SFGATE tech editor Joshua Bote contributed to this report. Downtown S.F. In a testy exchange with KTVU on Wednesday, Mayor London Breed defended San Francisco as safe despite the recent stabbing death of tech executive and the perception that The City is overly progressive and full of lawless behavior. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Former longtime KTVU anchor and reporter Leslie Griffith has died. The fans on Facebook aren't asking too many questions, and are just welcoming Somerville back. April 8, 2022 2:36 pm Former KTVU news anchor Frank Somerville has been officially charged with driving under the influence after his December arrest. It's one of those voices that you always connect with. Political chaos has erupted in this Peninsula city over one issue: Housing, showed his blood alcohol concentration was .24%, Beneath Michelin-starred restaurants success, landlord dispute is boiling. Glad your health is ok and whatever you were going through.". Investigative producer Roland DeWolk, special projects producer Cristina Gastelu and producer Brad Belstock were all fired over the incident. ", KTVUs Ken Wayne leaving station after 26 years, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window). Johnny Depp was surprise difficult on set of comeback film, reports say, Coronation organizers wonder if Prince Harry will be a no-show, report says, Summer movies 2023: 21 reasons you should be eager to return to theaters, Tucker Carlson: How early rejection by hippie San Francisco mom made him shameless. I remember watching her. ', 'But were mostly saddened that a tragedy that took the lives of three people and injured scores of other passengers could be taken as an opportunity for an apparent joke.'. 27 Or maybe teaching. TV Shows. In 2005, she founded the Leslie R. Griffith Woman of Courage Scholarship to help young women. Somerville posted the news that his contract would not be renewed on Facebook and also said that he is hoping to get another job in TV news. Personalities. OAKLAND The Alameda County District Attorney's Office has filed two misdemeanor charges against former KTVU news anchor Frank Somerville in connection with his arrest late last year on . Somerville still faces two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood level alcohol concentration of .08 or more, along with an enhancement for having a blood alcohol concentration that exceeds .15 after a crash in December. Im grateful that I didnt hurt anybody, but regardless of that, I was completely in the wrong.. 2. Whenever a reporter had new information or a new interviewee, she would go to that person immediately to assure the viewers the latest information. Send her an email at amanda.bartlett@sfgate.com. Now, it's revered. Her last email to me where she said, Hi old friend, I think of you often and smile. And I think that's the way she would think of her time at KTVU. Leslie Griffith, a longtime journalist who graced television screens for more than two decades as anchor for KTVU Channel 2 News, has died. until SUN 10:00 PM PDT, San Francisco Bay Shoreline. This email address is already subscribed to the selected list(s). Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville gave his first on-camera interview since his arrest for a DUI crash in . He's been a fixture on Bay Area news since 1991, and has been in the anchor seat at KTVU since 2008, following the retirement of Dennis Richmond. Meet the woman with the most harrowing job in Britain: Sally spends her days viewing vile images as part of a tiny team battling internet porn - how DOES she cope? They're still operating in March/April 2020 lockdown mode when most of the other news channels have been able to come back almost to full swing production. Ex-KTVU anchor Frank Somerville says he may pursue another TV job. 'Being first on air and on every platform in all aspects of our coverage was a great accomplishment, but being 100% accurate, effectively using our great sources and social media without putting a single piece of erroneous information on our air, is what we are most proud of as a newsroom. Big shift in weather is headed to California. You always knew that she was there. Local | This mysterious Bay Area beach is covered in broken ceramicsFood | Is San Francisco tiki bar the Tonga Room actually good?Culture| This SF restaurant was the blueprint for Bobs Burgers'Music| Nirvana's Cow Palace show was once panned. Almost a year after his arrest that resulted in two misdemeanor charges for driving under the influence, former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville shared a lengthy Facebook post reflecting on his termination from the news station as he attempted to shed light on the state of his mental health at the time of the crash. Now, it's revered. KTVU news director Amber Eikel denied the request, calling it inappropriate, according to the source. Jaymi Mccann, Station broadcast inaccurate names but apologized for the error quickly, KTVU confirmed information with the National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB says a summer intern verified the names when approached by the station, At least 77 people killed and more than 130 injured including one Briton in Spain after packed passenger train derails on bend 'while travelling at nearly THREE TIMES the speed limit'. That being said, KTVU as a whole has become unwatchable for me over the past year. A California man is forced to live in a country hes never known, Warriors lean into championship DNA, beat Kings behind sublime Curry, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Menu. Former KTVU anchor Frank Somervillehas been charged with driving with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit. ', Technical Audio Producer (Part-Time Contract)Bloomberg LPNew York, New York, KTVU Wont Renew Longtime Anchor Frank Somervilles Contract, An error has occurred, please try again later. < Ex-news anchor back at KTVU as writer, reporter, Dubs fans picking apart video of possible Poole-Draymond incident, Destructive landslide closes historic California institution, Bay Area mom influencer found guilty of lying about kidnapping, Horoscope for Monday, 5/01/23 by Christopher Renstrom, More rain, 'unseasonably chilly' temperatures coming to Bay Area, 49ers out in full force at Warriors-Kings Game 7, Bay Area preschool teacher suspected of dumping body along road, Shock, fear as 2 killings in 3 days rock quiet Davis, Sold-out Berkeley crowd gets rowdy at country star's concert, Steph Curry killed off the Kings with a smile, Draymond Green rips Domantas Sabonis: 'Lost a lot of respect', Warriors' biggest hater made a cowardly Game 7 'bet', Dyson's air purifying headphones have finally arrived, HOKA Clifton 9 review: Ive never loved a sneaker more, Things to do in Napa Valley during Bottlerock, plus hotels, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). By Lauren Hernndez (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. "Janice brings unique strengths that will make our newsroom even better." In the videos Somerville appears disoriented and shoeless. Neshka MANCHOROVA, Professor (Associate) | Cited by 26 | of Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv | Read 7 publications | Contact Neshka MANCHOROVA Coverage of the tragic plane crash at San Francisco International Airport, which killed three people and injured dozens of others last Saturday has proven tricky for some news outlets. A spokesperson for Fox earlier said, "We can confirm Frank is taking time away from the desk to focus on his health and we welcome his return when he is ready. This SF restaurant was the blueprint for Bobs Burgers'. 'With such a vaunted reputation among local news stations, we expected much more from KTVU. I never had a chance to say goodbye and for that Im sorry.. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? Seated across from one another in a living-room setting, with a ficus plant and vinyl blinds covering the windows, Somerville and Moore discussed the DUI crash, Somervilles emotional turmoil and his rocky last months at KTVU. She joined the Chronicle in 2015 after stints at several alt weekly newspapers. Asiana Airlines has identified two of the four flying crew on board as the pilot and copilot Lee Kang-kook and Lee Jung-min. Watson's first report will be on the Marin Shipyards and can be seen Sunday. The broadcaster said they came from a source who they were refusing to identify. 'The National Transportation Safety Board apologizes for inaccurate and offensive names that were mistakenly confirmed as those of the pilots of Asiana flight 214, which crashed at San Francisco International Airport on July 6,' the NTSB said in a statement. 10:23 BST 25 Jul 2013 So I am done at Channel 2, Somerville told the Bay Area News Group. Somerville takes these charges very seriously, his attorney, Shannan Dugan, told The Chronicle. Apart from being a reporter, she is also an actress and is known for Fair Game, Will & Grace, and Kingston High. Days earlier, KTVU news director Lee Rosenthal was crowing about how good his news operation had performed. LaMonica is one of the new anchors on KTVU, having joined the channel in May 2022 from CBS 8. KTVUs false report comes after a week of speculating whether last week's disastrous Asiana Airlines crash could be attributed to Korean 'culture' and whether South Koreas tradition of deference to hierarchy could have played a role in the crash. He later apologized to the other driver through a third party, he said Wednesday. 'We heard this person verify the information without questioning who they were and then rushed the names on our noon newscast.'. Live On-Air Ask Your Smart Speaker to Play K C B S Radio KCBS All News 106.9FM and 740AM Listen Now 13 catcandokatmandu 2 yr. ago Ouch 9 TheJadedSF 2 yr. ago Definitely drunk if you ask me. Her 22-year career at KTVU included her time sitting alongside veteran anchor Dennis Richmond. He blamed the incident on lethargy from accidentally ingesting two Ambien sleeping pills, an explanation he repeated during his interview with Moore. Stay up to date! When the driver of the Audi got out of his car after the crash, Somerville allegedly kept driving, pushing the Audi through the intersection until it collided with a pole at the southwest corner. Although Somervilles contract with KTVU expired in 2022 he has kept the public in thrall, largely with his energetic and intensely personal posts on social media. After a strange May 30 newscast in which he slurred words and seemed to lose the ability to read from the teleprompter, longtime KTVU anchor disappeared from the air to "focus on his health," and he reappeared with no explanation of his absence on Wednesday night's "10 O'Clock News.". Local media gadfly Rich Lieberman said in a June blog post that he'd texted with Somerville right after the incident and Somerville claimed he had mistakenly taken an Ambien before going on air, and it was just a silly mistake. Alcohol. The Saints selected Haener, former Fresno State quarterback and son of KTVU anchor Julie Haener, with the 127th pick in the 2023 NFL draft. "I couldnt leave work at work," Somerville writes. Instead I took it home and obsessed about it.. I made a huge mistake., He paused a beat. On his evening newscast, anchor Frank Somerville apologized further. Harriette Cole: My friend's mom didn't recognize me at my job, and she was very rude. She then proceeded to read out four fake names from a teleprompter as they appeared on screen over footage of the wreckage. Somerville began broadcasting on KTVU in 1992 and became co-anchor . And I really needed someone to talk to.. She currently serves as a general assignment reporter at KTVU in Oakland, California. A year after his arrest for a DUI crash, Somerville is looking for a new job. Rachel Swan is a breaking news and enterprise reporter. The safety board admitted a summer intern told KTVU the spelling of the names was correct. At the same time, he said, Im a damn good anchor.. Somerville appeared slightly bewildered on camera and stumbled as he tried to read from a teleprompter, slurring some of his words. Producers had nixed the tag ahead of a 5 p.m. broadcast and suspended him when a shortened version appeared in a script, sources had told The Chronicle then. RT @KTVU: Danville native Jake Haener is headed to New Orleans! The broadcaster said they never checked the position of the employee in the organisation and rushed to get the names into their lunchtime broadcast. By "Ive NEVER been in trouble with the law and I never will be again," he said on Facebook. In September, he was suspended after questioning the level of media coverage devoted to the Gabby Petito murder case. Katie Davies Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville gave his first on-camera interview since his arrest for a DUI crash in December 2021. Born in Berkeley, she graduated from Cal with a degree in rhetoric and is now raising two daughters in El Cerrito. ', 'AAJA is embarrassed for the anchor of the noon broadcast, who was as much a victim as KTVUs viewers and KTVUs hard-working staff, including the journalists who produced stellar work covering the crash. Somerville reappeared at the anchor desk in August, without making any real explanation for his hiatus. The last time they saw me, I didnt look so good, he told The Chronicle on Wednesday, referring to smartphone videos that went viral after the dramatic Dec. 30 crash at Broadway and West Grand Avenue. SF is still wide open, along with the rest of the Bay Area, despite concerns over the Delta variant and its ability to spread among the vaccinated and unvaccinated alike. The announcement comes weeks after Somerville, a longtime KTVU news anchor, was charged by Alameda County prosecutors with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood level alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more after crashing his vehicle into another car in a downtown Oakland intersection in December. He's still in mourning over the cancellation of "Freaks and Geeks. He quickly disappeared from the air and co-anchor Julie Haener finished the broadcast on her own, and without explanation, Haener anchored alone or with other guest anchors for the next several months. The charges stem from a December wreck in downtown Oakland. The producer with seven year's experience at KTVU wrote 'Oh S***'. "George is a great writer with a strong knowledge and interest in local history," said KTVU News Director Andrew Finlayson. Concerned with the problem of tuberculosis in circus elephants for many years, she championed getting elephants out of circuses. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. This S.F. He told KRON he may try to get back on air, though he has said consistently that he does not believe he will return to KTVU. Veteran Bay Area TV reporter Ken Wayne is apparently poised to leave KTVU-Channel 2, although the station has yet to announce his departure. I mean, this is someone I had known for, you know, past 25 years or so," said former KTVU reporter John Sasaki, who now works as a spokesperson for Oakland Unified School District. Here are five key structures that need to bounce back to help the city recover. The first name 'Captain Sum Ting Wong' might have been a giveaway that something was not quite right. I come with a background. Gin could be in line to produce KTVU's new 6 p.m. newscast, which is set to begin March 27. ", "Im a damn good anchor and everyone knows that," he adds. It was his first post since May 26. Months before his suspension from the stationamid a dispute over coverage of the Gabrielle Gabby Petito homicide case, Somerville took a leave of absence after slurring his words on air. ', In an-online apology, KTVU general manager Tom Raponi wrote: 'We sincerely regret the error and took immediate action to apologize, both in the newscast where the mistake occurred, as well as on our website and social media sites. It is unclear whether Belstock - who cites ordering video and writing scripts among his responsibilities at the network - was in charge of the broadcast, but his two word response and entire Twitter profile was deleted moments later. Ive always believed in second chances and thats what Im asking for now, he said. Griffith, is survived by her two daughters, Trenton and Carly, a son Eric, and two grandchildren. 'Then, during our phone call to the NTSB where the person confirmed the spellings of the names, we never asked that person to give us their position with the agency. and Somerville freely writes on Facebook about homelessness, mental health, his workout routines and how parenting his Black daughter raised his awareness of racial inequality. Theyre not re-signing me. "I was so depressed and sad that night, it turned me into a zombie, Somerville told The Chronicle on Monday, recalling how he left his home intending to stop at a nearby Taco Bell, and had no memory of the crash. As a veritable breaking news guru, Griffith became master of the three-ring circus in what can be chaotic situations when a major story breaks. Mike Mibach, a KTVU anchor who has been with the Bay Area television station for 17 years, is replacing former anchor Frank Somerville as the stations weeknight anchor, station representatives announced. Sasaki she connected to the viewers with her powerful voice. SFGate saidnews directorAmber Eikel told Somerville his addition to a story about the Petito caselinking it to domestic violence before any suspects were convictedwas inappropriate and that she questioned Somervilles news judgement. She shared about the last time she heard from Griffith. Frank Somerville, former network news anchor at KTVU, has given his first television interview since leaving the station in 2021. He frequently airs political opinions, a practice for which he was disciplined at KTVU. Jay C. Barmann is a fiction writer and web editor who's lived in San Francisco for 20+ years. "I am stunned," Lemon wrote on Twitter, saying he was told by his agent . "So almost a year . "This is shocking news. It is not yet clear where the names, which mock the tragedy which killed three, originated. Griffith died Wednesday in Lake Chapala, Mexico. Wayne was born in Marin, but lived in several places including Alaska and Hawaii and worked at TV stations in Palm Springs, Chico, Fresno and Sacramento before finally returning to the Bay Area in 1991. For more, stream KCBS Radio now. I was just totally stuck.. News Director Lee Rosenthal called newsroom staff into a conference room Wednesday and informed them of the dismissals. He told BNG that the DUI arrest had nothing to do with his contract not being renewed. "This dui will not define me. By Kevin Eck on Aug. 17, 2022 - 3:28 PM. OAKLAND, Calif. - Leslie Griffith, a longtime journalist who graced television screens for more than two decades as anchor for KTVU Channel 2 News, has died. Like an air traffic controller, she deftly went from one source to another, without script in hand, asking probing questions of newsmakers, experts and fellow journalists. How long has it been since May started off this cold in Bay Area? Lauren Hernndez joined The San Francisco Chronicle in 2018. It started with me going to seven funerals for young black men and women who were killed on the streets on Oakland. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The segment will air Saturdays and Sundays during "The 10 O'Clock News," with a revolving list of KTVU reporters. Just a change of scenery., And when asked if hes moving to a different station, he flatly replied, Cant say until Monday.. On Thursday, Wayne posted this cryptic message on his. KTVU has been a part of my life for nearly five decades; from growing up in the Bay Area as a viewer, and for the last 17 years as a reporter and anchor, Mibach said in a statement. How I even made it home that night is beyond me.. Or maybe teaching, Downtown S.F. He also recapped the 2021 crash, on a night he was depressed, when he began combining alcohol with prescription drugs for anxiety and depression, and blacked out while trying to drive to a nearby Taco Bell, he told The Chronicle. Somerville, who has a Black daughter, had wanted to add a note at the end of any news story regarding the investigation explaining how media coverage of missing people tends to focus on white women, and the rates of domestic violence Black women in America face, an unnamed source with knowledge of the situation told SFGATE in September 2021. ClubAlcohol Plovdiv is on Facebook. ", Somerville says he became obsessed with the idea that he should show up for the families of these shooting victims, to show that KTVU cared and that the deaths were not just "another number." "We had some very strong candidates for this job," said Finlayson. CNN anchor Don Lemon has hit out at the network after his firing, which came after accusations of misogyny and misbehaviour. Here is a look at some of the big stories from her career, including the Oakland hills fire, the Los Angeles riots and the mistreatment of circus elephants, an issue that deeply concerned her. June 1, 2021: KTVU television news anchor Frank Somerville has been taken off the air after an incident Sunday evening in which he slurred his speech while struggling to read a prepared script. Speaking to the Chronicle, Somerville says he's incredibly embarassed and ashamed about the DUI, for which he has mostly paid his penance through community service. He has told The Chronicle he may seek a teaching job, perhaps at a firm that trains people to work in the media. Former KTVU news anchor Frank Somerville has been officially charged with two misdemeanor charges driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. After serving as anchor of the Bay Area's most-watched news broadcast for the last decade-plus, Somerville was the subject of widespread speculation following an on-camera incident over Memorial Day Weekend 2021. He's been a fixture on Bay Area news since 1991, and has been in the anchor seat at KTVU since 2008, following the retirement of Dennis Richmond. Wayne has anchoredweekend evening newscasts at KTVU in Oakland since 2002. Former Bay Area news anchor Frank Somerville reclaimed the spotlight this week with his first on-camera interview since his 2021 arrest for plowing his Porsche through a busy Oakland intersection and wrecking another car while drunk. and Movies. When the driver of the Audi got out of his car after the crash, Somerville allegedly kept driving, pushing the Audi through the intersection until it collided with a pole at the southwest corner. RT @KTVU: Danville native Jake Haener is headed to New Orleans! Family members said she endured a years-long battle with Lyme disease. A further 180 people were injured, many serious. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Somerville, 65, opened up to The Chronicle in December about his past troubles with drug and alcohol addiction, a theme he revisited during a wide-ranging sit-down with KRONanchor Pam Moore that aired Tuesday. Hernndez has bylines in the Silicon Valley Business Journal and The Desert Sun. Petito, a young white woman and social media influencer, was murdered by her boyfriend Brian Laundrie. Paul Cheung, president of the Asian American Journalists Association, said in a statement: 'Those names were not only wrong, but so grossly offensive that its hard for us at the Asian American Journalists Association to fathom how those names made it on the broadcast. Those are people that you don't forget," said Sasaki. Longtime KTVU anchor and reporter Leslie Griffith has died. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office filed charges against former Bay Area. Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville opened up about his struggles with addiction on Dec. 19, 2022. He is standing by the Ambien story with regard to the first incident, but he admits that he had been self-medicating with alcohol and prescription drugs during the summer of 2021. Presenter Tori Campbell announced that the station had just learned the names of the four pilots who were on board Asiana flight 214 when it crashed at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday. Jaymi Mccann A family member confirms Griffith was suffering from the effects of Lyme Disease since she was bitten by a tick while living in Oregon in 2015. Somerville is facing two counts for driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood level alcohol concentration of .08 or more, along with an enhancement for having a blood alcohol concentration that exceeds .15. I also want to say sorry to all my co workers and all the viewers. ', The station issued a statement on acknowledging it had 'misidentified the pilots involved. She is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the CCNMA Latino Journalists of California. Fans of Somerville's expressed relief and happiness about his return in replies to an unrelated post he put on Facebook on Wednesday before the broadcast, which was about his daughter starting her senior year in high school. Then, on December 30, there was the very public DUI incident in which he rammed his Porsche into another car, pushing it across an intersection and the whole thing seemed like a cry for help, or a rock bottom. (iStock) Ivanir said the combination of alcohol and fructose syrup, which are sometimes found in cocktails, are not . Almost a year after his arrest that resulted in two misdemeanor charges for driving under the influence, former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville shared a lengthy Facebook post reflecting on his. Many locals remember her for her 22-year career at the station, much of her time was spent alongside Dennis Richmond at the anchor desk. While Somerville spoke out on the arrest earlier this January and confirmed he would not be returning to KTVU, details were scant. For whatever reason, they decided not to re-sign me.. A KTVU spokesperson later said that he left the air to focus on his health. The celebrated anchor returned to his post at The Ten OClock News on KTVU that August without addressing his sudden exit, but was suspended indefinitely a month later after disagreements with the station over its coverage of Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old woman who was killed during a long-distance van trip with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie. She covers breaking news, crime and general news. Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville has been charged with driving with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit. As one fan writes, Im soooo happy to see you back anchoring the news! 'Earlier today, in response to an inquiry from a media outlet, a summer intern acted outside the scope of his authority when he erroneously confirmed the names of the flight crew on the aircraft,' it added. But main anchors dont do that, Somerville wrote. James Daniel The Chicago Sun-Times apologized for its front page headline 'FRIGHT 214,' which was criticized for sounding like a stereotype of an Asian accent.
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