A Los Angeles anchorman was fired after he criticized his station for not giving a better sendoff to a popular colleague who abruptly left the station after 24 years.
Mark Mester, who worked at the independent KTLA, choked back tears as he apologized on air to viewers last weekend, saying the exit of co-anchor Lynette Romero “was rude, it was cruel, it was inappropriate, and we are so sorry.”
“You did not deserve this, it was a mistake, and we hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us,” the Los Angeles Times reported Mester as saying.
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— Wade (@wadewire) September 17, 2022
Veteran newscasters normally receive a lengthy goodbye consisting of clips from their broadcasts, but in Romero’s case, this did not happen. Romero reportedly wanted to work weekdays but was not allowed, so she accepted a job at NBC’s Los Angeles affiliate, the Los Angeles Times reported.
So instead of a big on-air goodbye, the station opted to have entertainment reporter Sam Rubin read a statement on Sept. 14.
“KTLA management had hoped she would stay here her entire career, and KTLA worked hard to make that happen,” Rubin said. “But Lynette has decided to move to another opportunity elsewhere. Lynette, we wish you luck, we miss you, and we thank you for everything you’ve done for KTLA. … On behalf of everyone here, we wish you and your family nothing but the best.”
Social media has been filled with criticism of KTLA and defense of Mester when news leaked that he had been fired.
“I live in Orlando, and I’ve been following the toxic hell that is @KTLA. They fired @LynetteRomero, didn’t let her say goodbye, and then fired @mester_mark for going rogue and apologizing for the station’s shitty behavior,” tweeted Orlando Michael.
I live in Orlando, and I’ve been following the toxic hell that is @KTLA. They fired @LynetteRomero, didn’t let her say goodbye, and then fired @mester_mark for going rogue and apologizing for the station’s shitty behavior. KTLA, employees who go to the mat each other are GOLD! https://t.co/g2lO874Prh
— ??Orlando Michael?? (@CFLMichael) September 23, 2022
Journalist Matthew Keys tweeted, “This is probably the worst decision KTLA could have made, in that it gives the situation greater exposure…It also opens the door to a possible Lynette Romero-Mark Mester reunion at their competitor, KNBC.”
This is probably the worst decision KTLA could have made, in that it gives the situation greater exposure (the station has already been criticized by viewers for suspending him).
It also opens the door to a possible Lynette Romero-Mark Mester reunion at their competitor, KNBC. https://t.co/5RNjzXq8JS
— Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) September 22, 2022
Mester tweeted about the Romero debacle as well, posting video of a plane pulling a banner that said, “We Love You Lynette!”
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Others called for a boycott of the station and the reinstatement of Mester.
However, insiders told the Los Angeles Times that Mester was supposed to read a script that was accompanied by photos and clips of Romero’s broadcasts but that he refused.
Producer Ashley Regan defended the station on Twitter, saying the station tried to keep Romero from quitting but that the exit was “her choice” and that long goodbyes are not standard when going to a competitor.
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“Our industry has a practice of quickly and quietly releasing team members who move to the competition,” she said.
