L-A Anchor Fired After Defending Ex-Colleague

KTLA-TV Channel 5 fired news anchor Mark Mester Thursday afternoon, days after he was suspended following an off-script segment in which he criticized the station’s handling of his co-anchor Lynette Romero’s abrupt departure, according to The L-A Times citing several employees at the station.

The station’s general manager, Janene Drafs, announced the firing with a brief speech during a meeting in the newsroom around 1:15 p.m., saying, "[Mester] is no longer at KTLA5,” staffers who were present for the announcement told The Times Thursday.

The KTLA website no longer lists Mester on its roster of reporters and anchors.

Last week, KTLA announced that Romero, a longtime anchor of its popular weekend morning show, had left the station without saying goodbye to viewers, drawing wide outrage and criticism.

“After nearly 24 years, Lynette Romero, our friend Lynette, has decided to move on from anchoring our weekend morning news,” Pete Saiers, the station’s news director, wrote in a statement that was read by entertainment reporter Sam Rubin during a Sept. 14 segment.

“KTLA management had hoped she would stay here her entire career, and KTLA worked hard to make that happen,” Rubin added. “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.”

Saiers later said that management had hoped Romero would record a farewell message to viewers, but she declined.

According to station sources who asked to remain anonymous, Romero no longer wanted to work weekends and had asked management to allow her to work a weekday anchor shift so she could spend more time with her family, but she was told there were no openings. She reportedly has been hired at KNBC-TV, L.A.'s NBC affiliate, as one of its weekday morning show anchors, sources said.

During Saturday’s weekend morning show, Mester, Romero’s co-anchor, went off script with an emotional speech. He apologized, on behalf of the station, to viewers and said the handling of Romero’s exit “was rude, it was cruel, it was inappropriate and we are so sorry.”