Sunday, March 23, 2025

Bottom Line: Somerville Exit Killed KTVU

26 comments:

  1. "Somerville Exit Killed KTVU'. No... This was self inflicted. The power vacuum that was created post departure, just exposed the incompetence within. The maelstrom that existed behind the cameras and manifesting in intensity in the newsroom, erupted right on cue.

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    1. the point is that none of that came out while he and julie were the leaders. since they left no real leaders have come forward. so in that sense they were the glue. mike and claudine are just mot what i consider main anchors. they are triple a. summerville and haener and mark and bill were in the majors. they were the “a” team. now were forced to watch the “b minus” team which is why i no longer waste my time watching ktvu.

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    2. They weren't leaders, Merely the facade of very flawed organization. Franks unceremonious dismissal served as the catalyst for KTVU's current state. Follow the chronology ab initio- post departure. The actions by management or lack thereof are asymptomatic of an entity in distress. Call it dogmatic management of resources, They failed on so many levels and continue to do so. The subsequent "retirements" were markers.

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  2. Sorry I don't buy that one person would be the glue that holds any television station together or the leader in the demographic....just saying.

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  3. If KTVU was owned by libs Rich would be singing it's praise. Sad mind set!

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  4. He was a mess and was also very overrated. Quit giving him so much credit.

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    1. He's very very lucky that he didn't kill anyone with his multiple DUIs.

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  5. More like Simone Aponte

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  6. this is frank. i think ktvu hasn't found their path since i left. i don't want to say that i was the glue that kept everything together. ill say instead that i was a big part of the stations presence and was good at captaining the ship. sadly my issues with mental health and alcohol brought me down. for the longest time i was too scared to ask for help. i thought id let everyone down and destroy my reputation. in hindsight that was a huge mistake on my part. I'm happy to say that since then ive done a ton of work on myself and im totally clean and working out six days a week. i will never drink that poison again. i would love to work again at any of the stations. but if i don't ill be fine. take care everyone and thanks for your support.

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    1. Frank, this is Ernie. I applaud what you have done to address issues that have confronted you. More power to you. Stay strong and know that so many of us support you and always will.

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  7. It's wasn't Frank's exit that caused the KTVU decline. It was the poor personnel decisions after his exit.

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  8. Kevin O'Brien leaving killed KTVU. It just took a while...

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    1. Yes, this is the real issue. He was the glue and the decline began when he was gone. When a dam bursts, you don't blame the first burst of water, you blame the cracks and fissures that started at the foundation.

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  9. Frank don't kid yourself. You were given numerous chances and blew them all. No company in corporate America would dare take a chance on you no matter how many times a day you agree to be blood. urine or breath tested. The first time you looked cross-eyed at a female the company would have a lawsuit it could not defend.

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  10. Stop talking about this useless guy, the world has change no one watches news on tv and don’t care who reports it. So when is Frank going to back to work to support his own new home and GF, his GF is supporting this jobless guy and very shameful.

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    1. Agree on your first point sentence, but I see on his Instagram he is marrying his high school girlfriend and is happy his ex found someone special to be with in her later years too. Somerville is likely still pretty well off and now past 65. He could be and certainly should enjoying retirement. He made plenty money for years in excess of $500k/year and this talk from Lieberman about him working some lame anchor gig in a small market is ridiculous as (1) he has a big ego and (2) what is the point now as moving up to a position he mastered before his demise is likely not his motivation as he is now content with life. I am one of the posters who always gave him grief and we had back and forth on topics but I am glad he has found happiness and working out is great for the mind too as I have experienced myself. Best of luck Frank with staying sober as I think is now very likely — your girlfriend in the Instagram post looks great as do you.

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    2. There are global and national trends (celebrity, less interest in news, phone obsession, etc.) plus local factors (no meaningful career ladder, staff retiring), and bad leadership. KTVU is not the same without Kevin and Fred. KCBS is not the same without Ed Cavagnaro. The Chronicle, Mercury News, etc. It's all going downhill quickly, just when we need it more. I say we support whatever good media is left and hope things get better. What was the plot summary for Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom? What if we raised the standards and put on a decent news channel? I bet there are still people interested, with ratings and profit to follow. Still worth trying. Please do. Thanks.

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  11. Roberta just pointed to the Berkeley Hills over a Bay Bridge shot as the Santa Cruz Mountains. Scatterbrained like Bill was. I prefer the fashionista Latina forecaster instead please.

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  12. I think the “Sum Ting Wong” incident killed the station.

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  13. Gotta let talking about Frank go…I want to hear new opinions, new thoughts. This is just beating a dead horse Rich. We get it. What else is going on about them??

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  14. Frank is incredibly overrated. Rehashing the same story is shining the light on an entitled white man. Time to let this topic die.

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  15. Frank's departure was a factor but certainly not the only reason.
    The buyout by Fox snooze and subsequent budget and salary cuts, Kevin O'Brien's departure, and the lack of a qualified farm system that can come in off the bench without missing beat is also apparent.
    I submit it was Bob Mckenzie's retirement that was the beginning of the end.
    There was a time not that long ago when there was Only one 2.

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  16. Bob McKenzie's retirement was the beginning of the end....

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  17. Bob McKenzie was great. Tom Vacar may be last good storyteller left. There was only one 2.

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  18. Rich, you and Frank should really sit down and talk about doing a Podcast together. The both of you have some serious insight in the media news biz. I am willing to bet the house that Frank has a LOT of credible information. With both your experience in what was the good old days I think it will be very entertaining.
    Call it, "To be Frank, Rich-ly so"

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