Already I'm getting texts and comments: some people think Somerville is not being truthful. "Total BS, " is beginning to make the gossip circuit---and my take? I believe Frank. I have no reason not to. If he's employing the CYA playbook, then he's better than I thought. Let's (for now) give him the benefit of the doubt. I think KTVU management feels the same way.
BUT WAIT! Speaking of management...
Where is/was KTVU bosses? When Frank showed up last night to the news set, if a producer saw fit to tell him (Somerville) to leave the set, where was the GM? Where's the so-called "dedicated" ND, Amber Eikel? Presumably trying to figure out just what the hell was going on. Like, how did Somerville make it on-air to begin with? I'll bet you hunsky FOX wants to know. You can't diminish the fact that in the Bay Area TV market (Top 10) a FOX O and O (owned/operated) allowed its "Face of the Station" news anchor to be removed on air? From a legacy 10 PM newscast? Who is minding the store? Better yet, who's in charge? That's why News Directors and GM's get paid the big bucks and why they really are never, ever not entirely off the clock.
Which is why the whole Frank Somerville episode is so important. And embarrassing too.
A KTVU source tells me: "They're lucky it happened on a Sunday night. Frank's sudden EXIT (he told me, after lots of speculation grew that he was intoxicated) is now the talk of the Bay Area media world. And it doesn't figure to wane --I can only imagine what's going on come Tuesday morning at FOX2's Jack London Square studios/offices in Oakland.
As I said, I believe Frank. I don't have any past story or episode not to. But I don't know Frank that well. He has 30 years at the station and has a pretty good record. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure the suits feel the same way. But they have, as someone once said, "lots of 'splaining to do."
Oh boy do they ever.
KTVU anchor chairs seem to be unlucky places:
ReplyDeleteRevolving door of female anchors with Dennis Richmond.
Leslie and Ibañez.
We Tu Lo
Now this...
Oh, and even though he was not a regular anchor, let's not forget George Watson.
KTVU has had more than its share of problems and unhappy campers. ALL stations have their drama (tomatoes, anyone?), but they take the cake.
Oh how I hate "Drama Tomatoes".
DeleteIf Frank isn't feeling right, he can just go home. He should know he is not feeling right 10 minutes before he was on the set delivering LIVE news. Nothing wrong with any management, just himself or luck dealing with personal issues requiring him to take drugs, rehab, drinking and etc. He should take some time off before coming back to work. Work is stressful, health is important when Frank is the symbol of KTVU.
ReplyDeleteAma left her sit one time, Larry took over when she was choking on air. Sandya also fill in with Larry at one time.
Is there any video of this? I don’t see anything on YouTube; then again, I’m not the best searcher.
ReplyDeleteDarrin, I don't think there is. I also looked and didn't find anything.
DeleteH. Holmes is in for F. Somerville right now as I type, partnered with J. Haener, which is Julie's usual day & time (Monday, 5/31/21 @5pm). Perhaps it's time for Somerville to use some vacation/sick leave or to consider moving to a different shift with less hours, too.
ReplyDeleteI replayed a clip or two of Somerville's Sunday 5/20/21 broadcast using a FoxNow app. Somerville's face looked a little "swollen". He didn't quite slur his words but seemed to have trouble reading the info, probably on a teleprompter screen, particularly on the word "officer". It was during a news story which included a video of a female SFPD Officer fighting with a homeless man in Chinatown, if anyone here saw that story. Last night, I didn't watch the entire news hour and I didn't realize Somerville wasn't there for the entire hour.
Yet another Bay Area news anchor who is having problems keeping to a schedule (the other was on KTVU earlier this year. We may never see VDLC ever again I imagine). So sorry for everyone involved. Sometimes life gets in the way of being able to work.
I’m at the foxnow app; how do you call it up?
Delete> to consider moving to a different shift
Delete> with less hours...
All shifts have the same number of hours.
For the FoxNow app on my AppleTV, I went to the "Local" drop down menu to see various KTVU news clips. I did have to log onto the app with my Xfinity account to get KTVU,material, however. We'll see if he returns on Tuesday 6/1/21.
ReplyDeleteI later found the entire episode on my Xfinity X1 unit, which allows me to undelete previously recorded, then deleted shows. Somerville also fumbled other words in other stories, "outside" on the first story regarding the Bay Area weather temperature and later, "comforting" introducing a story on the VTA shooting. During the commercials at ~20 minutes in, Somerville didn't return and Haener handled the rest of the 40 minutes.
In Franks defense, if I was in that biz for 30 years...........
ReplyDelete