LA News Anchor Mark Mester Was Fired After Defending a Colleague on the Air

The drama continues to unfold at the LA news station KTLA, where news recently broke that anchor Mark Mester would not be returning to the network. As is often the case with news anchors, Mark had built up a loyal following, and many people were naturally curious about why he had left KTLA and whether it was his choice.

Mark Mester was fired from the network following several days in which he was put on suspension. Mark was fired over an off-script segment in which he called out the station for the way it had handled the resignation of his longtime co-anchor, Lynette Romero, according to The Hollywood Reporter. When Lynette resigned, she apparently declined to record a farewell message, and the station's news director Pete Saiers called her out for it.

“After 24 years, Lynette Romero has decided to move on from anchoring our weekend morning news,” Pete said. “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 [we] wish her and her family the best.”

Following Lynette's departure, Mark went off-script during a news broadcast on Sept. 17 to apologize to viewers on behalf of the station for the way it had handled her departure. Mark said that the way the station handled Lynette's departure “was rude, it was cruel, it was inappropriate, and we are so sorry.”

“You did not deserve this,” Mark said, addressing Lynette directly. “It was a mistake, and we hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us.”

Mark also said that Lynette was his "best friend." Clearly, he felt that his friend was mistreated, and was not willing to let her resignation go without acknowledging it himself.

Although KTLA has yet to release a statement on Mark's departure, it seems that his statement was a step too far for them, and they ultimately decided to let him go.

Although he may eventually address why he was fired in more detail on social media, for now, Mike has been silent. He hasn't posted anything in six days, which is when he made the comments that got him suspended. One of his more recent posts encouraged people to offer love and support to Lynette, but it didn't include any of the more "inflammatory" language that he used on the air.

Now that he's out of a job, it's unclear whether Mark will continue working in news or pursue other job opportunities. Some may believe that he crossed a line when he called out his own station on the air, but Mark clearly believed he was doing the right thing, and probably understood that his actions would have consequences.