The newsroom drama at local Los Angeles TV stations continues…
KTLA reportedly fired anchor Mark Mester after he went off-script for four minutes and criticized the station following co-host Lynette Romero’s sudden exit from the station.
Mester was fired a week after management suspended him for showing support for his departed colleague Romero.
His reported firing comes after Romero, Mester’s long-time cohost and close friend, left the station suddenly, without having the opportunity to say farewell to viewers. Romero left to work at a different local station, sources alleged.
KTLA’s apparent handling of Romero’s abrupt exit drew widespread criticism from viewers, including from Mester during a four-minute off-script monologue about the situation, as seen in a clip shared on YouTube.
During his monologue, Mester said the network’s handling of Romero’s departure “was rude, it was cruel, it was inappropriate, and we are so sorry,” to the viewers. “You did not deserve this, it was a mistake, and we hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive us,” he continued, as seen in the video clip on YouTube.
Mester posted to his social media ahead of the broadcast, letting his followers know he planned to share some words about his friend, Lynette. He also shared a video on his Instagram account Saturday of an airplane flying over the KTLA studio that read “we love you Lynette!”
Watch it here: Instagram/Video
KTLA made an announcement in its newsroom that Mester had been fired. General manager Janene Drafs told staffers that “[Mester] is no longer at KTLA5,” according to those who were present.
Both Mester and Romero seem to be fan favorites at KTLA, with Mester most recently turning his hand to “Mester’s Meals,” a cooking series that gained sponsorship from Mother’s Market & Kitchen in early August.
Plenty of viewers took to social media to express their outrage.
“@KTLA now Mark Mester? Really? Is your station going down the shit hole? What you did was wrong about Lynette, I 1000% agree with Mark! You should be apologizing now! #MarkMester”
“I’ve been a loyal fan of @KTLA since I was a kid, but today not so much. So impressed by @mester_mark for standing up for what’s right. @LynetteRomero has been treated bad for years by the top brass. The suits in charge need to do some serious self reflection. #freemester#ktla“
“@KTLAWeekendAM why did you take down @mester_mark ‘s tribute to @LynetteRomero ? What are you afraid of? She deserved better. Let us know where you are going Lynette and we’ll follow! Thank you from a previously loyal KTLA viewer.”
“No longer watching @KTLAWeekendAM I hope Mark Mester moves on to better opportunities..Lynette and Mark deserved better. “
Source: AWM
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