Why did Local 10 anchor Neki Mohan just quit after 16 years? She had some strong words
Neki Mohan is starting a new chapter by closing an old one.
The veteran anchor-reporter abruptly stepped down on Sunday after 16 years at WPLG-Local 10.
The station has scrubbed her from its website. She is now “Page Not Found.”
Mohan provided few details during her on-air resignation, but later on, during an Instagram video, she gave an explanation. A frank one. Usually TV personalities are tight-lipped on their departures and futures. Not this time.
The New York-born, Trinidad-raised journalist sits at her kitchen table and talks to the camera.
“Who leaves their job in the middle of a pandemic?
“Well, someone who realizes it’s time to go in another direction. A direction where they would find growth.”
The journalist explains that after working weekends for 16 years, she was never considered for a promotion.
Mohan also referenced her late co-anchor of 10 years, Todd Tongen, though not by name. The beloved WPLG reporter took his life last summer. Tongen and Mohan were close on and off set and she said his death inspired her to re-evaluate the bigger picture.
The University of Maryland alum who started out at ABC assisting news legends like Ted Koppel and Peter Jennings also touched on the challenges of the TV industry.
“When you get into this business you know, especially as a woman, you’re going to be come old or irrelevant,” she said, adding she was “knocking on 50’s door.”
Mohan took a dig at her station, saying that she had enjoyed mentoring younger people in the newsroom, only to see them get promoted while she stayed in the same position and was offered no growth.
The good news: Mohan has launched a consulting business and podcast called Starting Point. Stay in touch with her on social media, where she will post updates.
“While we don’t comment on personnel matters, we can proudly say our diversity speaks for itself,” said WPLG President and CEO Bert Medina in a statement to the Miami Herald. “We were sorry to see Neki resign but we wish her the best and thank her for the years of service as a valuable member of the team.”
In an internal email shared with the Miami Herald, Medina defends the station’s hiring decisions, saying, “A former employee who chose to resign has the audacity to claim our station doesn’t treat everyone equally. I am very proud of the diversity both on and off the air. [We] have a mission to serve this community and that is exactly where our concentration will remain.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 12:42 PM.
