Latina WLRN news anchor quits in solidarity with ousted ‘Sundial’ employees
WLRN afternoon news anchor Catalina Garcia quit her job Wednesday in solidarity with the firing of the team behind the public radio station’s “Sundial” show, she told the Miami Herald.
“I felt very disappointed, very disillusioned with the way management has handled the whole situation,” said Garcia, 55. “As a Latina, I felt that I needed to stand in solidarity with Carlos and the whole ‘Sundial’ team because I know the truth.”
Just minutes before her scheduled broadcast, WLRN’s management called for a newsroom staff meeting to discuss the federal discrimination charge that former “Sundial” host Carlos Frias filed against the radio station on Tuesday.
After hearing what she considered lies, she quit on the spot — ending her seven-year employment with the station. Garcia is an afternoon news anchor for WLRN.
“You have to stand up for what you believe in,” Garcia said.
WLRN CEO John LaBonia did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment Wednesday.
In his filing Tuesday, Frias detailed that two weeks after he reported anti-Latino discrimination to Human Resources, he and two colleagues who run “Sundial” were let go and the show was canceled.
He also alleged Caitie Muñoz, WLRN’s director of daily news, said the show was “sounding very Latino” and created a list of Latino or Hispanic guests.
READ MORE: Award-winning journalist accuses WLRN of discrimination — claiming anti-Hispanic bias
‘Stand up for what you believe in’
During Wednesday’s meeting, Garcia said executives dismissed Frias’ claims and justified their actions.
She went on to tell the executives that she understood the firing situation revolved around the show having too much of Latino bent. However, Garcia said the management team swiftly rebuffed that claim, contending no one said that.
That was the last straw for Garcia.
A month prior, Garcia spoke to a member of management about concerns that the “Sundial” programming was “too Latino,” she said. The claim was not refuted or argued at the time.
While Garcia has not had any of her work be perceived as overly Hispanic during her time at the station, she has heard similar sentiments from coworkers.
“What I heard from management was not the truth,” she said. “So I told them, ‘You know what? I’m working for WLRN because I respect the station and the work that it did, but I’ve lost respect for [it]. I can’t work for an organization that I don’t respect. So consider this my resignation.’”
Garcia added that the only response she received from management during the meeting — and since then — was from Muñoz, who spoke two words:
“Thanks, Cat.”
Update: A previous version of this story had an incorrect job title for Catalina Garcia. Before resigning, she was WLRN’s afternoon news anchor.
This story was originally published February 7, 2024 at 11:31 PM.
CORRECTION: The original story incorrectly reported Catalina Garcia’s job position as an anchor for NPR’s “All Things Considered”.
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