ONE person in particular, Andre Senior, who is a weekend anchor and has positioned himself as a mainstay at 2, is eager. A KTVU source: "He really wants that job." Senior had a sort of an unofficial auditioning run as he's been doing a lot of fill-in for Somerville, who is still on an indefinite suspension but is all but gone from KTVU--any day now, a DIVORCE will be final, only how it goes down is anyone's guess.
Senior is a capable news reader, certainly qualified for a gig, but is not considered a strong enough personality to become a lead anchor. That's an opinion shared by not only industry people, but Fox and KTVU brass. Senior has been moved to mornings ("MO2") for now; he's been filling in for Mike Mibach, who is anchoring (with Julie Haener) in the evening and the all-important "10 O'Clock News." Mibach, who is a veteran KTVU news reader, is also considered a "not-ready-for-primetime-player." I agree. Mibach lacks the news prowess and doesn't have a commanding presence, something that is considered an essential for face-of-station status and the 10 PM gig at KTVU, as marginalized as it has become, is still regarded as the top news slot in the Bay Area TV News world.
Mibach desperately wants the job at 10, but unless KTVU can't find someone else outside the Bay Area, Mibach's dream gig is unlikely.
A dark horse worth observing: NBC Bay Area's weekend anchor, Terry McSweeney. McSweeney certainly has the chops and news accumen to anhor in a prime-time position. He could easily be that figure at KNTV (San Jose/NBC) but Raj Mathai holds that position and isn't going anywhere. McSweeney has had several offers from outlets like CNN and MsNBC, but decided to remain in the Bay Area. He has local glue too with a gig as anchor at KGO years back.
McSweeney hasn't openly campaigned for the KTVU/Somerville gig; it's not even an official job opening but his "network" presence (as a local observer told me) and appearence would seem to fit the Fox genre. "He looks the part,"said the industry person. "Plus, he has a personality and that's huge here."
McSweeney has a contract with NBC but most likely, if KTVU came calling, NBC would allow him to move down 880 to Oakland. He's been looking around the market to go prime time and the KTVU 10 PM role would fit that desire.
We're very EARLY in this process but it's already in the planning at both KTVU and Fox.
I hope it's not Mibach, not sure what it is but I can't stand watching him. Maybe like fingernails on a chalkboard...
ReplyDeleteIf McSweeney leaves the safe confines of KNTV for the Fox shithole he's crazy. Nobody there is happy, as you point out.
ReplyDeleteAs for Mibach, it's not his lack of personality, in my opinion. It's the personality he has! He always looks like he's fighting a bout of constipation on the air. And I particularly like when he has to do one of those sad tags to a reporter's piece, the sort where the anchor is obligated to say something like "What a shame, such a terrible tragedy. Thank you for that report." He looks pained to play this stupid game. I grant you it *is* stupid. But if he's gonna be The Big Cheese he's going to have to do this effectively every night.
Here's another thing for you to investigate: How much vacay time does Julie Haener have??? She's off every third night, and has been since Covid started. She's basically doing a part-time gig at this point, to the tune of several hundred thousand bucks a year. Nice work if you can get it.
My wife and I wonder about Julie’s vacation time as well. When Julie is there more than two days in a row we take notice. At this rate she takes more than 100 days off each year, and has done so for a couple years now as you mentioned. At this rate im hoping Fox had the brains to work out a part-time arrangement with her rather than pay her $600k to work twice a week. Either that or she has some serious dirt on people there so she’s basically able to call the shots and demand whatever she wants.
Delete(Supposedly) Frank had face-of-station status n look what happened to him.....run for the hills Frank!! Run as fast and far as you can and don't look back.
ReplyDeleteDealing with this profession with all the loony tunes you have to is crazy making and very very bad for your mental health....if you have much left.
talk about over paid:
ReplyDeleteAs of 2021, Julie makes around $525k from her yearly paycheck.
She just needs to leave and enjoy her and her husband's mega rich life.....Julie Bye.
I agree 100%
DeleteJulie, resign with dignity and don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya on the way out.
DeleteMcSweeney? You're high. NBC will absolutely NOT let him go to a competitor in the same market...are you insane?
ReplyDeleteWhy on earth would McSweeney want to go to a clusterfuck shitshow like KTVU? That's the modern day equivalent of a kamikaze mission.
DeleteVery true. Everyone in the market is loving that the juggernaut that KTVU news once was is starting to crumble in the ratings. No competitors would willingly help re-establish that dominance, no matter how well-liked any particular talent is.
DeleteThe easiest, cheapest, and less conflicted way for Fox to end their relationship with Somerville is simply to leave him in a suspended status (presumably with pay) through the end of his contract. Just letting the clock run out is the best way out of it for Fox.
ReplyDeleteThe only way Somerville could come out with "something better" is for Fox to open negotiations but I'm sure that Fox recognizes they are better off by just letting the clock run out.
God help them if Amber Eikel brings somebody in. Her recent hires are all unqualified, unattractive and look like they need 5 years in Fresno before even attempting this market. Keep in mind all of the better known anchors you know and love at KTVU were NOT hired by Amber. She's brought you roly poly little Greg Lee, 70s throwback and not in a good way Evan Sarnofsky and a few other oddballs whose most recent gigs were in PR and not even on tv. Give Andre or Mike the job. Trust me it's a wayyyyyy better option than Awkward Amber getting creative and continuing the destruction of KTVU.
ReplyDeleteOh my God, AGREED! Where does Evan Sarnofsky get his hair cut? He looks like a Saturday Night Live parody of a reporter. And you forgot the fact that they brought back failed reporter/anchor Greg Liggins, who has the news acumen of my hamster but I'll bet he works cheap, after 20 years of hard knocks following his abrupt departure from KTVU's morning anchor desk around 1999 because he wasn't happy with his less-than-superstar treatment. Amber
DeleteEikel had a terrific meteorologist in the form of Kyla Grogan, but she botched that too and so two and a half years later we still have no new weather anchor in place and Bill Martin is still shuffling through the forecast at home with his cat. The management at that station is paranoid because they're IDIOTS. If they were competent, they wouldn't need to resort of intimidation and bugging the premises to maintain authority. That's why they hire the goons they do; so they'll be beholden to them. Incompetents hang with (and love) incompetents. Stalin could take lessons from these people.
Have to agree with 6:39 on the Kyla Grogan thing. I can't believe they let that woman leave. She wasn't even on all the time and still people took to her more than the normal people who are on daily. Weird place KTVU.
DeleteMcSweeney, as solid as he is, is an older white male. He has no chance. This opening at Channel 2 has "diversity hire" written all over it, especially given Frank's allegations about the Gabby Petito case. And here's one wild card that's in the minds of the Fox execs in NY: If the Biden administration gets a third seat on the FCC (and therefore a majority), look for that agency to start hassling Fox-owned stations over their licenses. KTVU's license is up next year. A station that just hired a white male as their top anchor would be sitting duck for the "woke" crowd at the FCC.
ReplyDelete> This opening at Channel 2 has "diversity
Delete> hire" written all over it...
So explain why they haven't just chosen Andre Senior or Dave Clarke already.
Ummmm…. There are over 7 billion people in this world. Andre Senior and Dave Clark aren’t the only diversity hires out there. And diversity doesn’t mean just black. It could be AAPI, Hispanic, LGBTQIAS2+, American Indian, or any other underrepresented community. I personally would like to see a black transgender hired. What better place to make such a groundbreaking hire than the Bay Area?
Deletewhy does the replacement have to have a penis?
ReplyDeleteLadies and gentlemen say hello to Heather Holmes! Hiiiiii Heather!
Delete8:43AM, your copy & paste attempt at humor (or whatever your comment was meant to be) fell flat. There is nothing funny about you wrote.
DeleteNow that we've established that, I would again ask my question: why does Frank's replacement need to have a penis? I'm still waiting for someone to provide a cogent response in support of said position.
Why does Frank’s replacement need to have a penis? Because I said so. That’s why. If you’d prefer to watch women, I’d suggest you turn on Playboy or Telemundo.
DeleteIs that “cogent” enough for you, Professor Private Parts?
At 67, McSweeney is too old for the gig which I'm sure KTVU wants to be filled by the same person for years to come.
ReplyDeleteMcSweeney is indeed a dark horse. Definitely can see him a primetime anchor but they (KTVU) will most likely stay in house. Andre Senior would be my next choice. Frank Mallicoat would be ok also. Not sure about Mike Mibach or Alex Savage either...
ReplyDeleteMake KTVU an all WCAL news station and use St Ignatius graduates Mibach and McSweeney as co anchors and Riordan grad Sal Castenada for traffic and weather. Bring in Paul Tonelli (SI) for entertainment reports. Go Cats but talk about boring yikes. Lol
ReplyDeleteI was hoping Wilson Walker (KPIX) or Frank Gannon, would be on the top 5 list!!!
ReplyDeleteI like Andre. He has a good voice and smooth delivery. Plus, it fits in with what Frank supposedly wants.
ReplyDeleteWhy cant we see the 2 ice queens do a news cast? Heather and Julie
ReplyDeleteDream on. That’s never gonna happen as long as Julie keeps taking upwards of 330 vacation days annually.
DeleteI just barfed
DeleteOh no Andre Senior? Why? Boring and with fake Julie what's the reason to watch?McSweeney is really great but I would advise him to avoid KTVU. It's horrible.
DeleteRich, is it true that Greg Liggins is a top contender for Frank's spot? It makes sense given that he's in-house, black, and is pretty neutral in the sense that he's not as polarizing as Mibach, Senior, or Greg Lee.
ReplyDeleteKTVU needs to stop with the musical chairs "Frankenstein" thing already. Taking the worst and most unqualified people and throwing them together on a newscast looks so amateurish. In this Frankenstein approach that Amber has adopted no anchor commands any respect, no one comes off as any sort of authority, and no grouping is able to form any degree of chemistry.
ReplyDeleteCombine that with their atrocious news writing, botched graphics, re-racking the same story 15 times in a newscast, and running 75% of their stories from Fox News, Fox Business, and KCRA up in Sacramento, and you end up with what you have now…a newscast that is simply unwatchable.
Also, why is KTVU the only local station that plays musical chairs like this? Say what you want about other local stations but at least they have consistent anchors doing consistent shows.