He was still drinking then and wanted to get sober. I thought I was going to get fired when I had him back to do My 20th Century at KTVU. ", UPDATE 10: 28 AM PT: I just received a text from Somerville: "I took the wrong meds last night. Once after my divorce, which I asked for by the way. A slightly more up to date update on George. His answer is an unequivocal "no." He looked off last night. Published by at 07/06/2022. Mike Mibach grew up in the Bay Area and attended St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco (Class of 94) and College of Marin. Griffith has been off the air for more than 10 weeks in what the station characterized as a leave of absence. His life is changed now, relatively stable and on an ordinary course. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Zehnder also hired or nurtured weather reporter Bill Martin and sports anchor Mark Ibanez, whom hed seen on TV while on vacation in Tahoe. KTVU fired him too !! But his post Wednesday was his first since late May and rather than addressing his situation at KTVU, he presented high school senior photos of his daughter. Dear Abby: Am I overreacting to my European daughter-in-law's behavior? OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland police officers have been disciplined following the deployment of tear gas and other less-than-lethal projectiles at last summer's George Floyd protests, KTVU has learned. Emmy Award-winning TV journalist Leslie Griffith, who most . You're a GREAT MAN, George, we all love you. needs these 5 sites to thrive so the city can recover. I will keep you informed of any information I obtain. At the start of the 11 PM news, Julie Haener said "Frank is off tonight". "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. Also, how come KGO-TV Channel 7 doesn't have Melanie Woodrow on their website under Newsteam? He wasnt like the idea that people have of a publisher sitting behind a big desk smoking cigars. Everyday I couldn't wait to see him on the news. He was speaking more slowly than normal, and he was mispronouncing and slurring some words. She has been with SFGATE for more than 10 years. Ken Bastida!} TV Streaming | From April '93 former anchor and reporter tells viewers he had been in treatment for . 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. And let us know who else besides Griffith might have ended up on the wrong side of Zehnder's life. Griffith, probably not. Henry Winkler advises find a passion and stick with it, no matter the stage of life Tickets for the event are $85, with a $10 . Jerry Springer, former Cincinnati mayor and talk show host, dead at 79 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. "He (Somerville) looked drunk. I thought it was a big deal when I started working with her and Dennis. He doesn't sound drunk to me, and he doesn't move as if he were drunk. 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. Frederick Eugene Zehnder was born March 5, 1934, in Lakeport, where he grew up on a dairy farm run by his father, Joe Zehnder, and where the milking was done by Fred and his three brothers. We got Mike Mabach, Andre Senior, Frank Malicoat to take over his spot. I'm shaken. She was born and raised in the Bay Area and got her start in news at the Daily Californian newspaper at UC Berkeley where she majored in English literature. God Bless You and George for all that you do. I am hoping he stays sober and maybe if a local news station takes a chance on him they can use his considerable talents. He needs to find a new line of work which suits him better. Thanks Rich for running this again. It was created in 1984 by KTVU reporter George Watson, and produced by Don McCuaig. Hope he can get some help . Surprised that he was working so recently - I don't see any online mention he was a reporter / anchor at KPHO .- the CBS affil in Phoenix. It's nice here in Arizona even when it gets baked," Watson tells me. Welcome back.. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? Zehnder lived alone in Alameda. I am a computer illiterate. Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. 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. Watson worked with KTVU news boss, Fred Zehnder, who was killed by a suspected DUI driver in Alameda last week. One year after Oakland police used tear gas to break up a large crowd ahead of a citywide curfew, the top brass remained mum on why the department resorted to that level of force. I have had severe depression a few of times in my life. I was at their wedding and his other ones. Well, have to say I never heard of Zehnder till now. Watson and his wife plan to attend the memorial service for Zehnder when it takes place. It seems apparent that, even at a time when athletes and celebrities are connecting with the public by opening up about their personal struggles, both Somerville and KTVU have chosen at least so far to ignore the incident, move on and take a business-as-usual approach. I can see all of the KTVU alumni that RL mentioned getting together to remember Fred Zehnder. George is a solid reporter and anchor. KTVU 10 p.m. news anchors from left: Bill Martin, Dennis Richmond (seated), Mark Ibanez, Leslie Griffith (seated). It is up to you to calm them down. We knew what our job was and we did it, primarily because of Fred.. She currently anchors the 4 and 7 p.m. news at KTVU, but has filled in for Somerville several times already this week. I watched him for years. I used to pretend he was my father. 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. Categories . I love this man and I don't even know him. He also picked up items by listening in on the 18 neighbors who shared a party line. I saw it. This S.F. Zehnder founded the San Leandro Times in 1991 while still working as news director at KTVU. 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. I was tempted to make a George Watson joke, but(Jessica Savitch too). All the best, George! KTVU will take an all-hands-on-deck approach while Somerville is away, relying on several newsroom regulars to fill in. If you see this, thank you George. To me, at that stage in my life, it was kind of a blur." One of the finest anchor persons around. Producing that show was a dream job. Former longtime KTVU anchor and reporter Leslie Griffith has died. TV Streaming | No I was not deliriously happy, but I was not depressed. In March, Somerville missed over two weeks from KTVU and told me that he was battling an alcohol-abuse issue and that he spent some time at a North Bay recovery center. SAN FRANCISCO It's bizarre when someone calls me out with a sickening comment. Despite the acknowledgment, the contents of those reports and what discipline was meted out, and to whom, were not revealed. Sad. Several years ago George Watson worked for KTVU-2 in Oakland. At that time I thought professional help and it did help. "It was not a lightbulb, burning-bush experience," he says. George Watson is safe and sane. We had wanted to do it sooner, but Fred delayed the whole thing because of his work with the paper, said Isabelle Zehnder, a sister-in-law, who confirmed his death. And it appears that many viewers are willing to cut him some slack. Fred would not have wanted that.. 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And I wouldn't rule out Ms. Corral attending, either. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. I never knew what happened until now. George Watson was "Excellence Personified" during his tenure at KTVU. Always thought the O'Brien guy was the one adulated. Even Corral's predecessor, one-time KSFO talker Barbara Simpson, admitted to being saddened, possibly attending as well.Fowler, Roth, Kauf, Bruno, can see all of them coming. 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. John Sasaki worked with Griffith for 10 years, starting in 1986, when she was the weekend anchor he was the weekend nightside reporter. "When I first watched it, I had no idea it would be as impactful as it was. With Mary Wilson and Rikki Novetsky. Barbaa Rogers cried on the air announcing it, As a recovering Alcoholic (30 years sober) I know how difficult it is to reach sobriety. 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. The EMMY statues will be handed out at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on Saturday, May 18th. I was stunned. Pray constantly for pain to go away. 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. It includes footage of legendary transit historians Harre Demoro and Ted Wurm.. He talks to me here at 415 Media, his first public interview in over two . 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. Fred just liked to do the real work of putting out a newspaper, the nuts and bolts of it, said Jim Knowles, managing editor of the San Leandro Times. Holmes has a strong social media presence, with 34,000 followers on Facebook and 14,000 followers on Twitter, where she claims to forever be in pursuit of a good story and fabulous shoes.. Watson's first report will be on the Marin Shipyards and can be seen Sunday. ?A: 1 Year sobriety !Quick.Somebody call George Watson. Western Bride 26/05/2022. How could it be an element? When Zehnder wasnt working he was walking, and it was while out making his nightly round of his central Alameda neighborhood on the night of June 27 that Zehnder was hit by a raised pickup truck in an intersection. He was an excellent writer and speaker. Some people are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol than others. "Sad news," KTVU reporter Sal Castaneda wrote on Twitter. I told my wife I bet KTVU pulls him off the air at the commercial break, which they did. Sad. He started at KTVU as a reporter in 2011 and shifted to anchoring in 2018. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Chuck Barney is the TV critic and columnist for the Bay Area News Group. Significant piece of retro San Francisco bay area broadcasting history. 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. I don't remember my 20's. But behind the scenes, negotiations were under way on a departure settlement. Here are their demands, Downtown S.F. More feared than adulated, though I always liked him and looked forward to his newsroom chats. He arrived at KTVU in 2005 as a general assignment reporter. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Or follow her on Twitter @ljfernandez, Evan Sernoffsky is an investigative reporter for KTVU. Fred Zehnder, the news director at KTVU for decades, died after being hit by a truck while walking in Alameda. Griffith . He had his last drink on Oct. 6, 1996, after a phone call to his former rehab center. He hired Randy Shilts as a reporter covering gay issues before Shilts went to The Chronicle. "I feel good, awesome actually. The state panel is preparing a final report that will suggest how to compensate Black residents to address the harms caused by the states history of slavery. Former longtime KTVU anchor and reporter Leslie Griffith has died. He started as a feature writer in the People section, which was anchored by Herb Caen's column, and has written about people ever since. Can I say that I was just absolutely shocked by that video? Dec. 1, 2015 Updated: Dec. 1, 2015 3:33 p.m. 11. The 10 o'clock News would soon become the No. UPDATE, 8: 31 AM PT: A source tells me Somerville was asked to leave after the first segment. 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 terrible loss, what a man." Also, during the Zehnder tribute there was NO Fox2 branding. Might want to ask your spies if I'm right. Some never do admit they need help. The Bay Area knows the story. Was it throwing the shoe at Ibaez (urban mythnever happened, and I am ex-KTVU and in the know) or trashing his car and smashing in all the windows (did really happen, not an urban myth).Why they hell did they keep her? Posted to Fort Bliss, Texas, he worked at an Army public information office run by Sam Donaldson, later a famously brusque TV news reporter. He is a general assignment reporter with a focus on writing feature-length obituaries. I'm sure current management heard that as a slap in the face. Covered the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks in New York City . A segment that continues to be one of Dateline's most-watched programs--the segment aired in 1996, right when Watson left KTVU. KTVU reporter Watson spent two weeks on the South Pacific island of Guadalcanal to film a comprehensive 45th anniversary report on the storied landing by U.S. Marines in World War II. Leslie performed journalism the right way, focused on the story. clinical psychologist jobs ireland; Tags . In 2008, he received a highly publicized promotion when he was named the co-anchor of the stations 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, replacing Bay Area icon Dennis Richmond. For the last year, civil rights attorneys and some city leaders have called out the police behavior, saying that officers violated city policy and a court order, prohibiting them from using tear gas and fire off specialty munitions as there was no proof of imminent danger, among other things. Produced by Mooj Zadie , Luke Vander Ploeg and Clare Toeniskoetter. Thanks Rich and George - so glad to hear he is enjoying life. He's still in mourning over the cancellation of "Freaks and Geeks.". He sold subscriptions and took in news items dead cows and broken-down milk trucks on the family phone line. A family member told KTVU that Griffith died "from the effects of Lyme Disease since she was bitten by a tick while living in Oregon in 2015.". By the time he hit Clearlake Union High School, he was working as a copy boy for the Lake County Bee. Have you never heard of diarrhea? January 6, 2013. He is getting old and maybe time for early retirement. Frank Somerville finally returns to KTVU: Are viewers owed an explanation? Male talent seems to bog that station. She stood up for me on occasion too. George Watson does not know this. This began a string of jobs in TV broadcasting as a news director in Eureka, a cameraman at KPIX, and an assistant director on Van Amburgs news show on KGO-TV. As editor and publisher of both the San Leandro Times and the Castro Valley Forum, Fred Zehnder had an outsize role in putting out weekly print editions of the East Bay papers. There was also a front-page news item about his death. To date, police have not yet provided evidence of those Molotov cocktails and dozens of witnesses have told KTVU that no one was causing imminent danger to police at 7:45 p.m. that night, 15 minutes before curfew, when police threw tear gas into the crowd. Many honored Griffith in social media and expressed anguish over herpassing. She was a force of nature.". HmmmmmFrank SomervillePam MooreVeronica De La CruzThis crap is spreading like a wild fire!!! 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. Frank was definitely impaired last night. The plan was set, and just as O'Brien expected, KTVU became even more phenomenally successful. Co-anchor Julie Haener broadcast the rest of the newscast solo and didn't explain Somerville's absence nor even acknowledge it. Sad for Frank. Glad your health is ok and whatever you were going through., Another chimed in with, WAS SO HAPPY to see you back on the news tonight. Thanks for linking that gallery! Though station management has said it will welcome Somervilles return when he is ready, in the interim KTVU must scramble to fill the void left by one of the Bay Areas most visible journalists a man who co-anchored the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts. Once promoted, he showed a brilliance not only in personnel decisions but also in conceiving and launching the popular standing features Segment Two and My 20th Century.. Long investigative pieces that only air occasionally? He just worked.. 2023 FOX Television Stations, High Stakes: Sports Betting in California, Man frustrated by Oakland sideshow gets attacked by crowd, 'War on the Poor': Rally to remember Banko Brown victim of SF Walgreens shooting, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao unveils her first budget amid historic deficit, Oakland teachers announce strike Thursday if no agreement reached by then, Oakland's teachers are still negotiating with OUSD, Chinese immigrants remembered as backbone of building transcontinental railroad, Rally held to remember Banko Brown D.A. I am hoping he stays sober and maybe if a local news station takes a chance on him they can use his considerable talents. George looks great, and he seems to be in good spirits. (She finished the May 30 newscast alone after Somerville disappeared from the desk, without explanation, 15 minutes into the program). Heather Holmes, a Texas native, has been at KTVU since 2006, when she started as a weekend anchor. I miss George Watson on the nightly news. Part-time? During the Loma Prieta earthquake, we had no power and had to do our newscast in the parking lot. Hope all is well, George. It was O'Brien that was the same boss that had to let Watson go after repeated bouts with alcohol abuse. G Watson was that hard-working and effective at KTVU. The rest of the nation did too. Political chaos has erupted in this Peninsula city over one issue: Housing, Flower Moon, a lunar eclipse and a meteor shower unfold this week, Oakland teachers set to strike starting Thursday. I told my wife I bet KTVU pulls him off the air at the commercial break, which they did. Since then, he has helped launch the weekend editions of Mornings on 2, co-anchoring with Claudine Wong. Last time in 2007 and 2008, the economic downturn hit me hard, I was working on commission only, and my business disappeared in a matter of weeks, because I was too late to face reality I also lost my condo. His story on the Pan Am Clippers, planes that flew from San Francisco to China from 1935 to 1946, airs this Sunday. When there's a bit of hope, all of a sudden, darkness emerges. Nice entry, Rich. Finlayson is one of those remarkable people who always falls up. I remember watching him in the 90s on KTVU, the years with Elaine Coral and Leslie Griffith when they still work for KTVU. TV Streaming | KTVU began taking on water under his reign and frankly it's amazing it's still [barely] afloat. He was a man of the printed word and resisted all indications that he should go fully digital. I'm just glad at the end of the day there is no smoke over the cubicle and I haven't shut down the station. Can't help but notice that the name 'Elaine' didn't appear in the list of reunion participants. She resigned from KTVU in 2006. A group of about 1,000 people broke off from that main rally and headed down to police headquarters.
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