KTLA anchor Mark Mester fired days after Lynette Romeros departure: Here’s why

KTLA anchor Mark Mester, who had been previously suspended after he criticized on-air how the station went about his co-anchor Lynette Romero’s sudden departure, was fired.

KTLA general manager Janene Drafs announced Mester’s firing during a meeting in the newsroom. Mester is also no longer listed as an anchor on KTLA’s website.

Mester had delivered a surprise, off-script defense of his former co-anchor and friend, who wasn’t given the chance to say goodbye on the air, which drew criticism on social media, according to the Los Angeles Times.

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“After 24 years, Lynette Romero has decided to move on from anchoring our weekend morning news. We really wanted her to stay and KTLA Management worked hard to make that happen. Lynette decided to leave for another opportunity. We had hoped she would record a farewell message to viewers but she declined. Lynette has been a wonderful member of the KTLA family and wish her and her family the best,” KTLA news director Pete Saiers said in a statement to Variety.

On Saturday, Mester apologized to viewers on behalf of KTLA.

“I want to start off right now by offering up an apology to you,” Mester said to the viewers. “What the viewers experienced was rude, it was cruel, it was inappropriate and we are so sorry.

“I also want to say sorry to Lynette Romero because Lynette, I love you so much, you literally are my best friend. You did not deserve what happened to you.”

Romero addressed her departure on Twitter on Sept. 14, writing: “I will always be grateful for the love and affection L.A. viewers have given me. Stay tuned my friends I’ll be right back.”

Mester and Romero co-anchored the station’s popular weekend morning show. According to the staff, producers wrote a script for Mester to read about Romero, but instead the anchor went rogue, LA Times reported.

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“We’re going to offer you dignity and grace, which is what this station should’ve done from the beginning,” Mester said.

“You did not deserve this, we are sorry, it was a mistake and we just hope that you can find it your heart to forgive us,” he added.