Frank Somerville

{{Short description|American journalist}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}

{{Infobox person

|name=Frank Somerville

|image=

|alt=

|caption=

|birth_name=Frank Somerville

|birth_date={{birth date and age|1958|3|19}}

|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)

|website=

}}

Frank Somerville (born March 19, 1958) is an American television journalist.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0813892/bio|title=Biography for Frank Somerville|last=Ryeter|first=N. Sider|date=|work=imdb.com|publisher=Internet Movie Database|access-date=June 23, 2013}} During his three decades at KTVU in Oakland, California, Somerville received three Emmy Awards, including one for best on-camera news anchor.{{cite web|url=http://www.emmysf.tv/recipients-1999.html|title= Emmy Nominations 1999 |publisher=Emmysf.tv|date=December 31, 1998|access-date=December 13, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112101236/http://www.emmysf.tv/recipients-1999.html|archive-date=November 12, 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.emmysf.tv/recipients-2002.html|title= Emmy Nominations 2002 |publisher=Emmysf.tv|date=May 18, 2002|access-date=December 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112105703/http://www.emmysf.tv/recipients-2002.html|archive-date=November 12, 2013 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url = http://www.emmysf.tv/nominations-2003.html |title = Emmy Nominations 2003 |publisher = Emmysf.tv|date = April 17, 2003 |access-date = December 13, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141205114753/http://www.emmysf.tv/nominations-2003.html |archive-date = December 5, 2014 |url-status = dead}}

== 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.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} He attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1976.{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Frank-Somerville-to-replace-Dennis-Richmond-3288525.php|title=Frank Somerville to replace Dennis Richmond|last=Garofoli|first=Joe|date=April 10, 2008|work=sfgate.com|publisher=SFGate|access-date=June 24, 2013}} He then attended San Francisco State University.{{cite web|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_12660018|title=KTVU's Somerville settling in as Richmond's replacement|work=San Jose Mercury News|access-date=December 1, 2014}}

== 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-xpm-2013-jul-12-la-me-ln-asiana-anchor-says-ktvu-never-soundedout-racist-pilot-names-20130712-story.html|title=Asiana: Anchor says KTVU never sounded-out racist pilot names|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 12, 2013 |access-date=December 1, 2014}}

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.{{Cite web|last=Bote|first=Joshua|date=June 4, 2021|title=KTVU anchor Somerville to take time away after slurred newscast|url=https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/KTVU-anchor-Frank-Somerville-time-away-health-16225504.php|access-date=August 6, 2021|website=SFGATE|language=en-US}} He returned to the anchor chair on August 4 without addressing the incident that saw his brief departure.{{Cite web|date=August 6, 2021|title=Frank Somerville returns to KTVU after two months of leave|url=https://thedesk.net/2021/08/ktvu-frank-somerville-returns-to-air/|access-date=August 6, 2021|website=The Desk|language=en-US}} 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.{{cite news |first=Rachel |last=Swan |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Frank-Somerville-suspension-How-the-dispute-over-16489078.php |title=Frank Somerville suspension: How the dispute over 'Gabby' Petito coverage unfolded at KTVU |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=September 26, 2021 |access-date=September 26, 2021 }} 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."{{cite news |last1=Ross |first1=Martha |title=Frank Somerville says he's done at KTVU, apologizes to newsroom for 'drama' |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/11/09/frank-somerville-says-hes-done-at-ktvu-apologizes-to-newsroom-for-drama/ |access-date=December 3, 2021 |work=San Jose Mercury News |agency=Bay Area News Group |date=November 9, 2021}}

On December 30, 2021, Somerville was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after an automobile collision.{{cite news |first=Michelle |last=Robertson |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Frank-Somerville-arrested-for-suspected-DUI-ktvu-16740907.php |title=Frank Somerville arrested for suspected DUI after crash |website=SFGate (San Francisco Chronicle) |date=December 31, 2021 }}

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.{{Cite web |date=February 27, 2022 |title=Frank Somerville says KTVU wouldn't re-sign him: 'I am done' |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/01/28/frank-somerville-says-ktvu-wouldnt-re-sign-him-i-am-done-at-channel-2/ |access-date=February 27, 2022 |website= |archive-url=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/ |archive-date=February 27, 2022 |url-status=dead}}

In December 2022, Somerville went public about his dismissal from the station on a Facebook post.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Former-KTVU-anchor-Frank-Somerville-opens-up-17663052.php|title=Frank Somerville publicly opens up about arrest, KTVU exit|first=Amanda Bartlett|last=SFGATE|date=December 19, 2022|website=SFGATE}}{{Cite web|url=https://sfist.com/2022/12/19/former-ktvu-anchor-speaks-publicly-addiction/|title=Former KTVU Anchor Frank Somerville Speaks Publicly About Addiction Issues|date=December 19, 2022|website=SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports|access-date=January 2, 2023|archive-date=January 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102191628/https://sfist.com/2022/12/19/former-ktvu-anchor-speaks-publicly-addiction/|url-status=dead}}

He was arrested twice in one day in June 2023.{{cite news|first1=Phil|last1=Mayer|first2=Tori|last2=Gaines|url=https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/former-bay-area-news-anchor-frank-somerville-arrested-in-berkeley/|title=Frank Somerville Arrested Twice Overnight, Cited for DUI|work=KRON-TV|date=June 5, 2023|access-date=July 24, 2023}}