News anchor suspended after calling out cohost’s treatment by management on air

A news anchor has reportedly been suspended by a local Los Angeles television station after he apologised to viewers for the sudden departure of his former co-host.

The furore at KTLA-TV began last week when the station announced the departure of Lunette Romero from her weekend slot at the news channel.

KTLA said the popular news anchor had “decided to move on after nearly 24 years at KTLA”, with the local news station putting out a similar statement on Twitter about Romero’s sudden departure from the channel’s weeklend morning news show.

Deadline reported on Monday that following his Saturday segment, Mr Mester had been suspended by KTLA. The Independent has approached the owners of KTLA for comment.

Mr Mester was fired on Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Tackling the issue on air on Saturday, her former co-host Mark Mester said it was wrong to announce the departure of Ms Romero so suddenly amid some criticism from viewers on social media, Deadline and The Desk reported.

“It was inappropriate, and we are so sorry,” Mr Mester said in the apparently unplanned segment. “I also want to say sorry to Lynette Romero, because Lynette I love you so much, and you really are my best friend. You did not deserve what happened to you on Wednesday.”

He continued: “What the viewers experienced was rude, it was cruel, it was inappropriate, and we are so sorry.”

Ms Romero, who had worked at KTLA since 1998, reportedly agreed to leave the news station last week, with her departure being announced by a colleague on Wednesday morning. The station did not reveal further details.

She tweeted of the support she had received: “I will always be grateful for the love and affection LA viewers have given me. Stay tuned my friends I’ll be right back.”