KTLA Called Out for Lack on Latinos on the Newscast

The mess that is KTLA continues to be in a need of a massive cleanup.

When Lynette Romero left the station to cross over to KNBC, it left KTLA without a full-time Latina anchor to serve a market in which Latinos make up nearly 50% of the population.

The LA Times writes that a recent survey by a Latino journalists group showed KTLA has the lowest percentage of Latino on-air talent among TV stations in Los Angeles. Last spring, leaders of CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California requested a meeting with KTLA executives to address the issue.

CCNMA Executive Director Mekahlo Medina, who conducted the study, told The Times that KTLA News Director Pete Saiers was initially open to a meeting. But when Medina pressed for a meeting date, Medina said he was told that KTLA managers were no longer interested.

“It was disappointing and confusing when KTLA chose not to have a conversation with us about diversity,” said Medina, a weekend anchor at KNBC. “We couldn’t make any headway with them.”

A KTLA spokesman declined to comment on the station’s refusal to meet with the group but defended their efforts to diversify the newsroom.

FTVLive has pointed out the lack of diversity at a number of Nexstar stations around the country.

“We are very comfortable with our diversity efforts but it is always something that we are working to improve,” KTLA and Nexstar spokesman Gary Weitman said.