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Frank Turner, a former WXYZ-TV anchor, who presently works at a television news station based in mid-Michigan, said last Thursday that he was let go from his job after refusing to be in the same studio space with “unmasked with other colleagues,” The Detroit News reported.
In his Facebook post the long-time news anchor said that he was “unceremoniously” let go when WNEM-TV’s noon broadcast did not agree with his mask stance, according to the article. WNEM, located in Saginaw, also reports on news in Midland, Flint and Bay City.
“I guess they’d rather not have me at all than accommodate me on the mask in a pandemic,” Turner posted online.
WNEM remarked that they, in fact, did not fire Turner, according to the article. The station, along with the parent company Meredith, commented that employees are required to wear masks in common areas where they can’t socially distance and on-air talent is spaced six feet apart while inside the studio, according to the article. The station also will make taking the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory beginning this week.
“WNEM did not terminate Frank Turner,” the station said in a statement in the article. “WNEM has specific COVID-19 protocols in place developed in consultation with medical experts. We wish Mr. Turner the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
Turner said in the post he did not expect his noon broadcast would be his last time on air with the news station, and he added that he will miss viewers.
“It’s been great,” he wrote, The News reported. “And you all have been wonderful.”
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