30 Apr 2023 04:41:38 Those are people that you don't forget," said Sasaki. Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville gave his first on-camera interview since his arrest for a DUI crash in December 2021. Fans of Somerville's expressed relief and happiness about his return in replies to an unrelated post he put on Facebook on Wednesday before the broadcast, which was about his daughter starting her senior year in high school. Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville speaks about addiction - MSN "Janice brings unique strengths that will make our newsroom even better." How long has it been since May started off this cold in Bay Area? and I also want to say sorry to all my co workers and all the viewers. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Lauren Hernndez joined The San Francisco Chronicle in 2018. As a veritable breaking news guru, Griffith became master of the three-ring circus in what can be chaotic situations when a major story breaks. She shared about the last time she heard from Griffith. "I was so depressed and sad that night, it turned me into a zombie, Somerville told The Chronicle on Monday, recalling how he left his home intending to stop at a nearby Taco Bell, and had no memory of the crash. ", Previously: KTVU Anchorman Frank Somerville Arrested In Suspected DUI Crash In Downtown Oakland. He has been taking 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, said Dugan. Gin could be in line to produce KTVU's new 6 p.m. newscast, which is set to begin March 27. KTVU staff members fired over Asiana racist name gaffe including "The 10 O'Clock News" on KTVU remains the Bay Area's highest-rated news broadcast. The Alameda County District Attorney charged Somerville with three misdemeanors. The station also announced that it had hired Janice Gin as associate news director. Many locals remember her for her 22-year career at the station, much of her time was spent alongside Dennis Richmond at the anchor desk. Speaking to the Chronicle, Somerville says he's incredibly embarassed and ashamed about the DUI, for which he has mostly paid his penance through community service. But, as the East Bay Times reports, neither the station nor Somerville himself have publicly addressed the elephant in the room, which is the reason for his alarming behavior that night in May and why he took a nine-week leave of absence. 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 . 13:43 BST 25 Jul 2013. Get TVSpy delivered straight to your inbox, Technical Audio Producer (Part-Time Contract). Now, as Somerville tells it in a Saturday Facebook post and in an interview with the Chronicle, it was a kind of rock bottom. However, the apologies from KTVU and the NTSB have done little to abate anger over the issue. 10:23 BST 25 Jul 2013 Meet the woman with the most harrowing job in Britain: Sally spends her days viewing vile images as part of a tiny team battling internet porn - how DOES she cope? ClubAlcohol Plovdiv is on Facebook. Her reporting has received awards in California and Oregon. He quickly disappeared from the air and co-anchor Julie Haener finished the broadcast on her own, and without explanation, Haener anchored alone or with other guest anchors for the next several months. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? Noon news producer Elvin Sledge told colleagues he was leaving for health reasons. Mibach is being promoted and will take up the anchor desk starting May 2 and serve as the stations weeknight anchor at 5, 6, 10 and 11 p.m. alongside Julie Haener, according to a KTVU news release provided to The Chronicle on Thursday from a spokesperson from Fox Television Stations, which owns KTVU. Ex-news anchor back at KTVU as writer, reporter - SFGATE He is extremely sorry to the person he hit and has provided all information to his insurance company to cover the other drivers losses., Technical Audio Producer (Part-Time Contract)Bloomberg LPNew York, New York, Former KTVU Anchor Frank Somerville Charged with DUI After December Crash, An error has occurred, please try again later. Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Frank Somerville Deals with Alcohol Abuse Head-On; KTVU News Anchor After serving as anchor of the Bay Area's most-watched news broadcast for the last decade-plus, Somerville was the subject of widespread speculation following an on-camera incident over Memorial . Asiana Airlines has identified two of the four flying crew on board as the pilot and copilot Lee Kang-kook and Lee Jung-min. GEORGE WATSON, a popular KTVU Channel 2 news anchor whose much- publicized battles with alcoholism saw him spiral into homelessness, has returned to the station after four years of sobriety. When the driver of the Audi got out of his car after the crash, Somerville allegedly kept driving, pushing the Audi through the intersection until it collided with a pole at the southwest corner. Somerville went off the air in May 2021 after he was recorded slurring his words and abruptly left mid-broadcast with no explanation. Sidelines - FresnoState on Twitter: "RT @KTVU: Danville native Jake By Katie Davies 13 catcandokatmandu 2 yr. ago Ouch 9 TheJadedSF 2 yr. ago Definitely drunk if you ask me. UPDATE: Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville speaks about addiction struggles that he says spurred DUI wreck. Somerville posted the news that his contract would not be renewed on Facebook and also said that he is hoping to get another job in TV news. But the news of her death was difficult for those who worked with her at KTVU. Veteran Bay Area TV reporter Ken Wayne is apparently poised to leave KTVU-Channel 2, although the station has yet to announce his departure. After a strange May 30 newscast in which he slurred words and seemed to lose the ability to read from the teleprompter, longtime KTVU anchor disappeared from the air to "focus on his health," and he reappeared with no explanation of his absence on Wednesday night's "10 O'Clock News.". Now, Somerville says that while the aftermath ofthe DUI has cost a fortune, hes hopeful that he can have the opportunity to work for another news station. The last time they saw me, I didnt look so good, he told The Chronicle on Wednesday, referring to smartphone videos that went viral after the dramatic Dec. 30 crash at Broadway and West Grand Avenue. Jay C. Barmann is a fiction writer and web editor who's lived in San Francisco for 20+ years. We fail to understand how those obviously phony names could escape detection before appearing on the broadcast and were spoken by the news anchor. "I am stunned," Lemon wrote on Twitter, saying he was told by his agent . Cocktails are among the worst drinks for your health. Theyre not re-signing me. Saboteurs wreck Russian train cut power cables 37mi from Ukraine, Unseen footage of Meghan Markle during her teenage years, 'We're not your enemies!' Very Scary People (TV Series 2019- ) Elaine Corral Kendall as Self - Former KTVU News Anchor. The time I was sent home for being drunk on the air I had actually taken two [Ambien] by accident. Live On-Air Ask Your Smart Speaker to Play K C B S Radio KCBS All News 106.9FM and 740AM Listen Now Amanda Bartlett is a senior reporter for SFGATE covering culture, Bay Area history, science and breaking news. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Spokespeople for Fox Television Stations, the Fox Corp. subsidiary that owns KTVU, declined to comment. For more, stream KCBS Radio now. Somerville, who has a Black daughter, had wanted to add a note at the end of any news story regarding the investigation explaining how media coverage of missing people tends to focus on white women, and the rates of domestic violence Black women in America face, an unnamed source with knowledge of the situation told SFGATE in September 2021. How long has it been since May started off this cold in Bay Area? Abrupt closure of S.F. Get all the latest & greatest posts delivered straight to your inbox, Former KTVU Anchor Frank Somerville Speaks Publicly About Addiction Issues, on-camera incident over Memorial Day Weekend 2021, KTVU Anchorman Frank Somerville Arrested In Suspected DUI Crash In Downtown Oakland, I Love Tenderloin Week Seeks to Beautify, Celebrate the Neighborhood With SFs Most Checkered Reputation, Yet Another French Bulldog Stolen, This Time In Jack London Square Car Burglary, Monday Morning Headlines: Beloved Community Member Stabbed in Davis. Before television, she cut her journalism teeth at the Associated Press and The Denver Post. Three veteran producers have been fired by a San Francisco TV station after they published a series of fake and racially offensive names supposedly of the pilots on-board the crashed Asiana 214 flight. Join Facebook to connect with ClubAlcohol Plovdiv and others you may know. The block parties and judging contests in the SF Fire Department holiday decoration contest are scheduled for Wednesday, and these five SF fire stations are decked out with gushers of yuletide razzle-dazzle that you wont want to miss. Tributes to the legendary anchor poured in on social media. KTVU anchor Frank Somerville remains off air after abrupt Sunday exit mercurynews 89 43 comments Best Add a Comment mangochive 2 yr. ago https://youtu.be/cJplQ99FXx0 here's a compilation I found of the broadcast. It all depends on a station hiring me, which requires a station taking a chance on me, he told The Chronicle on Wednesday. Court charging documents showed his blood alcohol concentration was .24% three times the legal limit. Is San Francisco tiki bar the Tonga Room actually good? She covers breaking news, crime and general news. I would give anything to work there. While Somerville spoke out on the arrest earlier this January and confirmed he would not be returning to KTVU, details were scant. Political chaos has erupted in this Peninsula city over one issue: Housing, showed his blood alcohol concentration was .24%, Beneath Michelin-starred restaurants success, landlord dispute is boiling. Roland DeWolk, Cristina Gastelu and Brad Belstock were all fired, News producer Elvin Sledge told people he was leaving for health reasons. She was a fearless reporter in her own right and her colleagues recall her professionalism and dynamic voice. Former KTVU news anchor and reporter Leslie Griffith recently died. Somerville said he has no memory of rear-ending an Audi at a red light and pushing it across the street with such force that its wheels came off the ground, the Audi driver said. Mike Mibach, a KTVU anchor who has been with the Bay Area television station for 17 years, is replacing former anchor Frank Somerville as the stations weeknight anchor, station representatives announced. Most recently Gin was the producer of the 11 p.m. newscast for KGO Channel 7. Almost a year after his arrest that resulted in two misdemeanor charges for driving under the influence, former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville shared a lengthy Facebook post reflecting on his. and "She was one of those really vibrant, vivacious, you know, very alive people. Im grateful that I didnt hurt anybody, but regardless of that, I was completely in the wrong.. KTVU news director Amber Eikel denied the request, calling it inappropriate, according to the source. GEORGE WATSON, a popular KTVU Channel 2 news anchor whose much- publicized battles with alcoholism saw him spiral into homelessness, has returned to the station after four years of sobriety.. KTVU . Coverage of the tragic plane crash at San Francisco International Airport, which killed three people and injured dozens of others last Saturday has proven tricky for some news outlets. This email address is already subscribed to the selected list(s). But main anchors dont do that, Somerville wrote. Asked if this was a retirement, he answered, Nope. "Leslie was from Tomball, Texas right outside of Houston. 2. Don Lemon, CNN anchor, fired after 17 years on the network You always knew that she was there. Then, on December 30, there was the very public DUI incident in which he rammed his Porsche into another car, pushing it across an intersection and the whole thing seemed like a cry for help, or a rock bottom. He told KRON he may try to get back on air, though he has said consistently that he does not believe he will return to KTVU. James Daniel KTVU's Frank Somerville faces 2 DUI charges after car crash - SFGATE Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez. ', In an-online apology, KTVU general manager Tom Raponi wrote: 'We sincerely regret the error and took immediate action to apologize, both in the newscast where the mistake occurred, as well as on our website and social media sites. A year after his arrest for a DUI crash, Somerville is looking for a new job. Elaine Corral Kendall: Self - Former KTVU News Anchor - IMDb He told BNG that the DUI arrest had nothing to do with his contract not being renewed. The segment will air Saturdays and Sundays during "The 10 O'Clock News," with a revolving list of KTVU reporters. Ex-KTVU anchor Frank Somerville may pursue another TV job, teach Shelives in San Francisco with her rabbit, Cheeto. SF is still wide open, along with the rest of the Bay Area, despite concerns over the Delta variant and its ability to spread among the vaccinated and unvaccinated alike. Here is a look at some of the big stories from her career, including the Oakland hills fire, the Los Angeles riots and the mistreatment of circus elephants, an issue that deeply concerned her. They also tried to justify the move saying they confirmed the names with the National Transportation Safety Board before airing them. The Saints selected Haener, former Fresno State quarterback and son of KTVU anchor Julie Haener, with the 127th pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Investigative producer Roland DeWolk, special projects producer Cristina Gastelu and producer Brad Belstock were all fired over the incident. Personalities - KTVU FOX 2 "Ive always believed in second chances and thats what Im asking for now. TV Shows. In September, he was suspended after questioning the level of media coverage devoted to the Gabby Petito murder case. (iStock) Ivanir said the combination of alcohol and fructose syrup, which are sometimes found in cocktails, are not . Somerville freely writes on Facebook about homelessness, mental health, his workout routines and how parenting his Black daughter raised his awareness of racial inequality. Mr. In a statement the NTSB admitted a summer intern had 'erroneously' confirmed the names of the flight crew and was 'acting outside the scope of his authority' in doing so. Former Bay Area TV anchor Frank Somerville charged with driving with a Find Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) Companies in Plovdiv - Dun Gin, who had a stint with KTVU from 1986 to 1988, will begin her new job Feb. 7. The San Francisco Chronicle said a probable cause declaration shows Somerville was driving a 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo when he rear-ended a silver Audi. James Daniel Here are five key structures that need to bounce back to help the city recover. Big shift in weather is headed to California. The San Francisco Chroniclesaid Somerville was driving a 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo when he rear-ended a silver Audi. KTVU was forced to make an immediate apology moments after the on-air gaffe at Midday yesterday. Somerville reappeared at the anchor desk in August, without making any real explanation for his hiatus. Wayne has anchoredweekend evening newscasts at KTVU in Oakland since 2002. 29 Apr 2023 22:34:47 He frequently airs political opinions, a practice for which he was disciplined at KTVU. Its been a tumultuous year for Somerville. Moment commuter blasts eco-zealots, Royal superfans camping on The Mall ahead of King's Coronation, Women's rights activists and pro-trans campaigners separated, Ukraine drone strike hits major fuel depot in port Sevastopol, Russian freight train derails and bursts into flames after explosion, Historic chairs to be reused by the King for the coronation service, Hundreds of Household Division members rehearse for coronation, Braverman: People crossing Channel are 'at odds with British values', 'You motherf***ers don't understand': Bam Margera details 'turmoil', Cambridge students party in the park during annual celebrations. The safety board admitted a summer intern told KTVU the spelling of the names was correct. She always remained a prolific writer for the like of the Huffington Post and San Francisco Chronicle. By By Kevin Eck on Aug. 17, 2022 - 3:28 PM. List of all the KTVU news anchors and reporters in 2022 Former Bay Area news anchor Frank Somerville reclaimed the spotlight this week with his first on-camera interview since his 2021 arrest for plowing his Porsche through a busy Oakland intersection and wrecking another car while drunk. For the record as messed up as I was I didnt drink on the air, he said of the May 2021 broadcast. In 2005, she founded the Leslie R. Griffith Woman of Courage Scholarship to help young women. Prior to joining the newsroom in 2019, she worked for the Roxie Theater, Noise Pop and Frameline Film Festival. Ex-KTVU anchor Frank Somerville says he may pursue another TV job. According to Bay Area media blogger Rich Lieberman, Wayne had been working without a contract at KTVU for more than a month. He has told The Chronicle he may seek a teaching job, perhaps at a firm that trains people to work in the media. On his evening newscast, anchor Frank Somerville apologized further. These are the worst drinks for your health, according to nutritionists KTVU anchor Frank Somerville remains off air after abrupt - Reddit Expand / Collapse search. Griffith died Wednesday in Lake Chapala, Mexico. 1993 KTVU news anchor George Watson sign off asking for help with his alcoholism 5,171 views Aug 12, 2017 28 Dislike Share Save JPMcFly1985 Retro Videos 3.42K subscribers Significant piece of. 'With such a vaunted reputation among local news stations, we expected much more from KTVU. The charges stem from a December wreck in downtown Oakland. Somerville began broadcasting on KTVU in 1992 and became co-anchor . A family member confirms Griffith was suffering from the effects of Lyme Disease since she was bitten by a tick while living in Oregon in 2015. Lauren Hernndez (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. needs these 5 sites to thrive so the city can recover. She studied journalism at San Jose State University, and was born and raised in Los Angeles. Days earlier, KTVU news director Lee Rosenthal was crowing about how good his news operation had performed. Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville has been charged with driving with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit. In May 2021, he was taken off air after an erratic newscast where he stumbled through the stories and appeared to be slurring his words. Viewers news may remember her as she spent more than two decades anchoring the 10 p.m. news alongside veteran anchor Dennis Richmond. I couldnt leave work at work, Somerville wrote in the post on Saturday. Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville is not returning to the Oakland Fox owned station after 31 years there. He is standing by the Ambien story with regard to the first incident, but he admits that he had been self-medicating with alcohol and prescription drugs during the summer of 2021. Wayne was born in Marin, but lived in several places including Alaska and Hawaii and worked at TV stations in Palm Springs, Chico, Fresno and Sacramento before finally returning to the Bay Area in 1991. An ambitious plan to reduce homelessness by 25% seems to lack the plan part in the Biden administrations new effort to house people, as homelessness has ticked up nationally by 3.4% this year. In a testy exchange with KTVU on Wednesday, Mayor London Breed defended San Francisco as safe despite the recent stabbing death of tech executive and the perception that The City is overly progressive and full of lawless behavior. Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox. 27 SweetDi on Twitter: "RT @KTVU: Danville native Jake Haener is headed The Saints selected Haener, former Fresno State quarterback and son of KTVU anchor Julie Haener, with the 127th pick in the 2023 NFL draft. That being said, KTVU as a whole has become unwatchable for me over the past year. "George is a great writer with a strong knowledge and interest in local history," said KTVU News Director Andrew Finlayson. The Saints selected Haener, former Fresno State quarterback and son of KTVU anchor Julie Haener, with the 127th pick in the 2023 NFL draft. ", When asked about Somerville in a Facebook comment on her own page recently, co-anchor Julie Haener didn't offer much. Local | This mysterious Bay Area beach is covered in broken ceramicsFood | Is San Francisco tiki bar the Tonga Room actually good?Culture| This SF restaurant was the blueprint for Bobs Burgers'Music| Nirvana's Cow Palace show was once panned. Based in Oakland, California, the Fox affiliate represents a city where 16.8 per cent of the population is Asian. ClubAlcohol Plovdiv - Facebook He also recapped the 2021 crash, on a night he was depressed, when he began combining alcohol with prescription drugs for anxiety and depression, and blacked out while trying to drive to a nearby Taco Bell, he told The Chronicle. Ive always believed in second chances and thats what Im asking for now, he said. 4/12/2023 9:20:00 PM Read more. View All. Nearly a year after a dramatic DUI incident in downtown Oakland that was caught on camera, and 18 months after he first disappeared from the anchor desk at KTVU, former station anchor Frank Somerville is now talking publicly about the addiction issues and psychological state that in part brought an end to his days at KTVU. "The 10 O'Clock News" on KTVU remains the Bay. The Cliff House was once a colossal Victorian mansion that met a Warriors crush Kings 120-100 as Steph Curry scores Game 7-record 50 points, Steph Curry adds to his Warriors legend by lighting up Kings for 50. Her last email to me where she said, Hi old friend, I think of you often and smile. And I think that's the way she would think of her time at KTVU. "This is shocking news. I thought it was a good idea for people to see me now. Months before his suspension from the stationamid a dispute over coverage of the Gabrielle Gabby Petito homicide case, Somerville took a leave of absence after slurring his words on air. It started with me going to seven funerals for young black men and women who were killed on the streets on Oakland. RT @KTVU: Danville native Jake Haener is headed to New Orleans! Political chaos has erupted in this Peninsula city over one issue: Housing, Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville speaks about addiction struggles that he says spurred DUI wreck, charged by Alameda County prosecutors with driving under the influence, Beneath Michelin-starred restaurants success, landlord dispute is boiling. Her 22-year career at KTVU included her time sitting alongside veteran anchor Dennis Richmond. KTVU replaces Frank Somerville with new weeknight anchor She then proceeded to read out four fake names from a teleprompter as they appeared on screen over footage of the wreckage. I never had a chance to say goodbye and for that Im sorry.. ', 'AAJA is embarrassed for the anchor of the noon broadcast, who was as much a victim as KTVUs viewers and KTVUs hard-working staff, including the journalists who produced stellar work covering the crash. Instead I took it home and obsessed about it.. Send her an email at amanda.bartlett@sfgate.com. The Alameda County District Attorney charged Somerville with three. The broadcaster said they came from a source who they were refusing to identify. It is unclear whether Belstock - who cites ordering video and writing scripts among his responsibilities at the network - was in charge of the broadcast, but his two word response and entire Twitter profile was deleted moments later. Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville gave his first on-camera interview since his arrest for a DUI crash in . Somerville, 65, opened up to The Chronicle in December about his past troubles with drug and alcohol addiction, a theme he revisited during a wide-ranging sit-down with KRONanchor Pam Moore that aired Tuesday. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Almost a year after his arrest that resulted in two misdemeanor charges for driving under the influence, former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville shared a lengthy Facebook post reflecting on his termination from the news station as he attempted to shed light on the state of his mental health at the time of the crash. LaMonica is one of the new anchors on KTVU, having joined the channel in May 2022 from CBS 8. But he did tell a local media blag that he had mistakenly taken an Ambien pill before the broadcast. So I am done at Channel 2, Somerville told the Bay Area News Group. Somerville takes these charges very seriously, his attorney, Shannan Dugan, told The Chronicle. Although Somervilles contract with KTVU expired in 2022 he has kept the public in thrall, largely with his energetic and intensely personal posts on social media. Veteran Bay Area TV reporter Ken Wayne is apparently poised to leave KTVU-Channel 2, although the station has yet to announce his departure. Last fall, Somerville tried to illuminate the contrast in how news organizations cover missing persons cases involving Black and white people in the United States during a 46-second verbal tag to the end of an update about Gabrielle Gabby Petitos homicide case. But over time I realized that I felt like I was under a pall of sadness. @Ktvu News | Latest News On @Ktvu KTVUs false report comes after a week of speculating whether last week's disastrous Asiana Airlines crash could be attributed to Korean 'culture' and whether South Koreas tradition of deference to hierarchy could have played a role in the crash. Somerville appeared slightly bewildered on camera and stumbled as he tried to read from a teleprompter, slurring some of his words. CNN anchor Don Lemon has hit out at the network after his firing, which came after accusations of misogyny and misbehaviour. Leslie Griffith, a longtime journalist who graced television screens for more than two decades as anchor for KTVU Channel 2 News, has died. Frank Somerville, former network news anchor at KTVU, has given his first television interview since leaving the station in 2021. We urge KTVU to conduct a thorough review to prevent similar lapses. On Thursday, Wayne posted this cryptic message on his Facebook page: Wayne didnt explain what prompted his departure, and/or what hell be doing next, but we were able to mine a couple of clues in his replies to viewers on his page. Before sitting behind the anchor desk, Griffith was a fearless reporter who often worked in dangerous circumstances, gathering information and writing the stories that gave her incredible presence in live broadcasts.