Sex, Lies and Videotape Create Rancor on KTVU's Prized '10 0'Clock News'; Anchors Distrust Each Other; Somerville at Center of Storm; Haener is 'Nosy'; Martin's Aloofness Growing; Ibanez Stays Away from Fray (For Now) Mysterious Texts Abound; 415 Media Exclusive

Frank Somerville and Julie Haener on set of "10 o'clock News"

KTVU's Vaunted Franchise, Its "10 O'clock News" is beset with anchors who don't trust one another; have contempt for one another; routinely question its partner's personal and in some cases, professional behavior; there's more. But despite all this rancor, the TEN O'CLOCK NEWS is still far and away the ratings winner in the Bay Area news wars and still garners industry admiration here and beyond.

That said, Fox-owned KTVU brass is "extremely worried" that the tension gripping its hallmark newscast could become an issue if those tensions worsen and become more pronounced.

415 Media knows the full, inside story; the story you won't get anywhere else but here and now:

*Frank Somerville, KTVU's veteran two-decade anchor is beset with personal problems galore; he's become aloof to the point where even his closest friends are worried about Frank's suddenly "erratic" behavior. Somerville is getting a divorce and has left his house and wife while dealing with that and an ongoing station matter which has rocked the newsroom and proved embarrassing for Somerville and his closest friends. Why the divorce? Only Somerville's wife knows but it isn't a very pretty picture across the board. It's also a lesson: no matter how much you insist your daily dalliances with a very attractive 30-something intern is strictly platonic, the perception is otherwise.

Somerville has a new flame. His wife has a high-priced divorce attorney. It could get ugly. It already has. Frank is moody and irritable. He's distanced himself from close confidants. He doesn't laugh much anymore and is "not the same Frank", a staffer tells me who knows him well.

Bill Martin (l) and friend, Janice Huff

*Julie Haener was always; still is; considered a quality news anchor and steady influence on the set but her growing influence has colleagues both weary of her personal chit-chat and royally pissed off that she spreads gossip and innuendo. While ON THE SET! Haener asked an anchor recently off-air was that individual talking to 415 Media. "No", said the person although Haener wouldn't stop badgering --only a break back to news from a commercial put an end to the actions of nosy Haener.

*415 Media has learned through a reliable station contact that weatherman, Bill Martin, is openly chastised by co-anchors off screen, why? Martin is now leaving the station habitually, mostly after the early-evening newscasts to head home to Lafayette to have dinner with family, hardly anything unusual but at the expense of his weather research needed for later shows? Yes, a problem.

*Veteran 40-year Sports anchor and Director, Mark Ibanez, gets static from the team because Ibanez tries to stay away from the fray. In fact, he's been teased by friends because he's largely immune from all the other's chaos, and make no mistake, it's chaos.

*A potential whammy: a series of potentially embarrassing and slightly salacious texts that were sent to the intern that were leaked out and viewed by 415 Media. The texts are mostly innocuous but they do contain, shall we say, "interesting forms of communication" that don't appear to be anything about TV News business. And now, mysteriously, they're gone. Maybe a self-inflicted wound? Guilty.

Haener nosy? 

While all this is taking place, newscasts somehow happen and it's business as usual at KTVU, for now. If you believe word on the street, or certainly through the 54-camera newsroom, watched by overruling and take-no-prisoner HR bosses, if there's a crack in the armor, then "all hell will break out." 

And we'll be watching.

#415 MEDIA EXCLUSIVE