KTLA 5 News Thread

[Encore 323 79]

11 hours ago, bogusabc7breakingnews said:

According to a Facebook post from KTLA Meteorologist Vera Jimenez an hour ago, Olga Ospina has rejoined KTLA 

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1415089819971768&set=a.345987200215374&type=3&mibextid=wwXIfr

Well that is a full circle moment indeed, after stints at FOX 11 and the CBS LA duopoly but now the question is when and what shift will she be doing weather on? My best guess is the daytime shift that covers the 11am, Noon, 1pm, 3pm, and 4pm newscasts. Kacey Montoya and Kaj Goldberg rotate during the week in those hours, have a big following and have been there long enough now to be on during the week so that will be tricky to figure out. CBS LA’s loss is KTLA’s gain yet again. They have been poaching talent from CBS LA since Don Corsini and Jason Ball were running the station, and it is still common practice today.

Edited December 8, 2025 by Encore 323

[Encore 323 79]

I just saw Olga doing the weather on the 4pm news today, so I guess she most likely started doing the 11am-5pm shift on Monday and I didn’t get a chance to catch her then.

On a different note, KTLA has now started using an AI-voiceover for many station promos instead of Jim Cutler, who has voiced the station for years. Sister station KTVX in Salt Lake City has also followed this route. Nexstar’s greed is very real and there is nothing that can be done about it.

Edited December 13, 2025 by Encore 323

[Geoffrey 958]

On 12/12/2025 at 8:14 PM, Encore 323 said:

On a different note, KTLA has now started using an AI-voiceover for many station promos instead of Jim Cutler, who has voiced the station for years. Sister station KTVX in Salt Lake City has also followed this route. Nexstar’s greed is very real and there is nothing that can be done about it.

 

How do you know it's AI? Can you just tell from the sound of it or has there been some announcement or reporting?

[nathannah 2792]

1 hour ago, Geoffrey said:

 

How do you know it's AI? Can you just tell from the sound of it or has there been some announcement or reporting?

There's no variation in the voice and an improper read of tone (either too excited or as flat as a Sunrise Semester professor) unless you really prompt the thing to death; ABC did the same thing with their Rob Reiner special promo yesterday, which was very noticable as that voice had no care or emotion within it, like it was reading a roofing ad rather than a program with both a sympathetic and questioning tone. 

 

Here's the KTVX example.

 

 

[Encore 323 79]

2 hours ago, Geoffrey said:

 

How do you know it's AI? Can you just tell from the sound of it or has there been some announcement or reporting?

I am not saying that KTLA got rid of Cutler because he is still heard in a handful of station promos and commercials but in the daily morning news promos, I can tell that it is AI because the voice sounds stiff/robotic and not natural like a human.

[24994J 5888]

AI voiceovers are rolling out across (most) Nexstar stations, period. Old stuff will remain until phased out.

[ABC 7 Denver 1889]

8 hours ago, nathannah said:

There's no variation in the voice and an improper read of tone (either too excited or as flat as a Sunrise Semester professor) unless you really prompt the thing to death; ABC did the same thing with their Rob Reiner special promo yesterday, which was very noticable as that voice had no care or emotion within it, like it was reading a roofing ad rather than a program with both a sympathetic and questioning tone. 

 

Here's the KTVX example.

 

 

 

I can't put my finger on it, but I don't think this is AI. I've heard this voice elsewhere. I can't place it.

[Encore 323 79]

 

We rarely see ratings numbers in the LA market because of the changing times but these Nielsen ratings figures show that KTLA was/is #1 at 10 and 11pm from Monday to Sunday in the A25-54 demo during the November 2025 Sweeps not long ago. Despite some rough years, KTLA has historically been the top dog at 10pm over KTTV and KCAL, despite the latter *also* being #1 in some figures and trading that top spot back and forth with LA’s Very Own. None of this is surprising, but it shows that consistency  and substance is key, especially in late nights, where the viewership is already fragmented.

[24994J 5888]

Who's the sports guy in that 4-shot?

[Encore 323 79]

31 minutes ago, 24994J said:

Who's the sports guy in that 4-shot?

That is David Pingalore, who is going to be celebrating a decade with KTLA later this year.

[FiveNews 481]

Ping, as he is known, is good. I like him. KTLA hasn't made an official sports anchor annoucement since Derrin Horton left. They rotate between Ping, Steve Hartman and others including midday co-anchor Glen Walker who did sports at WNBC.

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

1 hour ago, FiveNews said:

Ping, as he is known, is good. I like him. KTLA hasn't made an official sports anchor annoucement since Derrin Horton left. They rotate between Ping, Steve Hartman and others including midday co-anchor Glen Walker who did sports at WNBC.

 

Me too! I've watched him since his WKMG days.

[MD TV 389]

Meteorologist Liana Brackett, who has worked for the Weather Channel and KTTV,  has joined the station

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTmJoK7jQvW/?hl=en

[FiveNews 481]

Good hire, even though she is freelance. She was smooth and well-liked at KTTV. KTLAs current ND is KTTVs former ND. I wonder what their strategy for weather is down the road. KTLA has picked up Liana and Olga Ospina recently, both who are popular in the market. This is in addition to their long term weathercasters of Mark Kriski, Henry DiCarlo, Vera Jimenez and Kai Goldberg.

[PhotogNews 8]

Just saw this on Reddit (under r/broadcasting, a topic about WGN layoff) anyone can confirm?

 

 

[24994J 5888]

2 hours ago, PhotogNews said:

Just saw this on Reddit (under r/broadcasting, a topic about WGN layoff) anyone can confirm?

 

 

A Nexstar source of ours can confirm Mark Kriski, Glen Walker, and Lu Parker are indeed gone. We don't have any reporter names, at this time, but don't doubt that there are others.

[MediaCriticLA 22]

The firing of Kriski could result in some Lynette Romero-level fan backlash for KTLA.

[MorningNews 1711]

59 minutes ago, 24994J said:

 

A Nexstar source of ours can confirm Mark Kriski, Glen Walker, and Lu Parker are indeed gone. We don't have any reporter names, at this time, but don't doubt that there are others.

This is crazy. Wow. No send off for Kriski after decades?

 

KTLA’s cuts make slightly more sense than WGN’s considering KTLA has something like 20 hours of news everyday. Easy to see who/why they cut where they did. Still it’s brutal.

[FiveNews 481]

I'm sick. I have watched the KTLA Morning News since its inception....July 8, 1991. The only OG standing is Eric Spillman. KTLA has had poor management and leadership in the past, but this takes the cake. Someone said it on the WGN thread....F*CK NEXSTAR!!!

 

In any company, an employee is dispensable. This is flat out disrespectful that KTLA/Nexstar didn't allow Mark to say farewell. I get it--local management may have had their hands tied, but Mark overcame a stroke in the past few years and had other health issues about a decade ago.

Edited February 24 by FiveNews

[CraigViewer 107]

I do not know whether or not any these layoffs are effective immediately, because at the top of the 3pm newscast on KTLA today, anchor Lindsey Peña (who is co-anchoring with Lauren Lyster today) said, "Glen and Lu have the day off."

[Encore 323 79]

Oh, this is just f***ed up stuff that DEATHSTAR forced KTLA to do this week.

Kriski spent 35 years, Parker spent 20 years, and Walker spent 15 years respectively, so that’s 70 YEARS of experience combined that is now out the door.

I loved watching these three people on a regular basis and for them to just disappear suddenly, is just disturbing. This is also a reminder that no job is sure and that anything can happen at a moment’s notice. Hopefully other LA stations pick up some of the affected named and unnamed talent, if said talent choose to go that route.

 

Edited February 25 by Encore 323

[24994J 5888]

The hits keep coming. Our same source confirms that reporter/weathercaster Kacey Montoya & reporter Ellina Abovian were also among those let go.

[CraigViewer 107]

4 hours ago, Encore 323 said:

Oh, this is just f***ed up stuff that DEATHSTAR forced KTLA to do this week.

Kriski spent 35 years, Parker spent 20 years, and Walker spent 15 years respectively, so that’s 70 YEARS of experience combined that is now out the door.

I loved watching these three people on a regular basis and for them to just disappear suddenly, is just disturbing. This is also a reminder that no job is sure and that anything can happen at a moment’s notice. Hopefully other LA stations pick up some of the affected named and unnamed talent, if said talent choose to go that route.

 

It's a bloodbath.  We, the audience, essentially invite anchors and reporters to be guests in our homes on a daily basis.  Thus, it's heartbreaking and also jarring for many to observe that they are being treated like cogs on a wheel by a large corporation.

[Encore 323 79]

If Tribune had the money and resources to buy majority stake of the CW network before the pre-pandemic merger with Nexstar in September 2019, none of this stuff at KTLA would be happening right now. All of what was Tribune’s news producing CW stations would be safe for that matter.

[MediaZone4K 2662]

On 2/24/2026 at 5:19 PM, FiveNews said:

I'm sick. I have watched the KTLA Morning News since its inception....July 8, 1991. The only OG standing is Eric Spillman. KTLA has had poor management and leadership in the past, but this takes the cake. Someone said it on the WGN thread....F*CK NEXSTAR!!!

 

In any company, an employee is dispensable. This is flat out disrespectful that KTLA/Nexstar didn't allow Mark to say farewell. I get it--local management may have had their hands tied, but Mark overcame a stroke in the past few years and had other health issues about a decade ago.

21 hours ago, Encore 323 said:

Oh, this is just f***ed up stuff that DEATHSTAR forced KTLA to do this week.

Kriski spent 35 years, Parker spent 20 years, and Walker spent 15 years respectively, so that’s 70 YEARS of experience combined that is now out the door.

I loved watching these three people on a regular basis and for them to just disappear suddenly, is just disturbing. This is also a reminder that no job is sure and that anything can happen at a moment’s notice. Hopefully other LA stations pick up some of the affected named and unnamed talent, if said talent choose to go that route.

 

Im shocked at Mark's layoff. He was a staple on that show. I hope he gets to say goodbye. If they're afraid he'll go rogue and do some tirade, let him shoot a pre-recorded goodbye.

 

Is News Nation doing well financially? If not, Nexstar can cut from there instead.

 

Nexstar has one of the worst reputations in the industry, especially concerning pay. They often pay lower than Sinclair. 

 

Before stations used to cling to veteran talent, now they're fully willing to sacrifice them in favor of underpaid unknowns to save money. 

 

Mark aside, this is a warning shot to any high paid veteran talent who might be thinking of asking for more money, or being inflexible with demands. You are dispensable.