My sources tell me KTVU anchor, Frank Somerville, is quietly preparing for the REAL POSSIBILITY he's NOT COMING BACK to the Bay Area Fox O and O and has begun dealing with a post-KTVU life with the 415 and 510 area code in his rear-view mirror.
Somerville has been on an indefinite SUSPENSION. A suspension triggered by a major dust-up over him and KTVU News bosses over his want to use a controversial tag line dealing with missing non-White women victims. Somerville has been OFF THE AIR for over two weeks. His MIA status has caused quite a STIR and made for uneasy times both for himself and KTVU staff --not to mention FOX corporate which is dealing with another potential PR FIRESTORM no matter which outcome they partake in on the matter.
A KEY SOURCE tells me at KTVU the general feeling is "Frank is gone. 70-30 percent he isn't coming back," said a reliable contact.
Somerville is still MUM. He politely DECLINED a series of texts requests by me for any comment on the situation.
But other local contacts tell me Somerville has begun looking at stations both in and OUT of the Bay Area as a potential "new start." He's mentally preparing for the likely possibility he's no longer in KTVU's plans. How sudden that equation is? Somerville, according to an industry figure, has even floated the idea of going to Arizona to work there in case a Bay Area TV deal is not in the cards. A KPIX flirtation, which might have been accelurated by the retirement of Ken Bastida, seems a long shot now. Other Bay Area stations have no interest in Somerville or already have anchors in place.
Somerville has reached out to a close friend (an attorney) who is advising him --both on the latest bruhaha and his career path.
UPDATE, 1: 40 PM
A SOURCE CLOSE to Somerville just told me "it's 99-1 percent, Frank is NOT coming back." Said Frank and Amber Eikel (KTVU ND) can't co-exist and that differences are "way too many to overcome."
*415 MEDIA EXCLUSIVE
*Content from the above article is copyrighted by Rich Lieberman 415 Media
just TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN Frank....
ReplyDeleteIf KCBS can hire Eric Thomas, they’ll hire Frank. Instant ratings jump.
ReplyDeleteDoubt it. People mostly listen in the car, for quick hits of info. Tinky Winky could be the anchor, nobody tunes in for the anchor. Frank's a TV presence. And radio would be a HUGE step down for him. He'd be smarter to branch off to consulting, special projects reporting for PBS, whatever, though apparently he needs the big bucks that commercial news TV pays so that makes things harder for him. I get the impression his pockets are kinda empty these days, at least at the level he's become accustomed to.
DeleteYeah, KCBS TV 2 (Los Angeles)
DeleteFrank being shown the door seems to be inevitable at this point, but what are the chances Amber is also given the boot? There is no denying that the once-respected KTVU news operation has turned into a mockery under the reign of her incompetence. Musical chairs with anchors, a revolving door of junior reporters whose reports contain just as many filler words as they do substance, drunk anchors, drama, not to mention nearly half the stories are from Fox News or the Sacramento affiliate.
ReplyDeleteAmber definitely should go.
DeleteWhich is exactly why I'm sure she won't. Poop floats to the top.
You forgot to mention Dave Clark and his two dozen gaffes per newscast.
DeleteIf Amber Eikel goes there will be a parade thru Jack London Square of current and former KTVU staffers. The ratings are soft, the anchor chairs are spinning. If she were smart she'd move on. But she won't. She'll wait til she's eventually dragged out. She's convinced she's teflon.
DeleteYou’re spot-on about a revolving door of junior reporters. I can’t believe how many new reporters they have. Each one looks younger than the previous one and each will be here just long enough to post a zillion selfies on their social media while they use ktvu as a springboard. Oh, and Sara ‘odd bod’ Zendehnam apparently left The Firm with no fanfare whatsoever. Now she’s up at Fox in Sacramento doing weather. Also Ann Rubin and Maureen Naylor seem to be gone, or sidelined significantly.
DeleteI find it ironic that the top-rated news in the San Francisco Bay Area needs to fill upwards of half its prime time newscasts with filler stories from Fox40 in Sacramento. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Is there not enough news to cover in the Bay Area? It’s sad to see how far KTVU has fall under Amber’s ‘leadership’ where they don’t know how to staff appropriately, find and assign stories, and create a relevant newscast.
Delete> You forgot to mention Dave Clark and his
Delete> two dozen gaffes per newscast.
You hit the nail on the head. The issue with Frank really isn't performance-related. Amber just doesn't like him. It's personal, and she's using the first chance she has to fire him, even though it's a bad decision from a managerial standpoint as it exposes Fox to all sorts of potential liability. I think he could sue but even if he won the outcome would be very toxic so perhaps he won't bother. Dennis would, though. Nobody pushes Dennis around! Who's the anchor that won't cop out when there's danger all about? You're damned right! Now shut your mouth, Amber. :-)
But Eric doesn't slur his words...
ReplyDeleteAlmost though, he's pretty bad.
Delete> Almost though, he's pretty bad.
DeleteI don't listen to KCBS often, but I did tune in the other day and he sounded great.
Can he sued KTVU? KTVU wanted to get rid of Frank from that woman incident. His comment about the missing person was the only chance KTVU use to get rid of him when it is his own personal comment. He should be going to KPIX 5, if yes, look back how Frank and Ken left KTVU shows bad management from the station. Julie should get a buy out after being sick a few years back. And, the new 10:00 anchor is......you tell me!!
ReplyDelete"His comment about the missing person"(sic)? Gabby Petito wasn't missing, she was decomposing in a refrigerator.Mr. Sommerville was angry the story was being widely covered.
DeleteDecomposing. That’s just disrespectful Christine. This is why people don’t like you and you stuff your face with corn dogs.
Deletedear 9:27...Apparently you missed the reporting on the detailed autopsy.
DeleteI can't imagine Frank being given a chance anywhere unless he gets rid of his speech impediment. I'm not sure drinking or drugs would be the only explanation for it, if he does have either of those problems (and it's not certain that he does). It was worse sometimes than others, but always there. Good luck to him, wherever he winds up.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand this concept of "move away to another location to start fresh." First of all, anyone who's ever done it will tell you your problems get on the plane and follow you. Frank is Frank whether his address is Arizona or the Bay Area. And in this age of the internet everything follows you everywhere and even before the internet it was very hard to reboot such a public career. Very few have ever done it.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the anchor and reporter positions KTVU for some reason are littered with destruction: Frank, Tori, Leslie Griffith, Elaine Corral, George Watson, Jennifer "Pies For Your Lies" Jolly, others I can't think of right now. No other Bay Area station has such melodrama attached.
Frank, you know the answer why he is leaving
DeleteTori, Asiana embarrassment where she fled to Singapore
Leslie, some issue with the management
Elaine, management issues and Dennis Richmond related
George Watson, personal issues
Julie will be the next one possibly let go, maybe until her kids is off college she can retire.
Add on, Ken Wayne, contract demotion
Julie will not be missed. A movie came out about ten years ago called Robot and Frank. I thought it was about Julie Haener.
DeleteI'd be really surprised if Frank waited until just now to talk to an attorney.
ReplyDeleteHe's talking with Tom Vacar
DeleteSomerville's Missing White Girl comment was like Kaepernick's taking a knee. Both men were at the end of their careers, and both men made a move intended to win enough of the public's sympathy to get paid in retirement.
ReplyDeleteLike you really know that...
DeleteOr perhaps Frank, like many others, is frustrated by the medias coverage of these types of stories while turning a blind eye to others.
DeleteI never bought this excuse that Frank was suspended for his position on the missing white girl. It was the same time he once again showed instability in his news reporting not that long after being suspended to take time to correct it. I felt they were covering up the true problem with this bogus excuse. Like we care what Frank thinks?
ReplyDeleteWell, why should anyone give a damn what you "feel"? Do you know Frank? No? Then how can you say you know his motivations? You can't. Well, then sit down and listen to someone who has known him. This sort of issue is something Frank has been concerned with for years. He has an adopted black girl himself. Now, I'm not advocating for or making excuses for his less-than-exemplary behavior. But I find it annoying as hell when some asshat like you presumes the motives of other people with zero evidence and without taking the trouble to get to know all the facts. "Like we care what Frank thinks?" you said. Why don't you look in the mirror and take the same medicine?
Deleterobot and Frank....Langella. A most excellent actor!!
ReplyDeletejulie makes enough money in one year than i could ever make in a freaking lifetime. she needs to go.
Does anyone know an exorcist?? send them to the station STAT !
ReplyDelete