It wasnt until four days after the bizarre incident that a New York-based spokesperson for Fox the network that owns and operates KTVU announced that the veteran anchor would be taking an indefinite leave of absence to focus on his health., KTVU also offered no prior notice that Somerville would be returning this week, although Julie Haener, his longtime co-anchor, did briefly broach the subject in a July 28 Facebook post. He took the wrong medicationThe vodka instead of the Scotch. Licensed to Oakland, California, the station has been owned by Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises since 1964, making it the largest Fox affiliate by market size that is not owned. How Two Generals Led Sudan to the Brink of Civil War But behind the scenes, negotiations were under way on a departure settlement. Despite the acknowledgment, the contents of those reports and what discipline was meted out, and to whom, were not revealed. The source told me the producer said "Frank looked haggard." It was O'Brien that was the same boss that had to let Watson go after repeated bouts with alcohol abuse. And that's fine with him now. George Watson - Writer - Self-employed | LinkedIn It remains to be seen whether Oakland police consider the injuries suffered during last summer's protests as rising to that level. A news anchor was visibly intoxicated on the air. Long investigative pieces that only air occasionally? Former longtime KTVU anchor and reporter Leslie Griffith has died. I was stunned. Also, how come KGO-TV Channel 7 doesn't have Melanie Woodrow on their website under Newsteam? george watson ktvu where is he now. KTVU will take an all-hands-on-deck approach while Somerville is away, relying on several newsroom regulars to fill in. george watson ktvu where is he now. You look and sound great, it seems like taking the time off was beneficial to you., One person even wrote that Somervilles absence led to a temporary alteration of viewing habits: I changed news channels when he left. I watched the show, he was having a hard time delivering the words, slurring a few words. Watson also didn't realize how much the segment would have on his life later, even the more than twenty years later. He really needs help. KTVU fired him too !! A consummate pro, she long has co-anchored KTVUs 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts with Somerville and figures to do a lot of the heavy lifting in the coming days. Separately, the civilian-led Oakland Police Commission's "Community Police Review Agency," which has its own investigative arm, found numerous sustained findings of policy violations stemming from last summer's protests. How could it be an element? Zehnder also helped mold the on-air persona of popular feature reporters Bob MacKenzie and George Watson. However, I urge anyone who is depressed to get some help, life will get better. The motorist, identified as Michael Williams, 30, of Hayward, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. I watched the first 10 minutes of the 10 PM news and Somerville seemed pretty impaired. Viewers news may remember her as she spent more than two decades anchoring the 10 p.m. news alongside veteran anchor Dennis Richmond. 0. 1993 KTVU news anchor George Watson sign off asking for help - YouTube He also had the pleasure of being on hand for a couple Warriors championship parades. At Lakeport Union Elementary, he fell under the spell of a teacher who had been a news reporter, and she encouraged him. George looks great, and he seems to be in good spirits. KTVUs Frank Somerville to take a break after bizarre newscast behavior Frank's on-air situation on 5/30, and his "explanation," was Savitch-esque and very sad. A group of about 1,000 people broke off from that main rally and headed down to police headquarters. He sold subscriptions and took in news items dead cows and broken-down milk trucks on the family phone line. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Big shift in weather is headed to California. ;-). People get sick while working, all the time. Emmy Award-winning TV journalist Leslie Griffith, who most notably anchored the Ten O'clock News on KTVU Channel 2, died at the age of 66 on Aug. 10 in Lake Chapala, Mexico, where she had home, KTVU reported. I miss George Watson on the nightly news. Theyd been planning a reunion for July 9 in Sacramento. Sadly, it looked like he was drunk. He's still in mourning over the cancellation of "Freaks and Geeks. Well, have to say I never heard of Zehnder till now. He needs to find a new line of work which suits him better. He knows what his vulnerabilites are, and attempts to deal with this truth. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? PDF Class of 1996 - emmysf.tv Why is Rich Lieberman so absolutely giddy when other people face personal problems? Everybody could depend on him.. He was a man of the printed word and resisted all indications that he should go fully digital. Would be great to see some of his more recent reporting. I can see all of the KTVU alumni that RL mentioned getting together to remember Fred Zehnder. Another source who watched the program was more blunt. Sad for Frank. One month ago, Sandobil took Zehnder out to lunch just to thank him for hiring him and bringing him along, 40 years later. For decades he lived in an in-law unit behind the home of close friends Howard and Claudette Morrison, who ended up working with him at his papers. He had spirit and energy and passion; he wasn't just an emotionless bean-counter. Lisa Fernandez is a reporter forKTVU. She resigned from KTVU in 2006. After the series of reports aired, in 1987, Watson got a simple note from Zehnder ending with, Were lucky to have you. Watson put it on his fridge, and it was still there 30 years later. Watson's first report, on the Marin shipyards, aired on Sunday. He was an excellent writer and speaker. There was also a front-page news item about his death. For eight years, he held two full-time jobs, one in TV and one in print. Fred Zehnder, longtime KTVU news director, dies at 87 after being hit Get well soon, Frank. A segment that continues to be one of Dateline's most-watched programs--the segment aired in 1996, right when Watson left KTVU. "George is a great writer with a strong knowledge and interest in local history," said KTVU News Director Andrew . This photo is from 1990, early in Leslie Griffith's KTVU tenure, when she was a weekend anchor. Dozens of protesters have alleged in at least two federal lawsuits that they suffered bruising and even temporary blindness as a result of getting hit with toxic chemical agents and the equivalent of rubber bullets during at least two protests last summer, on May 29 and June 1, 2020. Since then, he has helped launch the weekend editions of Mornings on 2, co-anchoring with Claudine Wong. Watson, George D. 68 Aug. 09, 1944 Jan. 01, 2013 Public viewing will be on Tuesday Jan. 8 from 4 to 7 p.m., at Terry Family Funeral Home. Jerry Springer, former Cincinnati mayor and talk show host, dead at 79 Somerville, one of the Bay Areas highest-paid and most visible TV journalists, has been at KTVU since 1991. I am hoping he stays sober and maybe if a local news station takes a chance on him they can use his considerable talents. It's time KTVU makes a permanent change on their main anchor desk. "The hardest thing to deal with -- this is going to sound silly -- the computer system is the most difficult thing I'm dealing with right now. KTVU's George Watson's 60th - plaing - SmugMug He has filled in this week alongside Holmes. Altamont Press Discussion Board :: Discussion :: Re:George Watson He's The Peter Principle in action. The rest of the nation did too. Ken Bastida!} > It's time KTVU makes a permanent change on> their main anchor desk.They don't have much male talent they could bring in. Many honored Griffith in social media and expressed anguish over herpassing. The 10 o'clock News would soon become the No. KTVU, virtual channel 2 (digital channel 44), is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Significant piece of retro San Francisco bay area broadcasting history. I hear George is doing fine --as best that can be expected --but the former Bay Area/KTVU anchor/reporter has a long road to hoe. Heather Holmes, a Texas native, has been at KTVU since 2006, when she started as a weekend anchor. He refused to let it end in Game 7, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. She will forever remain part of a lengthy list of talent that made KTVU a destination station for news. Buy Photos. From April '93 former anchor and reporter tells viewers he had been in treatment for . He was known 'bout town drunk in public. They've let better people go. Frank Somerville finally returns to KTVU: Are viewers owed an explanation? 1994 KTVU flashback of George Watson drunk on the air while a far more talented anchor toils away in the background {*cough-cough* Brian Hackney! 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), H-1B: Feds want criminal charges over application fraud for Silicon Valleys favorite visa, KTVUs Frank Somerville to take a break after bizarre newscast behavior. Were it not for alcoholism, George Watson might have ended up with a Hall-of-Fame broadcasting career. RICH LIEBERMAN 415 MEDIA: Mystery at KTVU: Frank Somerville - Blogger Watson's first report will be on the Marin Shipyards and can be seen Sunday. I wish Somerville well in his personal life. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? Ask Amy: I put a security camera in my room, and what I saw was creepy, Ask Amy: My fiancee's family says I'm not invited, and she's going without me, The dad whose wife and child were among 5 killed by a neighbor in Texas describes how the massacre unfolded, 'Total dominance': Steph Curry breaks NBA Game 7 record, leads Warriors over Kings, Dear Abby: The reason her fiance hid his phone was something she never guessed, Mortgage fees to rise for buyers with high credit scores, fall for those with lower scores, Kurtenbach: Steph Curry built the Warriors dynasty. More feared than adulated, though I always liked him and looked forward to his newsroom chats. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @samwhitingsf. Ex-news anchor back at KTVU as writer, reporter - SFGATE RIP, Leslie.". He always had faith in his people, and we always had faith in his judgment.. I really appreciated and enjoyed George's on-air work and presence. I have had severe depression a few of times in my life. January 6, 2013. Griffith . And I wouldn't rule out Ms. Corral attending, either. You're a GREAT MAN, George, we all love you. I asked Watson if he has any interest in getting back into the biz, even on a limited basis doing special projects, a few bits here and there. Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Henry Winkler advises find a passion and stick with it, no matter the stage of life "Long-time KTVU anchor Leslie Griffith has died. Dear Abby: Am I overreacting to my European daughter-in-law's behavior? I look at my success as being nurtured and guided by Fred Zehnder, said Richmond, who cried when he got the news of Zehnders death at his home in Grass Valley. Dear Abby: Am I overreacting to my European daughter-in-law's behavior? You're in our thoughts. I used to watch him on KTVU (when it had a great news department)and really appreciated his special features reports. Great to report he's living in Scottsdale and enjoying retired life, sober and tranquil many years and sounding very much the same as he did when he was an anchor at KTVU. A native of Jamaica, he grew up in Miami. A police transparency law, SB 1421, which took effect in January 2019, mandates the release of information to the public if officers cause great bodily injury. Maybe if McCormick feels good enough, he might come down from Oregon. They're not like another Bay Area station, that has a mediocrity [*cough-cough* Ken Bastida! Fred pulled us aside and said, Everyone is on edge. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. KTVU's George Watson's 60th Read More. Thanks for the update, Rich. Produced in-depth "think pieces" from throughout San Bernardino County. They were big shoes to fill! He said that these findings and discipline are private under the police officer bill of rights. Real No-BS professionals. Updated by the minute, our Dallas Cowboys NFL Tracker: News and views and moves inside The Star and around the league . And besides Haener, the Zehnder will likely include Ibanez & Vacar.Rich, absolutely keep us posted as to how many long-time KTVU alumni attend and reconnect. Police were on edge that night, because a few days earlier, during a May 29, 2020, protest, protesters set fires, threw Molotov cocktails and separately, a federal agent was killed by a member of the Boogaloo movement in an undisputably chaotic night. TV Streaming | He talks to me here at 415 Media, his first public interview in over two . Was at KNTV last I remember. Miss him on the air. At the start of the 11 PM news, Julie Haener said "Frank is off tonight". Fred Zehnder, the news director at KTVU for decades, died after being hit by a truck while walking in Alameda. Zehnder walked there from home and refused a ride back to his place, preferring to walk, as always. Bay Area Transit (1984) is a locally-made documentary about the history of transit in Oakland and the Bay Area. She joined KTVU in 1986 as a weekend reporter and anchor, and with her alto voice and steadfast reporting, she worked her way up to become an influential force in Bay Area journalism, the East Bay Times reported. Related Articles ", "This hurts my heart," CNN correspondent Sara Sinder wrote. Chuck Barney is the TV critic and columnist for the Bay Area News Group. He wasnt like the idea that people have of a publisher sitting behind a big desk smoking cigars. Drunk on TV?A viewer could have been killed with this carelessness.Have you all gone mad? Watched the KTVU newscasts when George worked there, and I miss his work and on-air presence. His story on the Pan Am Clippers, planes that flew from San Francisco to China from 1935 to 1946, airs this Sunday. KTVU announced this week that anchor Frank Somerville will take an indefinite leave of absence to focus on his health after the veteran newsman was seen slurring and stumbling over his words during a May 30 newscast on Channel 2. But the Berkeley native, USC alum and lifelong Warriors fan will likely see a lot more camera time at the desk in the coming days and weeks. Sam Whiting has been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle since 1988. "I'm loving retired life, really have left that stage of my life." He started the Scotts Valley News at the kitchen table and ran off 50 copies of his one-page weekly, which he reported, wrote, edited, printed and delivered on his bike, an 8-mile round trip. What did Leslie do to get on FZ's bad side? And let us know who else besides Griffith might have ended up on the wrong side of Zehnder's life. https://plaing.smugmug.com/Friends/KTVUs-George-Watsons-60th/i-PVT68BG. I wish him all the best, in his efforts to overcome Drinking. I've often heard than most American Indians have a very low tolerance for it. He had his last drink on Oct. 6, 1996, after a phone call to his former rehab center. Reply Delete In addition, the use of force reports into what occurred one year ago have also been completed and "discipline has been administered," according to police spokeswoman Johnna Watson, who sent KTVU an email on Monday. Born in Texas, Griffith started her journalism career as a newspaper reporter for the Associated Press and Denver Post. Now I can watch again. She has been at the station since 1997 and was on the desk the night Bay Area news icon (and Somervilles predecessor) Dennis Richmond tearfully signed off in 2008. at KTVU (Mann was one of the station's first hires), O'Brien and Zehnder brought in newcomer Leslie Griffith to join veteran KTVU reporter George Watson on the weekend anchor desk. Original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano . Not sure what you mean by "Fox 2 branding" but "Fox 2" as a concept didn't exist during the Zehnder era, so why would it be an element? No one said a word. 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, Harriette Cole: My friend's mom didn't recognize me at my job, and she was very rude. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Aug 2001 - Mar 20042 years 8 months. On July 1, the San Leandro Times came out, with the usual uncredited grunt work that Zehnder always contributed. Thanks for posting this video, Rich, and for the update. HmmmmmFrank SomervillePam MooreVeronica De La CruzThis crap is spreading like a wild fire!!! George Watson was "Excellence Personified" during his tenure at KTVU. Protesters yelled at police and someone was seen throwing a water bottle over the barricade, but dozens of witnesses told KTVU that the crowd was not violent. In the two-plus months since, Somerville has not publicly addressed the situation and KTVU management has barely acknowledged it. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Q: What does George Floyd have, that Frank doesn't have?? "I would quit drinking only in order to keep my job, but I always started again because that was never the right reason to quit," Watson says. Toshua Sears was injured after getting tear gassed at an Oakland youth rally in honor of George Floyd on June 1, 2020. UPDATE, 8: 31 AM PT: A source tells me Somerville was asked to leave after the first segment.
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