A Los Angeles news anchor was fired after going rogue during a broadcast to criticize the way his station handled the departure of a colleague, according to a report. KTLA’s Mark Mester was initially suspended before being permanently dropped after his off-script message of support for his former co-anchor Lynette Romero, who wasn’t offered the opportunity to say goodbye to viewers on air, employees at the station said. Producers had written a script for Mester to read about Romero’s departure, but Mester apparently made the unilateral decision to do things his own way. “I want to start off right now by offering up an apology to you,” Mester told viewers Saturday. “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.” Mester also said he’d arranged for a plane to fly over the station with a banner saying “We love you Lynette.”
