Frank Somerville Explained

Frank Somerville
Birth Name:Frank Somerville
Birth Date:19 March 1958
Birth Place:San Luis Obispo, California, U.S.
Alma Mater:San Francisco State University
Occupation:Journalist and news anchor
Years Active:1991–present
Television:KTVU (1991–2021)

Frank Somerville (born March 19, 1958) is an American television journalist.[1] During his three decades at KTVU in Oakland, California, Somerville received three Emmy Awards, including one for best on-camera news anchor.[2] [3] [4]

Early life and education

Somerville was born on March 19, 1958, in San Luis Obispo, California, but was raised in Berkeley. He was named after his father's childhood friend, Frank Patty, and his paternal grandfather, William Somerville. He attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1976.[5] He then attended San Francisco State University.[6]

Broadcast career

Somerville was an intern at KTVU in 1981, while attending San Francisco State. After graduation he worked at local stations in Santa Rosa, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Providence, Rhode Island, before returning to the San Francisco Bay Area. He became co-anchor of KTVU's morning news program in 1992 and was the first anchor of the 5 p.m. newscast when it launched in 2005. In 2008, he was named co-anchor of the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, replacing 40-year veteran Dennis Richmond.

In 2013, Somerville apologized on behalf of KTVU for an incident in which racist pilot names were read out in a broadcast on Asiana Airlines Flight 214.[7]

In June 2021, Somerville took a personal leave of absence from KTVU following an on-air incident during which he struggled to read the script for several stories and appeared to slur his words.[8] He returned to the anchor chair on August 4 without addressing the incident that saw his brief departure.[9] In September 2021, he was suspended for disobedience after seeking to keep a "tag" concerning domestic violence and "missing white woman syndrome" in a story on the Gabby Petito case.[10] In November 2021, he said in an interview with the Bay Area News Group that KTVU had not contacted him and that "All indications are that I’m never going to anchor at Channel 2 again."[11]

On December 30, 2021, Somerville was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after an automobile collision.[12]

Somerville's suspension from KTVU would become permanent in January 2022 when his contract expired and KTVU would decide not to re-sign him. He believes that his automotive collision that happened the month before did not play a role, instead, he believes management had already decided to cut him loose months earlier.[13]

In December 2022, Somerville went public about his dismissal from the station on a Facebook post.[14] [15]

He was arrested twice in one day in June 2023.[16]

Personal life

Somerville was married to television producer Donna Wright Somerville for more than 20 years; the couple has two daughters. A picture of him styling his Black, adopted daughter's hair went viral on the Internet.[17] [18] [19] [20]

Somerville has been a vegetarian since the age of 12. He works out and practices the Israeli martial art of Krav Maga.[21]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Biography for Frank Somerville. Ryeter. N. Sider. imdb.com. Internet Movie Database. June 23, 2013.
  2. Web site: Emmy Nominations 1999 . Emmysf.tv. December 31, 1998. December 13, 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131112101236/http://www.emmysf.tv/recipients-1999.html. November 12, 2013.
  3. Web site: Emmy Nominations 2002 . Emmysf.tv. May 18, 2002. December 13, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131112105703/http://www.emmysf.tv/recipients-2002.html. November 12, 2013 . dead.
  4. Web site: Emmy Nominations 2003 . Emmysf.tv. April 17, 2003 . December 13, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141205114753/http://www.emmysf.tv/nominations-2003.html . December 5, 2014 . dead.
  5. Web site: Frank Somerville to replace Dennis Richmond. Garofoli. Joe. April 10, 2008. sfgate.com. SFGate. June 24, 2013.
  6. Web site: KTVU's Somerville settling in as Richmond's replacement. San Jose Mercury News. December 1, 2014.
  7. Web site: Asiana: Anchor says KTVU never sounded-out racist pilot names. Los Angeles Times. July 12, 2013 . December 1, 2014.
  8. Web site: Bote. Joshua. June 4, 2021. KTVU anchor Somerville to take time away after slurred newscast. August 6, 2021. SFGATE. en-US.
  9. Web site: August 6, 2021. Frank Somerville returns to KTVU after two months of leave. August 6, 2021. The Desk. en-US.
  10. News: Rachel . Swan . Frank Somerville suspension: How the dispute over 'Gabby' Petito coverage unfolded at KTVU . San Francisco Chronicle . September 26, 2021 . September 26, 2021 .
  11. News: Ross . Martha . Frank Somerville says he's done at KTVU, apologizes to newsroom for 'drama' . December 3, 2021 . San Jose Mercury News . Bay Area News Group . November 9, 2021.
  12. News: Michelle . Robertson . Frank Somerville arrested for suspected DUI after crash . SFGate (San Francisco Chronicle) . December 31, 2021 .
  13. Web site: February 27, 2022 . Frank Somerville says KTVU wouldn't re-sign him: 'I am done' . February 27, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220227030415/https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/01/28/frank-somerville-says-ktvu-wouldnt-re-sign-him-i-am-done-at-channel-2/ . February 27, 2022 . dead.
  14. Web site: Frank Somerville publicly opens up about arrest, KTVU exit. Amanda Bartlett. SFGATE. December 19, 2022. SFGATE.
  15. Web site: Former KTVU Anchor Frank Somerville Speaks Publicly About Addiction Issues. December 19, 2022. SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports. January 2, 2023. January 2, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230102191628/https://sfist.com/2022/12/19/former-ktvu-anchor-speaks-publicly-addiction/. dead.
  16. News: Phil. Mayer. Tori. Gaines. Frank Somerville Arrested Twice Overnight, Cited for DUI. KRON-TV. June 5, 2023. July 24, 2023.
  17. Web site: August 29, 2012 . Image of Bay Area news anchor doing his daughter's hair touches people all over country The Mommy Files an SFGate.com blog . February 27, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120829010950/http://blog.sfgate.com/sfmoms/2012/08/06/bay-area-news-anchor-does-his-black-daughters-hair-and-touches-people-all-over-country/ . August 29, 2012 .
  18. Web site: Tender photo of TV anchor un-braiding daughter's hair goes viral . August 8, 2012 . msn.com . MSN . June 24, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120820043117/http://now.msn.com/photo-of-tv-anchor-frank-sommerville-and-daughter-goes-viral . August 20, 2012 . dead .
  19. Web site: Dana Macario . A white dad does his black daughter's hair, and the Internet smiles . TODAY.com . August 5, 2012 . April 10, 2014.
  20. Web site: 10 Questions for Frank Somerville; Up Close and Personal with KTVU's Top Dog; And Something that may Surprise You. Lieberman. Rich. June 13, 2011. 415 Media. June 23, 2013.
  21. Web site: Kevin . Wing . Day in the Life: Frank Somerville. emmysf.tv.

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