TV anchor Mark Mester fired for on-air rant against management

The dismissal of TV anchor Mark Mester was due to the on-air criticism he directed toward the management for its handling of former co-anchor Lynette Romero’s sudden departure from the station. KTLA’s general manager Janene Drafs announced Mester’s firing during a newsroom meeting, and his page on KTLA’s website now redirects to the news team’s page without his listing. After Lynette Romero decided to leave KTLA after 24 years, Mester went off-script during a broadcast to issue an apology to viewers, expressing regret over the station’s treatment of Romero’s resignation. Romero had sought a weekday anchor shift instead of weekend work, and when her request was declined, she moved on to another station.