Frank Sommerville

I guess he's done at KTVU. I wonder what it means to be suspended indefinitely. Does that mean that they still have to pay his salary through the remainder of his contract? Is he going to work at another media outlet?

It means they’re trying to figure out how to fire him without having to pay out the remainder of his contract

wazzuFreddo said:

It means they’re trying to figure out how to fire him without having to pay out the remainder of his contract

Click to expand...

It's apparently up in March.

Odd that a Bay Area network is suspending an anchor for trying to point out how missing persons coverage disproportionately favors white people.

Already discussed in the Gabby thread.

Had to look up the story

I like him. Perhaps he will have his say in another space.
Maybe the media will cover their own asses.

Edit

Johndicezx9 said:

Already discussed in the Gabby thread.

Click to expand...

Not all of us were reading it John.

Poor old Frank got caught with his hand in the intern jar. Got divorced and had to sell his Oakland hills mansion. Hit the bottle hard and passed off his on-air stumbles and mumbles as having taken an ambien by mistake. Took time off to go to a 3 day rehab; apparently it didn't work and his fate was sealed.

Time to retire poor old Frank and bring in a fresh news reader from Fresno.

Abacinator said:

It's apparently up in March.

Odd that a Bay Area network is suspending an anchor for trying to point out how missing persons coverage disproportionately favors white people.

Click to expand...

It’s a Fox affiliate, they have to toe the line. I stopped watching the channel 2 news a few years ago when they started putting in a lot of national political opinion pieces from Fox News itself.

budman said:

Not all of us were reading it John.

Click to expand...

Since Somerville's break is for an event directly related to Petito's disappearance and murder, and points we were discussing about the coverage in that thread, I didn't see the need for a new thread.

Jammer said:

Poor old Frank got caught with his hand in the intern jar. Got divorced and had to sell his Oakland hills mansion. Hit the bottle hard and passed off his on-air stumbles and mumbles as having taken an ambien by mistake. Took time off to go to a 3 day rehab; apparently it didn't work and his fate was sealed.

Time to retire poor old Frank and bring in a fresh news reader from Fresno.

Click to expand...

Link?

A quick google only mentions the Ambien excuse.

I dunno about that (deserving its own thread). I think the leave he took before generated a lot of curiosity and sympathy. People like him and a lot of us stiill like 2 because of their long-term approach with anchors who are beloved (hey, I’m a Dennis Richmond guy). I have found that they keep a decent separation with Fox except on national news as pointed out above. But they have always been a very local product. I approve most of what they do but when they didn’t elevate Orozco and got that blond to do weather i was upset, it seemed kinda Fox-y and out of character.

There has to be some level of weird calculus: CNN is the big Gabby network, they are Fox’ rival. But the addition of race beyond initial question of why this story is so big must conflict with the Fox vision of a big concerned happy white family or something. Fox should be enjoying criticism of CNN. I guess Mallicoat gets the job if they keep in tradition of grooming successors. Maybe Mibach but I dunno...

I also sensed disruption to the old 2 when Ken Wayne left. I thought he might be the next big anchor. Ken Wayne had the serious thing down of which Richmond was master of the local channels. The visible disgust on Dennis’ face when he had to report something he found undignified was hilarious for many of us, even my mean ex-wife. It was a household joke in those days.

I found Jammers explanation to sound plausible though I hadn’t heard any of that.

Meanwhile, every time I alight on Channel 7 I wonder when Dan Ashley is gonna transition and become Ashley Dan. (Sorry that was mean).

I am a local news junkie, ‘tis true.

Frank told the truth. I don't know how this is going to shake out.

Fwiw. Leslie Griffith. I had the hots for her even though she stalked Mark Ibañez. Saw her at the Encina Grande Safeworst (Walnut Creek) back in the day. JFC, she looked better in person and wore a magical perfume.

lizard said:

Fwiw. Leslie Griffith. I had the hots for her even though she stalked Mark Ibañez. Saw her at the Encina Grande Safeworst (Walnut Creek) back in the day. JFC, she looked better in person and wore a magical perfume.

Click to expand...

I was always partial to Heather Holmes

lizard said:

Fwiw. Leslie Griffith. I had the hots for her even though she stalked Mark Ibañez. Saw her at the Encina Grande Safeworst (Walnut Creek) back in the day. JFC, she looked better in person and wore a magical perfume.

Click to expand...

She always reminded me of somebody who might suddenly turn moody and cray-cray but she was a fun personality to have on the teevee. I always imagined I was smelling sunscreen whenever she on the tube.

I was more of an Elaine Corral guy. I just liked her. I thought she should have gotten the man anchor job. I never understood Frank's 3-pc suit, just as an aside.

I thought Bob MacKenzie was some crazy guy outta Hamlet about to do a soliloquy or head off on an around the world boat trip.

My boss used to do sports on Channel 5, pre-and post 49er games and tells me that Mark Ibanez is an incredible egomaniac only exceeded by Skip Bayless, who used to be around here, which I never knew; I guess in print. She looks at me funny when I say I miss Gary Radnich but I don't even want to ask. Sorry for media personality drift.

I guess in the bigger picture, I liked Frank because it's taken decades to get over Happy Talk, which was so big here (you know, Van and Jerry). Even if they are absolute psychos and clowns in private, I want news readers to act fairly seriously when reading to us about tragedies and stuff.

Abacinator said:

I was always partial to Heather Holmes

Click to expand...

Any time Gasia "The Body" Mikaelian and Claudine "Living Perfection" Wong are on, I am riveted.

Eldritch said:

Any time Gasia "The Body" Mikaelian and Claudine "Living Perfection" Wong are on, I am riveted.

Click to expand...

I'm convinced there's far more to this story of Summerville, went thermonuclear too quickly.

Claudine is quite different in person- more mellow, talkable, engaging. I did a couple projects with her years ago.

Eldritch said:

Any time Gasia "The Body" Mikaelian and Claudine "Living Perfection" Wong are on, I am riveted.

Click to expand...

+1 on Gasia

Anyone remember Suzanne Saunders, later changed her name to Saunders Shaw? Walked by her one day in front of Gumps. She was striking and surprisingly petite. That facial bone structure - what dreams are made of!

-1 on Gasia and Wong.

lizard said:

+1 on Gasia

Anyone remember Suzanne Saunders, later changed her name to Saunders Shaw? Walked by her one day in front of Gumps. She was striking and surprisingly petite. That facial bone structure - what dreams are made of!

Click to expand...

Yeah I remember. I can;t remember which male anchor had a Ted Baxter moment and said, “back to you, Susaundra.” It was hilarious.