WJZ Fires Longtime Anchor Mary Bubala Following Controversial On-Air Comments

WJZ-TV on Tuesday confirmed they have parted ways with longtime anchor Mary Bubala following a controversial question to an on-air analyst.

"Mary Bubala is no longer a WJZ-TV employee," vice president and general manager Audra Swain said in an email. "The station apologizes to its viewers for her remarks."

Following Mayor Catherine Pugh's resignation last week, Bubala asked Loyola professor Karsonya Wise Whitehead about the city's future in a question some took as racist.

"We have had three African American female mayors in a row," Bubala said. "They were all passionate public servants. Two resigned, though. Isn't it a signal that a different kind of leadership is needed to move Baltimore City forward?"

Soooooo this happened following the resignation of #Baltimore Mayor #CatherinePugh. URGH!????‍??????‍??????‍??????‍?? I'm not even sure I want to hear the excuse for this. I'm cringing and cursing??. (Reposting ??video from @AndreShowell) pic.twitter.com/DPZfdnedFP — Nicki Mayo (@nickimayonews) May 3, 2019

The Baltimore Association of Black Journalists took issue with Bubala's question.

"This question implies race and gender are qualifiers in one's ability to lead while also demonizing African Americans and women as poor leaders," the organization said in a statement Monday. "We feel certain Bubala would not have asked this same question of white male leadership."

The statement called for either her or WJZ to acknowledge her mistake on air, and said the implicit bias in her interview should be "addressed company-wide" at the station.

Bubala apologized on Twitter the day after the on-air incident. In a statement on Facebook, Bubala confirmed she had been fired and apologized again for the language she used. She said WJZ did not allow her to apologize on air.

A sincere apology pic.twitter.com/gV4dz7CFkd — Mary Bubala (@MaryWJZ) May 3, 2019

"Unfortunately, I now stand in the path of the tornado," Bubala said. "Baltimore City has been my home for 25 years and I treasure and am so grateful for the relationships I have made with the people of Baltimore during this time. I fully intend to fight to restore my reputation because I’ve invested my heart and soul in my work and my city. Thank you Baltimore for all of your support during this difficult period of time. It means so much to me."

Former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Pugh's predecessor, said on Twitter that the CBS-owned station did the right thing.

"Her statement was problematic on many levels and revealed a profound ignorance," Rawlings-Blake said.

Bubala came to Baltimore in 1997 as an anchor and reporter for WMAR-TV, leaving that station in 2001 and joining WJZ in 2003. She was nominated for two regional Emmy awards in 2016, and was awarded one for outstanding anchor.