thatSomerville was pulled off the air over his coverage of Gabby's casejust days after Joy Reid's "missing white women" comments. I just dont notice the things you see, he added. His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. 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. He became co-anchor of the stations highly rated Mornings on 2 in 1992. [6] 2. ), 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. He was named after his father's childhood friend, Frank Patty, and his paternal grandfather, William Somerville. 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. [citation needed] He attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1976. Frank Celeste, Gibson Sotheby's International Realty. He is a graduate of Bowie State University in Maryland with a BS degree in communications. 1 newscast in the market. 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