The honored KTVU anchor spoke to the Bay Area News Group in an interview printed Tuesday, his first public feedback since his sudden suspension following alleged inside turmoil over protection on Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old lady who was killed throughout a long-distance van journey together with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie.
“All indications are that I’m by no means going to anchor at Channel 2 once more,” he advised the newspaper group.
Somerville additionally expressed regret over the “drama” that ensued over his need so as to add a tagline concerning the media’s tendency to deal with lacking white ladies over lacking individuals of colour, a phenomenon coined by broadcast journalist Gwen Ifill as “lacking white lady syndrome.”
Somerville has a Black daughter, and needed so as to add a be aware on the finish of any information story on Petito in regards to the charges of home violence Black ladies in America face, an unnamed supply with information of the scenario advised SFGATE in September. The request was denied by KTVU information director Amber Eikel, who known as the tagline inappropriate, in accordance with the supply.
“I want I may apologize to all of them in individual,” Somerville mentioned. “They’re the spine of Channel 2. I respect and admire what they do day by day.”
The strain reached a fever pitch when the Oakland chapter of the NAACP condemned KTVU’s determination to droop Somerville, saying that the station ought to have been “elevating his instance” as a substitute of punishing him.
In Tuesday’s interview, Somerville additionally lamented the variety of years he served on the station earlier than his unceremonious exit. He grew to become an anchor in 1992 and began co-anchoring the night reveals in 2008, succeeding longtime native newscaster Dennis Richmond.
His abrupt departure following the disagreement on protection surrounding Petito got here only a month after he returned to the airwaves in August. In a Could broadcast of the Fox-owned station’s 10 p.m. present, Somerville was seen slurring his phrases. He left mid-broadcast, leading to hypothesis over his well being and well-being.
He additionally expressed openness to the opportunity of returning to the airwaves, albeit at a special station throughout the interview.
“I’d like to work at one of many different stations out there,” he mentioned. “If not, I’ll go to different stations exterior of the market.”
A KTVU spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from SFGATE.
SFGATE homepage editor Brian Boyle contributed to this story.
