A Los Angeles information station has fired an anchor after he defended a former colleague on air, calling the cases round her departure “merciless” and “beside the point,” the Los Angeles Occasions reported.
KTLA let cross of Mark Mester on Thursday after he made an emotional apology criticizing how the station treated the go out of anchor Lynette Romero, who spent over twenty years on the CW associate.
The Occasions cited resources on the station who mentioned Romero had sought after to paintings weekdays as an alternative of weekends to be with circle of relatives.
KTLA had instructed her the transfer wasn’t conceivable, the resources mentioned, and he or she’s since been employed by way of native information station KNBC to paintings weekday mornings.
Throughout a Sept. 14 broadcast, KTLA reporter Sam Rubin learn a commentary from Pete Saiers, the station’s information director, about Romero’s go out.
Saiers mentioned that station control had sought after Romero to make a farewell recording however she declined, the Occasions reported.
Mester, who has co-anchored presentations with Romero, made his apology to audience throughout a weekend morning display ultimate week.
“What the audience skilled was once impolite. It was once merciless, it was once beside the point and we’re so sorry,” he mentioned, pronouncing that an plane banner was once flying over Hollywood with a parting message to Romero.
Addressing Romero, Mester mentioned: “You at all times speak about two issues: dignity and charm. And that’s how we’re going to mention bye to you as of late. We’re going to provide you with dignity and charm, which is what this station will have to’ve carried out from the start. … You didn’t deserve this. We’re sorry. It was once a mistake, and we simply hope that you’ll in finding it for your middle to forgive us.”
You’ll be able to watch clips of Mester’s remarks beneath.
Station workers instructed the Occasions that when his on-air statements, Mester omitted control’s name for a gathering, instructed a information director to “close up” and refused to go out the station’s construction.
Assets additionally referred to the previous anchor’s “disrespectful” habits towards girls, the Occasions mentioned, and mentioned that he had “mood tantrums.”
KTLA audience tweeted that they weren’t proud of the station’s determination to fireplace Mester.
HuffPost has reached out to each KTLA and Mester for remark.