Frank Somerville

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Frank Somerville
Born
Frank Somerville

(1958-03-19) March 19, 1958 (age 63)
San Luis Obispo, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materSan Francisco State University
OccupationJournalist and news anchor
Years active1991–present
TelevisionKTVU (1991–2021)

Frank Somerville (born March 19, 1958) is an American journalist.[1] Somerville has received three Emmy awards at KTVU, 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 raised in Berkeley. He attended Berkeley High School and graduated in the class of 1976.[5] He attended San Francisco State University.[6] He was named after his father's childhood friend, Frank Patty, and his paternal grandfather, William Somerville.[citation needed]

Broadcast career[]

He was an intern at KTVU in 1981 while attending San Francisco State University. After graduation he worked at local stations in Santa Rosa, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Providence, Rhode Island before returning to the Bay Area. He became co-anchor of the station'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.[5]

In 2013, Somerville apologized on behalf of KTVU on 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]

Personal life[]

He is married to television producer Donna Wright Somerville and has two daughters. A picture of him styling his Black, adopted daughter's hair went viral on the Internet.[13][14][15][16]

Somerville has been a vegetarian since the age of 12.

He works out and practices the Israeli martial art of Krav Maga.[17]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Ryeter, N. Sider. "Biography for Frank Somerville". imdb.com. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  2. ^ "Emmy Nominations 1999". Emmysf.tv. December 31, 1998. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  3. ^ "Emmy Nominations 2002". Emmysf.tv. May 18, 2002. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  4. ^ "Emmy Nominations 2003". Emmysf.tv. April 17, 2003. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Garofoli, Joe (April 10, 2008). "Frank Somerville to replace Dennis Richmond". sfgate.com. SFGate. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  6. ^ "KTVU's Somerville settling in as Richmond's replacement". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  7. ^ "Asiana: Anchor says KTVU never sounded-out racist pilot names". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  8. ^ Bote, Joshua (June 4, 2021). "KTVU anchor Somerville to take time away after slurred newscast". SFGATE. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  9. ^ "Frank Somerville returns to KTVU after two months of leave". The Desk. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  10. ^ Swan, Rachel (September 26, 2021). "Frank Somerville suspension: How the dispute over 'Gabby' Petito coverage unfolded at KTVU". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  11. ^ Ross, Martha (November 9, 2021). "Frank Somerville says he's done at KTVU, apologizes to newsroom for 'drama'". San Jose Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  12. ^ Robertson, Michelle (December 31, 2021). "Frank Somerville arrested for suspected DUI after crash". SFGate (San Francisco Chronicle).
  13. ^ Graff, Amy. "Image of Bay Area news anchor doing his daughter's hair touches people all over country - The Mommy Files". Blog.sfgate.com. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  14. ^ "Tender photo of TV anchor un-braiding daughter's hair goes viral". msn.com. MSN. August 8, 2012. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  15. ^ Dana Macario (August 5, 2012). "A white dad does his black daughter's hair, and the Internet smiles". TODAY.com. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  16. ^ Lieberman, Rich (June 13, 2011). "10 Questions for Frank Somerville; Up Close and Personal with KTVU's Top Dog; And Something that may Surprise You". 415 Media. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  17. ^ Wing, Kevin. "Day in the Life: Frank Somerville". emmysf.tv.

External links[]

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