The popular anchorman was let go after he criticized management's handling of a colleague's departure.
Mark Mester won't be in the anchor chair when "Weekend Morning News" airs on Saturday, one week after he appeared to go off-script to rip the station for not staging a more grand goodbye to his co-anchor.
According to a statement Friday, Mark Mester is no longer employed by KTLA. We will decline further comment as it's a personnel matter.
Mester told viewers that the station should be ashamed of itself because it didn't give Romero a celebrated send off.
I would like to apologize to you immediately. Mester apologized to viewers in an emotional nearly four-minute testament to his former co-worker. I want to apologize to her. You are my best friend. What happened to you on Wednesday was not deserved.
Mester's monologue was delivered along with three colleagues and accompanied by pictures from her personal life
Rubin announced on air that he had left the station.
Rubin read the words on air last week and it was the same one that was attributed to KTLA Vice President and General Manager Janene Drafs by the station's owner.
The weekend morning news anchor decided to leave after 24 years." According to Drafs' statement, KTLA management worked hard to keep her.
Lynette decided to go somewhere else. She declined to record a farewell message. Lynette has been a great member of the KTLA family and we wish her and her family the best.
Mester wasn't satisfied by the bare bones sendoff.
He took issue with unnamed bosses for the way in which Romero's exit was handled. Mester said that he was leaving KTLA to pursue a new opportunity.
He apologized to KTLA management for it being inappropriate. Lynette should have said farewell. It did not occur. I'm not sure who wrote the script. I'm not sure who gave it to Sam Rubin. This was not a good decision. We owe you an apology as well.
Mester did not reply on Friday.
When long-time TV reporters and anchors retire or leave their jobs, they often receive on-air sendoffs.
When a on-air personality leaves for a competing network or station, the separation is immediate with little or no mention of the former employer.
She could not be reached for comment on Friday, and KTLA did not say if she had another job.
TV news contracts often prevent a reporter or anchor from working at a rival station for a set period of time.
Mester said thatdignity and grace were the keys to success after thanking her.
Mester said on air that they would say bye to you today. The station should have offered dignity and grace from the beginning.
Mester told viewers that there was a message flying over the station at that moment. He posted a video of a prop plane pulling a banner on his social media.
The article was first published on NBC News.
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