KTLA's Mark Mester Fired After Criticizing Station Management On-Air

LOS ANGELES, CA — KTLA weekend co-anchor Mark Mester has been fired after he criticized station management on-air while delivering an emotional speech following the abrupt departure of his longtime co-anchor, Lynette Romero.

The saga began Sept. 14, when KTLA announced Romero was leaving the station.

“After nearly 24 years, Lynette Romero, our friend Lynette, has decided to move on from anchoring our weekend morning news,” entertainment anchor Sam Rubin told viewers.

“KTLA management had hoped she would stay here her entire career and KTLA worked hard to make that happen but Lynnette has decided to move on to another opportunity elsewhere. Lynette, we wish you luck, we miss you and we thank you for everything you’ve done for KTLA and so many friends and fans and viewers.”

Several days later, Mester addressed the station’s handling of Romero’s departure during Saturday’s morning broadcast .

“What the viewers experienced was rude, it was cruel, it was inappropriate and we are so sorry,” Mester said. “I also want to say sorry to Lynnette Romero, because Lynette, I love you so much, you literally are my best friend, you did not deserve what happened to you on Wednesday.”

Mester also tweeted a video Saturday of a large banner towed by a plane that read “We love you Lynette!” and referenced the banner during his on-air speech.

“The problem was the message,” Mester told viewers. “How we let people know and we didn’t give her a proper goodbye, and we need to acknowledge that. We made a mistake. … As long as I’m on this set, as long as I’m permitted to be on this set, we’re going to be honest. And that’s the truth.”

Mester was suspended not long after the speech, and on Thursday he was fired, according to the Los Angeles Times. A spokesman for Nexstar Media Group Inc. confirmed Friday that Mester was no longer employed by KTLA and declined further comment on the grounds that the situation was a personnel matter.

Romero has been hired by local NBC affiliate KNBC to anchor its weekday morning show, the Times reported.

“Our industry has a practice of quickly and quietly releasing team members who move to the competition,” KTLA segment producer Ashley Regan said in a lengthy statement posted on Twitter. “We may not love the practice, but we know not to take it personally.”

As for Romero, she has said little publicly about her job change or the debacle with Mester.

“I will always be grateful for the love and affection LA viewers have given me,” she tweeted Sept. 14. “Stay tuned my friends I’ll be right back.”