415 Media Exclusive: It's Official: After 43 Years, Mark Ibanez Leaving KTVU; Joe Fonzi Expected to Take Over as Lead Sports Anchor; Ibanez Likely Retires and Takes Deal from Fox

What I already reported became official last (Tuesday) night:

The Bay Area's longest-tenured anchor, sports-director, Mark Ibanez is LEAVING KTVU to pursue other interests.

Ibanez's departure was announced by fellow Fox2 anchor, Joe Fonzi, on the 10: 50 sports report --Ibanez told friends at the Warriors' game he was leaving KTVU. And it looks as if Fonzi will take over the new lead sports anchor position at the Bay Area O and O (owned/operated).

Ibanez will depart KTVU at the end of the month.

Ibanez, who began his stint in 1979, has been working without a contarct for a year. He had hoped to get a one last contract extension, but KTVU management never offered any serious negotiations. In fact, Ibanez was rebuffed by KTVU to the very last moment. He'd been told by Fox2 suits that his status would be addressed "after the football season."

Only not only was his contract extension, status not addressed, KTVU brass never reached out to Ibanez directly or even indirectly. It was an amazing show of indifference by a KTVU already trying to move forward from the loss of veteran news anchor, Frank Somerville, who was dismissed in late January.

Ibanez, a Bay Area native, has told friends, he's inclined to retire but left open the possibility about going to another station in the market.

On the other hand, as I learned too, Ibanez might simply retire and might have made a deal with KTVU to exit and take a financial package benefitting him and his family.

Ibanez's last broadcast on KTVU is March 31st.

*415 MEDIA EXCLUSIVE

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

KTVU Fox2 '10 o'Clock News' Early 2019 Playbook

I'LL SAY THIS: DO NOT TRUST THEM AS THEY USED TO SAY, "Trust us."

It's a BS word, trust. They should never be trusted in the first place.

Never.

They used to be the gold standard in Bay Area TV News. It's a different world, I know, but they no longer carry the sword. They are a lot of talk with very little swagger. They've been reduced to everyone else and they happen to be in first still in a marginalized business in a marginalized town, is KTVU News. They still have very, very good people--on the air, that is--and they do good things but they have severe case of egotitus and mass carelessness, to wit:

*Frank Somerville: so, you're getting a divorce. It happens. Don't freak out, Frank. You're human. The news is not unsettling at least in the public. It would have leaked out anyway and besides, it's no big deal anymore even if you think it is. The only issue now is to get on with your life and read the news and quit worrying about the repercussions. There are none. You're a mostly good guy, Frank. A few personal peccadillos doesn't define you.  Keep on keeping on, Count Somerville.

*Julie Haener: Jules, why have I always been suspicious about you? For a time I thought you were a hard worker and honest journalist. Was it working with Dennis Richmond all those years? Oh, don't get me wrong, Dennis was good and for a time, cool, but he obviously had an effect on you and it took its toll. So Julie, the outside sheen is simply an act. Deep down you're as occasionally mean as all the rest of us civilians. Don't take yourself so seriously and just carry on the task of reading the teleprompter. By the way, unlike Dennis, have you ever gone out in the field? Ever? 

*Bill Martin: I have a ton of respect for you, Bill. You may think I've taken cheap shots but Bill, you know I was spot on. You seem to have taken off some time of late. The weathercasts seem disjointed and broken. All in all, you still got it, Bill, but there's no crispness anymore and a few of your cohorts seem bored. They are not alone. You need to tighten it up and become a lot more fresh. It's not that difficult.

*Mark Ibanez: Wow, have times changed. Mark, you used to be a total breath of fresh air. You wrote the best three minutes of sports in the whole market. You were the STAR! The real deal. The punch, the spirit, the salute, the gravitas. Now Mark, it all comes out. Don't be phony Mark. You know what a phony is? A phony is a person who does/says one thing; does another; has an image as a good guy and all-around cool person. But then behind the scenes is 100 percent the opposite. Mark, you have 40 years in the company and you still are the man, it's just that your star has faded quite a bit in the end and I'm the only one who knows. Mark, it's 4th down and 10 from the 10 and you have one last play. Don't screw it up and by god, don't text in the play.

*415 Media

To Be Continued

Can We all say the Ken Wayne KRON Experiment is a Royal Dud? I will; KTVU's Mark Ibanez Slobbers on Gary Radnich; Roberta Gonzales Fallout All Her Own Doing Not Myself; No Big Deal Too; Greg Papa Arrogance Filters to TV and Radio; Monday Mash

Ken Wayne --no spark at KRON

KRON is undergoing severe change; it's not something that will historically change the present situation which is the case and has been the case for several years now. KRON still looks, acts, and is and will always be awful. Until someone or some decent broadcast company swoops in and saves it. I won't hold my breath.

The other thing is the personnel. It still stinks. There are a few talented people still on board but the
bulk of its personnel looks like third-rate amateur posers and even with the addition of some newcomers the product is still infinitely infected with KRON germs.

Let's be the first one to say the addition of Ken Wayne hasn't accomplished anything. Wayne is boring and vanilla. He has no personality. It could work at KTVU where his understated delivery was the essence of old-school KTVU and consistent with their pre-Fox design.

It doesn't work at KRON. It never would. You can't save a rotting corpse.

KRON needed a JOLT. A shot in the arm and some human credibility. Wayne was thought to provide some of that and he's been lukewarm oatmeal with melba toast on the side. He could walk down the Embarcadero and no one would recognize him. As a KRON staffer jokingly told me recently, "Wayne is Steve Aveson with a slightly better personality."

So, KRON has a lifetime to go and that's just plain impossible with or without Ken Wayne.

Dud.

*A FEW YEARS ago at a sports banquet, Gary Radnich made a joke: "Hey, look out in the audience: 'there's Mark Ibanez with a nice suit; hey Mark!", yelled Raddy. "Is that another trade-out?"

Gary Radnich

Ibanez didn't think the joke was funny. In fact, he was royally pissed off and angry. Ibanez has a sense of humor but was outraged that Radnich would go a little too deep and personal. He was stung to the max.

Circle back in time to present day last Friday when Radnich was on his KNBR show and saying that night would be his last on the KRON and guess who called in? Ibanez himself, who proceeded to slobber for a good ten minutes and laugh and giggle at Radnich who sounded downright giddy. It was poignant, fun, a little too much gushing and a whole lot of sweet nothing from both but more so from Ibanez who frankly sounded nauseating --especially given his feelings for Radnich who on more then one occasion, Ibanez told this blogger he thought Raddy stunk. And not just that memorable banquet night.

Maybe Mark has a bad memory.

I don't.

Mark Ibanez

*Roberta Gonzales posted a sort of interesting picture on Twitter and it was sent to me and so I posted it here.

Several people ripped me for being a juvenile and offering poor taste because I used it.

Wait a minute!

Roberta is the one who posted it online so obviously she had no issues with it so why all the big fuss directed at me?

Because most of you have a sense of humor and don't automatically assume the picture was nefarious and laced with sexual overtones.

In my headline, I said "Roberta was being creative." And she was and that was it.

Those of you that want to rip me maybe you should contact Roberta instead.

Roberta Gonzales

*Dave Feldman was absent over the weekend on his NBC Sports Bay Area Giants' gig; gees, I wonder why and he was not on vacation.

*Greg Papa has built up a GIANT wall at both his radio station and at the cable outlet over his massive ego play and arrogance that has become quite problematic.

Greg Papa

Papa thinks he's God and while his moxie has been able to provide him a 49ers' gig (which he needs to finance the impending divorce from hell to a former Raiderette) its not very comfortable to be around Papa now if you're in his footsteps.

Papa is an accomplished professional and very good at his broadcast duties but his boorishness can be an issue and when he's en fuego he can be a real big jerk.

Arrogance is one thing. Self-absorbed assholeness is another.

Papa's self-importance and personal diatribes have future negative consequences and it'll be interesting to watch all this down the road.

Mark Ibanez Delivers The Sports (And News) Quite Nicely on KTVU

LET ME TELL YOU a few things about Mark Ibanez. He's been at KTVU for nearly 40 years; one of the nicest and most talented sports and news anchors in the Bay Area. Best thing about Mark is that he's real and genuine, not an insincere bone in the body.

Ibanez is one of the best writers at his craft. He's also quite versatile as the veteran personality has done news anchoring too and is extremely adept; it's not that easy a transition from sports to news but Ibanez pulls it off effortlessly. 

Ibanez doesn't have to showboat or mug the camera like others; he's good enough where ego doesn't trump output. You normally come here and look forward to my ripping someone, but I can't rip Mark Ibanez so you'll have to suffer with something positive today; what a shame.

And that's the sporting life.

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415 Media Exclusive: Mark Ibanez To Stay At KTVU; Veteran Sports Anchor To Sign Extension Through 2018; 'I'm Elated'

Mark Ibanez will be staying at KTVU Sports

 IBANEZ TO STAY AT KTVU; VERBAL AGREEMENT IN PLACE; WILL SIGN CONTRACT THIS WEEK

Veteran weeknight KTVU sports anchor, Mark Ibanez, has reached a "verbal agreement" with the Fox O and O to remain on the station at least another three years.

Ibanez' current deal expires on April 1.

Reached by phone, Ibanez confirmed the deal: "I'm elated with the terms. Really happy to get this done. On cloud nine baby!"

Ibanez will formally sign the contract extension this week.

Ibanez had the luxury of another station expressing an interest in him --that station is KGO-TV, but it never reached a point where negotiations over a deal were close but KGO was interested enough to make Ibanez an offer.

Ibanez, who's been at KTVU since 1979, didn't want to talk about specifics on his salary but it's believed to be about $360K per year. Not bad considering today's new compensation model for even big market stations and a Fox one at that.

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Mark Ibanez Close To Re-Upping at KTVU But 'Other Bay Area Station' In The Mix; Veteran Sports Anchor a 35-Year Fixture at Jack London Square; Tuesday First Take

 Mark Ibanez is close to signing a three-year re-up at KTVU where the veteran sports anchor has been since 1979. That's 35 years. That's a lot of staying power --if you're a fan of Ibanez, (like me) don't celebrate just yet.

A source close to the Bay Area native told me nothing is official yet. As a matter of fact, the source told 415 Media that another station in the Bay Area has flirted with Ibanez about coming over across the bay. I was asked not to name the station in exchange for the information but I can tell you the outlet is sincere about courting Ibanez.

My gut says that Ibanez would prefer to stay at KTVU even though KTVU's ownership, (Fox), has changed and management is new. That's not an issue. In fact, Ibanez is said to have a "great" relationship with hard-nosed GM, Gregg Kelley, who came from Boston's WFXT.

"Right now, it's 80-20 that Mark stays", said the source. "He lives in Napa and has a very comfortable lifestyle and the thought of him leaving Channel 2 would mean the other station would really have to make him an offer he couldn't refuse."

Ibanez' contract is up April 1.

Stay tuned. We should know in about a week or so.

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In Case You Didn't Know KTVU Is Your Giants-World Series TV Station And Mark Ibanez Is Wearing Sunglasses And Hugging Gasia Mikaelian

 In case you didn't know... not here, but everywhere else:

Mark Ibanez is wearing sunglasses and hugging Gasia Mikaelian.

{KTVU}

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KGO-TV Contacts KTVU's Mark Ibanez About Possible Sports Anchor Gig; Breaking: Inglis Set To Retire in August

 KGO-TV has contacted veteran KTVU weeknight sports anchor, Mark Ibanez, about possibly joining the SF ABC O and O, (owned/operated), according to a reliable station source who asked for anonymity.


Ibanez has been a KTVU stalwart since 1979 and recently signed a three-year extension, but it's up in March, 2015 and given the uncertainty at Channel 2 since Fox acquired them, Ibanez might be tempted.


Ibanez was unable to comment.


At KGO, Channel 7, the sports anchor situation is very much up in the air.


Larry Beil has been doing much more news anchoring but through a variety of sources, has told people he'd prefer to go back to his native Hawaii and "be a big fish in a little pond."


Mike Schumann is KGO's weekend anchor and prime backup but isn't considered a "long-term" option should an opening occur if Beil splits.


Ibanez has indicated in the past that he'd prefer to end his career at KTVU, but with Fox taking over and perhaps wanting to chop highly-paid on-air talent, Ibanez may have to at least listen to offers.


**Meanwhile, I have heard from KTVU sources that longtime weekend sports anchor, Fred Inglis will retire from Channel 2 in August.


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Separated at Birth: Alex Trebek and Mark Ibanez

KTVU's Ibanez shines on noon news; sports anchor flawless thirty minutes

Mark Ibanez more than held serve on his first ever newscast; the KTVU veteran lead sports anchor was refreshingly steady and comfortable in his solo performance, Monday, on the Channel 2 noon news.

In fact, Ibanez looked as if he's been doing it for over thirty-two years; the time he's spent at the venerable Fox affiliate in Oakland. He might as well have been Dennis Richmond's twin.

Not that going from sports to news is such a big deal, but in fact it is. Writing and delivering roughly 22 minutes of content from the normal two-three doesn't require heavy lifting, but I'm sure Ibanez had a bit of early jitters. It certainly didn't show on Monday.

He opened the show with the day's storm news the top story in the Bay Area, with a concise and solid update, plus steady send to a KTVU field reporter. His weather banter with meteorologist Steve Paulson was also flawless. OK, so I'm a bit easy about the art of banter, but you try it. Not as easy as it looks.

All in all, if Ibanez were to suddenly tire of the usual sporting life, then I'd highly endorse his new venture into the non-toy dept. His news debut Monday was a virtual slam dunk.

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KTVU's Ibanez to anchor noon news Monday; longtime sportsguy tells me first

After thirty-two years at KTVU doing sports, Mark Ibanez is about to do something Monday that he's never done before and he's told me exclusively.

"Your old buddy is going to be anchoring the noon news this Monday,MLK day…not the sports …the noon news…looking at it as a challenge and maybe something new in the future…..you never know….different things need to be tried sometimes to remain a survivor in this business as you know."

You might recall the late Gary Park, who spent over twenty years at KTVU, began his career there doing news; he ultimately switched to sports anchoring, so Ibanez' news trek should be interesting viewing.

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