Carole King - "You've Got a Friend"--415 Media Friday Video Finale

*In memory of my mother, Ms. Anne Landau, who stuck by me no matter what.

Official Last Day of Frank Somerville at KTVU; Anger from Colleagues Still Prevalent; 32 Year Reign at Fox2; MIA Mode

TODAY is officially D-Day for Frank Somerville at KTVU. His contract is up on Jan. 28th.

Somerville was long ago let go but today marks the literal end of a 32-year reign at KTVU and over a decade at "The 10 O'Clock News"--who'd have thought it would end on such a sad note. It should be interesting at the Fox2 studio. I'm sure it will be on many people's minds, good, bad, or indifferent.

*For his part, Somerville has gone into a complete disappearence mode--even his family doesn't see him and he's not returning any calls or texts from them or friends from KTVU or even personal contacts. He visited a Concord 30-day rehab center but it's unclear if he's still at the facility. Sources tell me he's left. And both his personal and legal travails are just beginning.

*Several media contacts told me there's no way Somerville would ever resurface again, at least publicly--most certainly not on a TV News screen. He could take a year off, get his life back (hopefully) -perhaps speaking out on issues and talking to people in need who are dealing with crisis and addiction. We're a long way from that.

*After several weeks of contemplation, there is still a great degree of ANGER at KTVU over Somerville's downfall. Those close to him (one, who used to sit right beside him) are angry because they invested tons of time and effort to help out Frank. And I do mean anger.

The thought from them was that Frank was given several opportunities to get his act together. He'd told many that everything was cool and that things would be OK, including his own situation, even though this was most definitely not the case.

"He conned us all," said a close KTVU contact. "We went out of our way to help him and he just basically thumbed his nose at us." "We were at this on a constant basis. It's sickening."

Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald--"On My Own"--415 Media Thursday Video Finale

Thanks to all of you that $upport 415 Media.

Ask Rich Lieberman

YOUR TV/RADIO/INTERNET QUESTIONS, I will do my best to ANSWER all--please, name and city.

Holiday '21 SF Radio Ratings; KGO on Life Support; KNBR Slip, Slide and Away; 95.7 FM The Game Falls Below a 1.0 (Again); KCBS, Whatever

THE HOLIDAY '21 RATINGS.

KGO Radio, you're lucky you've only flat-lined; KNBR, another repudiation by the public. Without the 49ers, you'd be a GONER.

KCBS --nice to be a monopoly. For now.

95.7 FM, (All-Sports): how about DEADSville, again.

Ibanez Close to Moving On from KTVU

WEDNESDAY WASH

The CORE4 at KTVU: Frank Somerville (gone); Bill Martin (leaving any day; good riddance); Julie Haener (still there, barely); and an imminent departure of Mark Ibanez on the horizon.

THE LATEST on Ibanez: sources close to Ibanez say the 43-year veteran sports anchor is resigned to LEAVING KTVU. He's not retiring--in fact, he's looking to anchor from another station and he should have plenty of suitors. (More on that later)

Ibanez has been working without a contract for nearly a year. His contract was up last March and industry talk was that he'd get an extension--with Fox and him making a deal--it's been on the back-burner for a few months now and no negotiations have taken place. KTVU brass, said a source, were said to want to hold off on talks until after the football season but they also were said to wanting to deal directly after the new year. It hasn't happened and now Ibanez is resolute to exploring other options.

Ibanez could draw interest from the following:

*KPIX --with the likely uncertain status of Dennis O'Donnell, PIX could use a LEAD sports anchor.

*NBC Sports Bay Area (KNTV) --they still don't have a name over-air sports anchor and have the means to get one. Ibanez has both the name and style.

*KTVU: this should be an easy decision; Fox and KTVU could just give Ibanez a new three-year extension, it could be so easy. Instead, they're playing games.

Mike Mibach KTVU Robotic; Making Less Than Half of What Somerville Made; Haener Tamed; Fox2 Drama; KGO's Rothmann's Fake Outrage Continues; So Does Fake Moskowitz Talks; CNN Loves KRON's Ella Sogomonian; Tuesday Rush

TUESDAY RUSH

Mike Mibach was on the anchor desk at KTVU last (Monday), night looking perfectly Ron Burgandyish; although he was so wooden and robotic-looking, a producer at The Firm labeled him, "Mechanical Mike."

*Maybe Mike is both happy and a little pissed, he's got the 10 PM gig (as I reported) but he's also making about half of what Frank Somerville was making in his prime, roughly $600K. A bonus: he doesn't have to work with Gasia Mikaelian anymore.

*Add Mike: It might help Mike, if you bought Julie Haener some Starbucks because, as you know, Julie is a bit anxious. She's angry at Frank because she went out of her way to save his ass--numerous times--but she' s also wary of new boys like you. It's complicated.

*It's the perfect storm: KTVU has more drama than the 10th year of General Hospital episodes; it's not that everybody has issues. We all do. It's jut that KTVU and Fox seem to have outdone themselves. The Firm should clean house and cleanse the entire building, it couldn't hurt.

*And don't say Eikel has good numbers to justify her continued reign: Fox's schedule of shows and NFL programming is why KTVU rules.

*In spite of local industry ridicule, KGO Radio still runs its pathetic Steve Moskowitz "conversations"--they're really Paid For ads that KGO should run a disclaimer saying so but they don't. They don't give a damn anymore. Worse, the hosts that take part in this charade have no shame and act like giddy kids at the prom. Shameful and disgusting.

*John Rothmann: the SHRIEKING, the lecturing, the yelling, the SHOUTING. And yes, the FAUX OUTRAGE that continues to KILL his show. Maybe too many C Crane radios.

*Rothmann thinks Jan Wahl is cool which is sort of like thinking the dogs-playing poker- paintings is art.

*SFGate in a nutshell: purple houses, nachos, restaurant reviews, 49ers, news? What's that?

*Time of the year now every non-sports anchor on TV says, "Go Niners."

*Robert C. is a local ad guy who takes people to lunch and does business over lots of french bread and coffee--he said Original Joe's was half empty on a recent Friday and that's all you need to know about how the pandemic isn't going away anytime soon.

*Check the Wahl record: KRON, KCBS, KGO Radio and you have all you need to know.

*KRON's Ella Sogomonian is getting pursued by CNN and it's serious.