A Los Angeles television station separated having a popular anchorman after he continued air to criticize management’s handling of the colleague’s departure, officials stated Friday.
Mark Mester won’t be within the anchor chair when KTLA’s “Weekend Morning News” airs on Saturday, 1 week after he made an appearance to visit off-script to tear the station because of not staging a far more grand goodbye to his longtime co-anchor Lynette Romero.
“Mark Mester is not utilized by KTLA,” based on an announcement Friday by Irving, Texas-based Nexstar Media Group Corporation., which owns CW affiliate Funnel 5 in Los Angeles. “Because this is a personnel matter, we’ll decline further comment.”
Earlier this Saturday, Mester appeared to choke back tears in telling viewers the station ought to be embarrassed with itself because of not giving Romero a celebrated sendoff.
“I wish to begin at this time by providing up an apology for you. Exactly what the viewers experienced was rude, it had been cruel, it had been inappropriate and we’re so sorry,” Mester told viewers within an emotional nearly four-minute proof of his former co-worker. “I should also apologize to Lynette Romero. I really like you a lot, you literally are my mate. You didn’t deserve what went down for you on Wednesday.”
Mester’s monologue was delivered alongside three colleagues and supported by reels of Romero’s work and photographs from her personal existence.
72 hours earlier, KTLA week day morning anchor Mike Rubin announced on air that Romero had left the station.
The language Rubin continue reading air a week ago mirrored an announcement that Nexstar, which owns the station, made Friday to NBC News, attributing it to KTLA V . P . and Gm Janene Drafs.
“After 24 years, Lynette Romero has made the decision to maneuver on from anchoring our weekend morning news. We actually wanted her to remain, and KTLA management labored difficult to reach that goal,” based on Drafs’ statement.
“Lynette made the decision to depart for an additional chance. We’d wished she’d record a farewell message to viewers, but she declined,” the statement stated. “Lynette is a wonderful person in the KTLA family so we wish her and her family the very best.”
The barebones sendoff, though, did not satisfy Mester.