George Watson does not know this. He took the wrong medicationThe vodka instead of the Scotch. I watched Sommerville on Sunday's 10 p.m. newscast and noticed right away that he was having difficulty reading the teleprompter and speaking clearly. 1993 KTVU news anchor George Watson sign off asking for help - YouTube 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. Sam Whiting has been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle since 1988. Starting in 1978, he had a 22-year run at the TV station, where he put together the anchor team of Dennis Richmond and Barbara Simpson, whom Zehnder later replaced with Elaine Corral, Leslie Griffith and Julie Haener, all during Richmonds 20 years as an anchor. 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. RICH LIEBERMAN 415 MEDIA: Mystery at KTVU: Frank Somerville - Blogger I had to move in with a friend and get a retail job that paid minimal, however, getting out and working and helping people was the cure. Thanks Rich and George - so glad to hear he is enjoying life. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. At Lakeport Union Elementary, he fell under the spell of a teacher who had been a news reporter, and she encouraged him. Watson and his wife plan to attend the memorial service for Zehnder when it takes place. 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. Was at KNTV last I remember. The rest of the nation did too. To me it seems like Haener, who has been sleepwalking through the news for at least the last year, perked up and seemed to be trying harder last night after Frank departed.Just an observation. Well, have to say I never heard of Zehnder till now. He always had faith in his people, and we always had faith in his judgment.. That would be a dynamite idea and count me in as a interested observer. ", Liggins added: "She was professional, engaging, and adored by her audience. It shows a sympathetic person, Watson, in his most darkest days. Former Reporter George Watson Returns to KTVU - SFGATE He arrived at KTVU in 2005 as a general assignment reporter. He looked off last night. She has been with SFGATE for more than 10 years. Frank Somerville , KTVU 5, 6, and 10 p.m. anchor. At the start of the 11 PM news, Julie Haener said "Frank is off tonight". KTVU fired him too !! I miss seeing that good-looking gentleman with the wonderfully pleasant presence and noteworthy qualifications, and I will pray that he continues to address each day in wellness and with fortitude. Finlayson is one of those remarkable people who always falls up. He started at KTVU as a reporter in 2011 and shifted to anchoring in 2018. It was created in 1984 by KTVU reporter George Watson, and produced by Don McCuaig. ", Watson's re-entry into the workplace was easier than he had expected, he says. I remember watching him in the 90s on KTVU, the years with Elaine Coral and Leslie Griffith when they still work for KTVU. Always liked George Watson, hope he's doing well Wow, Suzanne Saunders Shaw was his girlfriend! He's still in mourning over the cancellation of "Freaks and Geeks.". The Bay Area knows the story. "It was not a lightbulb, burning-bush experience," he says. "Her focus on animal welfare is the most prominent example, as she worked for years to highlight the mistreatment of elephants in circuses and elsewhere.". A news anchor was visibly intoxicated on the air. Sad. 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. He mainly anchors in the mornings, but expect to see more of him in the evening hours. 1 Significant piece of retro San Francisco bay area broadcasting history. Frank Somerville says he believes he won't be coming back to KTVU 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. I really appreciated and enjoyed George's on-air work and presence. 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.". Oh, well. He really needs help. The 10 o'clock News would soon become the No. You know the story. I was at their wedding and his other ones. His voice and presence was so incredibly comforting to me. "As a reporter, she led with passion for the craft, for getting the story, for pursuing what is right," Sasaki, who is now the public information officer for the Oakland Unified School District, wrote in an email to SFGATE. His answer is an unequivocal "no." But behind the scenes, negotiations were under way on a departure settlement. 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As editor and publisher of both the San Leandro Times and the Castro Valley Forum . Fred pulled us aside and said, Everyone is on edge. ), Best part about the Leslie/Mark (short man) story is that she was upset at losing him (refer back to short comment), LIVE AND DIRECT FROM SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONE, GEORGE WATSON IS ON THE PHONE. Jasmine Gaffett suffered these bruises at a May 29, 2020 George Floyd protest in Oakland. (That role was reserved for Andrew Finlayson, who was Zehnder's successor. Brian Hackney!}. 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. "Sad news," KTVU reporter Sal Castaneda wrote on Twitter. George was an excellent anchor. Griffith . 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. During the Loma Prieta earthquake, we had no power and had to do our newscast in the parking lot. You can email her at agraff@sfgate.com. Somervile did not appearr on the 6 PM newscast. Altamont Press Discussion Board :: Discussion :: Re:George Watson It's tragically intense and real. wine startup leaves customers with thousands of Steph Curry adds to his Warriors legend by lighting up Kings for 50. KTVU's George Watson's 60th - plaing - SmugMug 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. He looked awful and sounded worse. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? From there he was hired at KTVU, which at that time was an underdog independent station in Oakland, going up against the bigger stations in San Francisco KPIX, KRON and KGO. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Nice entry, Rich. One final lapse crossed the line and that one signaled George's exit from Channel 2. He wasn't missed. It was about his brothers John, 93, of Modesto; Bob, 91, of Sacramento; and Dave, 72, of Kelso, Wash. All three survive him, along with sister-in-law Isabelle Zehnder, seven nephews and one niece. He held a news conference at the time saying that people were throwing rocks at police and "preparing Molotov cocktails.". 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. Big shift in weather is headed to California. UPDATE, 8: 31 AM PT: A source tells me Somerville was asked to leave after the first segment. Categories . . Produced in-depth "think pieces" from throughout San Bernardino County. She replaced Elaine Corral on the Ten O'clock News in 1998, becoming a staple on the program as Dennis Richmond's co-anchor. Life has returned back to normal! Zehnder started his own paper, the Scotts Valley News, in his hometown of Lakeport (Lake County), using a childs printing press set when he was age 10. 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. Fred Zehnder, the news director at KTVU for decades, died after being hit by a truck while walking in Alameda. 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. While there, he was introduced to broadcasting through a part-time job at a Eureka radio station. No I was not deliriously happy, but I was not depressed. The ones that put me to sleep." Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @samwhitingsf. ?A: 1 Year sobriety !Quick.Somebody call George Watson. He knows it still has an impact. GEORGE WATSON OBITUARY. He was a calming and a guiding influence. Maybe he can come back to KTVU some day even if doing special reports part time. Watson will write and report five- minute Sunday-night feature segments on "The 10 O'Clock News" as part of the station's "My Twentieth Century" retrospective series. He is getting old and maybe time for early retirement. Longtime KTVU anchor and reporter Leslie Griffith dies After 15 minutes on the 10 PM News last (Sunday) night, Frank Somerville abruptly LEFT the news desk and didn't re-appear. With Somerville away, who will KTVU turn to? - The Mercury News Just KTVU Channel 2. KTVU, virtual channel 2 (digital channel 44), is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Fred still had his great laugh and was as engaged as ever in journalism and in life, said Sandobil, now a communications consultant in Alameda. "George is a great writer with a strong knowledge and interest in local history," said KTVU News Director Andrew . I've noticed that KTVU, which has a (bad) habit of repeating stories over and over to fill time and hide the fact that they have about half the staff they did ten years ago, did very little repeat playing of the Fred Zehnder sendoff. 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. Barbaa Rogers cried on the air announcing it, As a recovering Alcoholic (30 years sober) I know how difficult it is to reach sobriety. Police, by law and court order, must use de-escalation techniques first, before deploying such harmful, although less-lethal, agents and tools. The last time I wrote about Watson, things seemed positive.I hope this is the current status and I'm working on talking to George because I know he reads 415 Media and I know and share . to FOX2. Here are their demands, Downtown S.F. He was already 12 years into his career when he was drafted into the Army, upon his graduation from Humboldt State, at age 22. Watson has politely turned down several nedia interview requests. george watson ktvu where is he now 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. He's The Peter Principle in action. Heres a quick look at some of the people we can expect to see more of in the coming days and weeks: Julie Haener, a Danville resident, goes way back with KTVU viewers. George is a solid reporter and anchor. Frank Somerville finally returns to KTVU: Are viewers owed an explanation? Thanks for linking that gallery! George Watson was "Excellence Personified" during his tenure at KTVU. Im soooo happy to see you back anchoring the news! one reader wrote. He needs to find a new line of work which suits him better. If you see this, thank you George. ;-). Andre Senior is a relative newcomer to KTVU, having arrived in 2018 after anchoring and reporting in Hampton, Virginia and Tampa Bay, Florida. Bay Area Transit (1984) - Oakland - LocalWiki 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. In that sendoff staffers talk about how great things were back then, with Randy Shandobil saying "If you like us at all now, it's because of Fred." The 54-year-old newsman says he had been in and out of 12-step programs for many years. That liquid person can cause permanent damage to the brain; hence the addiction is harder than ever to overcome, though we do read about successes.Saunders-Shaw ended up being a pretty good news executive. Reply Delete clinical psychologist jobs ireland; Tags . George Watson, former KTVU (Channel 2) weekend news anchor whose struggle with alcoholism cost him his job six years ago, was rehired as a reporter and writer last month. I don't think anyone knows where those two are these days. 2023 FOX Television Stations, High Stakes: Sports Betting in California. Calls to Somerville and Fox spokesperson Victoria Gurrieri Thursday morning were not returned. Then, he disappeared. The old, lame sleeping pill excuse. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! "When I first watched it, I had no idea it would be as impactful as it was. Zehnder also helped mold the on-air persona of popular feature reporters Bob MacKenzie and George Watson. "Long-time KTVU anchor Leslie Griffith has died. Jerry Springer, former Cincinnati mayor and talk show host, dead at 79, A drug company abandoned a treatment for bubble boy disease. After a 5-year fight, this little California girl is about to get it, Former Jackass star Bam Margera turns himself in; denies assaulting younger brother, Henry Winkler advises find a passion and stick with it, no matter the stage of life, Review: Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love is an old-school special for an old-school talent. He was a man of the printed word and resisted all indications that he should go fully digital. Fun to follow. Male talent seems to bog that station. I'm delighted and happy that Watson has turned his life around. He wasnt like the idea that people have of a publisher sitting behind a big desk smoking cigars. ", At his lowest point, Watson was homeless, destitute and near death, he says. After graduating in 1952, he attended Humboldt State College, where he majored in journalism. Also, during the Zehnder tribute there was NO Fox2 branding. John Sasaki worked with Griffith for 10 years, starting in 1986, when she was the weekend anchor he was the weekend nightside reporter. He also picked up items by listening in on the 18 neighbors who shared a party line. For eight years, he held two full-time jobs, one in TV and one in print. But the call led to a job offer as a maintenance man at the center, which led to his sobriety. You did what he told you because you loved him and didnt want to let him down, Shandobil said. I saw it. Posted to Fort Bliss, Texas, he worked at an Army public information office run by Sam Donaldson, later a famously brusque TV news reporter. Now I can watch again. I miss a lot of these past greats. Oakland police officers disciplined following deployment - KTVU FOX 2 Drunk on TV?A viewer could have been killed with this carelessness.Have you all gone mad? I'm sure current management heard that as a slap in the face. 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. She currently anchors the 4 and 7 p.m. news at KTVU, but has filled in for Somerville several times already this week. He lives in San Francisco and walks three miles a day on the steep city streets. Former Jackass star Bam Margera turns himself in; denies assaulting younger brother KTVU anchor calls out racist who disapproves of his family - SFGATE He refused to let it end in Game 7, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. I love this man and I don't even know him. I wish Somerville well in his personal life. Fred Zehnder, longtime KTVU news director, dies at 87 after being hit Viewers news may remember her as she spent more than two decades anchoring the 10 p.m. news alongside veteran anchor Dennis Richmond. Original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano . I get the impression that Les has remained supportive, through thick and thin, and (if true) that would be quite a reflection of her character. 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. It was not a splashy story, said Knowles, the managing editor. Hopefully Mr. Watson is doing well. However, I urge anyone who is depressed to get some help, life will get better.
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