ToldJa!!

Three days ago, FTVLive FIRST told you that KTLA had poached Melvin Robert from KTTV who is the Anchor of Good Day LA from 6-9 AM. Robert was also working as an LA correspondent for the show Extra. 

Robert is being hired as the replacement for Entertainment Reporter Sam Rubin passed away suddenly late last year.

We told you that the station would be making the announcement soon, and yesterday this email went out to the staff.

From: Erica Hill-Rodriguez
Date: 2/18/25 9:09 AM
To: KTLA Everyone
Subject: Newsroom announcement - exciting expansion of our team!

I am pleased to share with all of you some exciting announcements about the expansion of our morning news and our entertainment team. This announcement is just internal right now – I will have more to share in the coming weeks on plans for an on air and online announcement.

Please join me in welcoming Melvin Robert to the KTLA team. Or I should say, welcome Melvin back to KTLA as this is where he got his first start in Los Angeles right here on the KTLA Morning News! Melvin brings extensive experience in the entertainment and local news space. Most recently Melvin has been the senior correspondent and weekend co-host of EXTRA and anchor of Good Day LA. Prior to that he launched Your Morning on Spectrum News 1 SoCal as a member of their original anchor talent team. He has hosted multiple local and national Red-Carpet shows, conducted numerous one-on-one celebrity interviews and is well connected and respected in the entertainment and news industry. Melvin will bring us our daily entertainment and pop culture segments on the KTLA morning news, co-host our Red-Carpet specials, co-host various special productions and contribute to our community-oriented segments and specials throughout the year. I am excited to have Melvin’s experience on our team. Melvin’s first day on the air will be during the week of March 17th but he will be working with us behind the scenes beforehand to also get to know all of you!

Please also join me in congratulating Andy Riesmeyer who will be moving into a role on the KTLA Morning News to contribute buzzworthy and trending segments on air and on our digital and social channels. Andy is an innovator who brings an infectious energy and a light and levity to everything he does. He has done a remarkable job with our morning news team, and I’m thrilled to have him in this new role that furthers our commitment to reaching an evolving audience.

I’d like to also take a moment to express my tremendous gratitude to Dayna Devon whose contributions to our entertainment coverage and Red Carpets while also hosting LA Unscripted over these last several months have been nothing short of remarkable. Dayna will continue host LAU, join us too on the KTLA morning news and our Red-Carpet Specials throughout the year. I’m so grateful to Dayna for pulling double duty commitments for us and I’m looking forward to working with her as we grow and support LAU alongside the great talents of Jasmine Simpkins and Olivia de Bortoli who will also continue to contribute to our entertainment team.

Doug Kolk will continue his excellent work at anchoring our weekend entertainment segments, leading our evening entertainment coverage three days a week, and continuing to co-host our Red-Carpet specials throughout the year. I’m so grateful to Doug, his contributions and his positivity.

My thanks also go to Jeremy Parsons who has been a tremendous contributor and will continue to help our entertainment coverage when he is able to be here in LA. I have so appreciated Jeremy making the trek from Nashville to Los Angeles over these past few months to help us through this transition. His experience, knowledge, wit and presence have been amazing, and we will continue to keep bringing Jeremy back to KTLA!

Scott Mantz will continue to be our “movie guy.” He will be involved in some opportunities as we move forward on ways to leverage his deep industry connections. I have so appreciated Scott and his insight and experience during big entertainment coverage days.

With the tremendous leadership of Grace Mendoza, Marcus Smith, Kimberly Cornell, Claudine Sarmiento and Sarah Maugaotega PLUS the skills of all of our incredible entertainment and news producers, writers and contributors, we have a formidable team to continue our entertainment coverage and morning news dominance, and I’m thrilled to be announcing these opportunities for the KTLA team!

Erica Hill-Rodriguez
Director of News and Content