Sweeping Changes at KTVU. That’s what we’re hearing out with the seasoned pro, out with experience, out with the numerous awards and in with – the what?
We hear that Mark Curtis may be swept out and we are asking – why? Is it a pizzazz thing? Do we need a fresh face? Is it ratings? Chances are it’s one of those – we haven’t done anything spectacular in a while things, so let’s just make some sweeping changes to shake things up.
It’s the trademark of modern journalism that makes it what it is today – entertainment and gossip not news or journalism.
Here is something that many don’t know abut Mark – he volunteers to host, speak, and participate in virtually any activity in the Bay Area that ask for his time, and does it for ZERO cost to the group or individual. I don't know of many other TV personalities that would participate in so many, let alone do it all for free.
One more reason to sweep Mark under the rug or out the door, the last thing we need in journalism is people truly dedicated to their community.
39 Comments
Well the new guy is here this morning, yuck.
As a fellow Danville resident, does anyone know if Mark has landed another job?
I too saw the new guy. He looks like an LA android. No chemistry no pizazz. Maybe they felt they had to sacrafice competence for diversity.
Ugh! The new guy is terrible!! So LA. I really
miss Mark Curtis. He had such an intellegent,
pleasant way about him that the 7am show lacks.
ktvu really blew it by getting rid of Mark Curtis.
I hope he lands a fantastic job.
I too miss Mark Curtis and let him know as soon as I found out! This new guy is obviously not from around the Bay Area -he can’t even pronounce local cities correctly! and way too over-eager! yuck!
My wife and I watch the morning news each day and one day last week she said that KTVU was doing some kind of retrospective on Mark. We didn’t hear the story she thought that he was leaving, I said no way it must be his birthday. Unfortunately for Mark, I guess that he was being reassigned because last night I saw him doing a report about gas prices out on the street. KTVU has made a huge mistake, Mark has added such great insights over the years on a variety of topics not the least would be his experience on the political side of the things. Mark has been a part of our mornings for may years now and we wish him the best.
Charles & Darlene Coachman
Bring back Mark Curtis!!
From what I’ve read on different sites, Dave Clark has moved up from LA to eventually replace Dennis Richmond when he retires later this year or early next. Mr. Clark is getting used to KTVU by co-hosting the morning news with Pam Cook. I’m not positive, but I would assume that Mark Curtis got bumped for this since Frank Summerville is the man in the morning for Channel 2. I would assume that when Mr. Clark moves to the 10 o’clock with Julie Haener, Mark will be back from his random news assignments.
I still long for the weather done by Rhonda Bentley. She was the best!
I chose to change to KTVU many years ago because I was sick and tired of all the kibitzing and personal stories among the newscasters instead of just reporting the news. I found Mark and Pam in the morning a CLASS ACT and am devastated that Mark is apparently no longer with KTVU. I don’t need a “personality” for the news I choose. I want the news reported and that’s it. That’s why I’ve held KTVU at such a high level and a major cut above all other network stations. Those of you who need your big names are shallow and think you have a relationship with these people. Get a life! Bring back Mark Curtis and the clout and class he brought to the news with Pam. It must be so hard for Pam to not work with her great friend of so many years. The new guy is okay but doesn’t do a thing for me. Mark’s shoes will be awefully hard to fill now and I may jump ship to another station. Very sad. Mark, if you’re out there, we MISS YOU TERRIBLY!
I hope KTVU realizes the mistake in replacing Mark with Dave Clark. I watch the news every morning starting at about 5:30 and enjoyed watching Pam and Mark. The new guy has no personality – it’s been a couple of weeks now and he is too stiff. Maybe I’ll watch KGO for a while.
Bring Mark back.
KTVU has really blown it – bring back Mark Curtis!
Up here in Humboldt County we are offered fewer and fewer choices of outside news sources other than national. We used to receive 2 bay area and one Sacramento new broadcast. Now we get KTVU. Mark Curtis and Pam made the choice palatable. Mark Curtis is a great newscaster and KTVU has made a terrible error in letting him go. He was not a “pretty boy” and that was probably his downfall. Watch out Pam, better sexy up or they will can you too.
I have been watching KTVU morning news for years – switched from Channel 5. However, now that Mark is gone I may switch back to Channel 5 in the mornings. I think they should have replaced Ross McGowan with Mark Curtis. Ross is terrible and Mark is very professional. It is a shame that they have demoted Mark.
Mark Curtis deserves better. He was a real Bay Area resident and gave of his time to help local groups. He had chemistry with the Morning News crew and especially the viewers. The new guy’s voice is not appealing at all. He will be doing car ads soon… Bring back Mark, you fools!
KTVU is making a big mistake. The morning news is no longer enjoyable.
Tremendously bad move! Should have dumped newsreader Frank Summerville instead. Mark Curtis is an absolute class act. He comes across as a true journalist. Brings legitimacy to the broadcast as opposed to Summerville who somehow always manages to slip in some inane personal comment in which I have absolutely no interest. Just present the news! Spare me your opinions. I don’t care what you think. I want to know the facts. Unfortunately, this is just a sign of the times. Newscasts are now, for the most part, just another form of entertainment designed to tempt and titilate by sensationalizing events to bring in higher ratings. Frank Summerville and Dave Clark as two of the primary “anchors” (glorified newsreaders)?. . . yikes! Bring back Mark Curtis!!!!!
I have been dealing with a family illness and I’ve been traveling quite a lot. I thought Mark was on vacation until I just sat down and did a google search on Mark Curtis and read this site.
I really like Pam too so this is a total bummer. Those two together were like bread and butter. I felt so comfortable with Mark as a honest reporter. I cannot cut down Frank (he seems very nice also) but I really hope that they bring Mark back. In the meantime KRON news seems pretty good….
Someone ought to teach Dave Clark how to pronounce our local cities and places of interests. Mark Curtis was the best. Please reconsider and bring back Mark. I invited the morning crew into my home every morning before work. One day I turn on the tube and here is a newbie that I didn’t invite in. Channel 5 news seems the way to move on now. Sorry ktvu you blew it big time.
I really miss Mark Curtis. I really liked his way of presenting the morning news with Pam. I thought they did a really good job. Why try and fix something that is not broken? Next, it will be Ross that will no longer be on the morning news. For what it is worth, I thought Mark did a good job in Washington, and a great job on the early morning news.
Hey Channel 2, are you reading this stuff? You screwed up big time. I think you should be begging him to come back. If you don’t do the right thing, many others will be gone from your show too. And one day we hope it’s this TIM MCVAY guy. How can he not see how bad the show is now.
I thought Mark was on vacation… such a shame! I googled this because I missed him.
Dave Clark is intolerable… especially first thing in the morning… I can’t handle it. Lost 1 viewer here…
Makes KRON look great!
Mark will be fine – he knows and understands the screwed up world of Journalism – not to mention how screwed up the west coast is – hopefully he will end up where he started in the Midwest where all great Journalist come from – Milwaukee and Wisconsin will welcome him back any time!
P.S. please send a football team the next time you come to Green Bay – enjoy Al Davis maybe he can see if Ken Stabler still wants to play.
What the heck. Lately I have seen a new face on KTVU 2 and thought.. dang this man is a bore.. when is Mark getting back from Vacation? So here I am.. I googled Mark Curtis and found this site. A terrible mistake KTVU has made. Goodbye to Channel 2 and Hello to Daria at KRON. Sad.. truly sad.
I hope KTVU swallows some crow and has Mr. Curtis return to the morning news.
What others have written I fully agree with. Mr. Curtis is more like the Tom Hanks of morning TV journalism. I believe he relates so much better to the general public. Mr. Curtis can get along with anyone and he is so loveable, I am sure that he will get a new job where he can be more appreciated. He has gotten a little heavier over the year (as we all have!) but his personality is so easy and pleasing to watch.
The new guy is a little stiff and I guess working the morning news is a training ground forhim taking over the morning news. I wish the man well and he probably knows that it is a tough hall to please the picky Bay Area Crowd.
I have been watching Frank Somerville for years and I was hoping he would take over for Dennis Richmond.
I am all for diversity, but to shovel off one of your own into the back pasture and have him do small stories is really an insult.
I thought KTVU had more class than that! If you really wanted to bring the new guy on—-I would have brought him in to cover stories like Dennis Richmond has done over the years and then bring him in as an anchor so the new guy could get a feel for the bay are first!
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits!!!! Thanks Mr. Curtis for your years of wonderful dedicated service. You really are a true professionl!
I must have been out of town when Mark left. I thought he was on vacation, and then I realized he was not coming back.
If anyone is familiar with Oakland, diversity is shoved down your throat. KTVU probably has been threatened by some group, so to avoid litigation; one gets punished just for being white. I see this all to often.
In the courts whites are even handed stiffer sentences, so the judge does not get accused of favoritism.
I will miss Mark and I hope they will bring him back in the morning. It was so pleasant to hear him in morning.
I loved to hear about the different charities he helped out on, either over the weekend or after work hours. He is a true to his community and sacrificed time with his family to help others.
It is almost like nice guys finish last and the one who makes the most trouble gets ahead. There is something wrong with the Bay Area.
Good Luck to you Mark we will miss you.
Dave Clark is a REFRESHING morning news change! He has a terrific delivery that immediately caught my attention. Geezus, give him a break! What’s this garbage about ‘diversity’ having anything to do with Clark’s newly acquired position on the KTVU news team? What a small-minded, idiotic statement… Welcome Dave Clark and I wish you much success in the SF-Bay Area!
Mark Curtis’ delivery of the news was robotic, kinda of, because one would imagine that a robot wouldn’t stumble and slur his words. Whatever he was he wasn’t even a good news reader. Glad to see him gone, except that at 5am, it was weirdly fascinating to see if he could get through 30 minutes of reading without a slip. Oh, and loved it when he would get caught unaware on his laptop, doing what we wonder.
Bottom line:
I’ve had the pleasure to meet Mark Curtis on several occasions at community events. I have nothing but the highest respect for him. His down to earth demeanor and genuine interest and love for the bay area is unquestionable.
As far as his replacement (Dave Clark) that is what it is. The management at KTVU is solely responsible for this and nothing more. Business decisions like these are made everyday. I wish Dave the best of luck in his new gig and I’m quite sure Mark will land on his feet. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mark with another bay area station as he has a devoted following.
I NEVER thought I would be saying this but I am disappointed to realize that Mark Curtis is gone off the channel 2 morning news. He always gave me a good laugh in the morning with some of the “goofy” things he would say. I, like everyone else, thought he was just on vacation and was waiting for him to come back. I finally did a search and found this website after deciding my guess wasn’t right. Dave Clark is terrible to watch in the morning. He stumbles over words, says/reads things incorrectly, and does all of it with the presentation of a prune. There also seems to be no connection between him and co-anchor Pam. From what I’ve seen of Dave, I am guessing they did NOT beg him to stay at his last job. I have watched channel 2 news EVERY weekday morning for MANY years but I have now switched to channel 4 AM news!!! Good bye channel 2!!!! If this was something dirty you did to Mark, I hope Karma comes back to get you.
Thank you all!
I was recently given a link to this website and had no idea that so many people wrote so many nice things about me. Friday 1-11 is my last day at KTVU after almost 15 years. God Bless all of you for your kindness and support and loyal viewership all these years!
I will be staying in the Bay Area and covering politics and doing all kinds of media work.
My blog is at http://www.markcurtismedia.blogspot.com.
I’ll be writing lots from the Presidential campaign trail! I was in Iowa and New Hampshire. More to come!
Again, many thanks for many good years!
Your friend and neighbor,
Mark Curtis
IM GLAD HES GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SICK OF THE DC way he does news! Dave Clark is great! Ross is next, he is old and needs to go! Mark acts like hes the owner of KTVU! I hated the news with him !! COMPARE HIM TO FRANK SOMMERVILLE,,huge difference! And that Allison Burns is too much,,,she seemed to really warm up to Mark! Mark belongs in DC,,not here!!! Just my luck Fox buys KRON and hes back on the Bay Area station! KTVU Made a great choice getting rid of him !!!!!!!!!! DAVE CLARK WELCOME ABOARD!!!
I think Mark started getting slanted in his coverage. He obviosly is a good guy,,with that said his liberal slant on every story came through loud and clear…Frank, Dennis, Julie just report and no BS…Thats their jobs!! If he wants to state his views then get a talkshow…I am glad he and Leslie are gone..I have been watching this channel for 40 years and do not need another left wing slant on every story!!
Mark may have been a bit quirky and different, but he defintely should’ve been kept on at KTVU.
We will miss you Mark!
- family of 5 in the North Bay
I set my television to turn on at 5am waking up to Mark and Pam. Is there any updates to where Mark is co anchor? News isn’t the same anymore without Mark…
We’re Bay Area transplants{live in Virginia City now} We’ve given Dave Clark some time to adapt to the bay area environment but it ain’t working. We miss the Mark and Pam duo!!! D. Brown
I liked Mark not only for his unique manner of delivering the news, but for the fact that a “normal” average everyday man can be an anchor. He will be missed.
To KTVU: Very bad move on your part. As a former Oakland resident now living in the Silicon Valley, you have lost a long term viewer of your 5-7am broadcast. I am not impressed by Dave Clark.
Mark: I am hoping that you land another gig in the Bay Area. Take Pam with you! (you make a great team) KNTV need a stronger morning show – and Oam and you would be the ticket.
Folks:
I am just overwhelmed at the number of e-mails,letters and phone call of support I continue to receive. People have been so supportive and kind! I am still looking to come back into TV full-time. In the meantime, keep up with my latest business and reporting activities at http://www.MarkCurtisMedia.com. Thanks especially to John Harper and his team for their continuing support!
God Bless, I’ll be back on-air soon!
Mark Curtis
Mark was great! Dave Clark is no good. Neither is Craig Debro. Bring back MARK!!! Mornings on 2 is going downhill…
Sal goofed this morning when sending it back to the anchor desk said “Mark and Pam” instead of “Dave and Pam”. There was stunned silence for a minute. It was classic!
I wish Frank Somerville would get some speech therapy and STOP reading the news.
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