KTLA Channel 5 will launch a weekend edition of its weekday morning news starting April 9.

The Saturday and Sunday versions of the news will be anchored by Chris Burrous and Mary Beth McDade. The newscasts will air 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Saturdays and 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Sundays.

Burrous most recently co-anchored "PIX Morning News," the morning newscast for KTLA's sister station WPIX in New York City. McDade has been a reporter at KTLA since 2009, preceded by stints at KCAL/KCBS and Fox 11 KTTV.

[Updated at 1:50 p.m.] An earlier version of this story said the newscasts would launch tomorrow.

— Greg Braxton

KTLA-TV Channel 5 weatherman Mark Kriski, who has been out since November after being stricken with pneumonia and a hospital-borne bacterial infection, is on the mend and is planning to return to the station on Monday.

"I'm doing great, but what a ride it's been," Kriski said Friday during a phone interview from his home. "I''m down a few pounds, and I will have to put on a little weight. But my energy is back and my color is back."

The 20-year veteran, who appears on the "KTLA Morning News," was hospitalized in early November with pneumonia. He later contracted vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE), a "super bug" he caught at the hospital, which was resistent to medication and antibiotics. His lungs became so full of fluid they collapsed, and his heart was also in jeopardy.

"The fluid just exploded, and I  had to be placed in the intensive care unit," said Kriski. "I was on the operating table and had to drain all this fluid."

He said he also had to be intubated for almost two weeks and sedated when doctors feared he might get infected. He had to undergo a second operation to remove more fluid.

"It was like a domino effect," said Jennifer Gould, a reporter at KTLA who is Kriski's girlfriend. "His body was like a war zone."

Kriski called his illness "a life and death experience that has given me a new perspective: On one hand, this was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. On the other hand, it is the best thing that has ever happened. You really do start to appreciate the little things in life."

His return to the station will be gradual: Kriski said he will work on the 7 to 10 a.m. edition of the morning news for two or three days a week  while he gains strength.

Don Corsini, president and general manager of KTLA, said, "We are pleased that Mark's health and strength is improving daily, and we all look forward to his return."

[Corrected at 3:15 p.m.: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated that Kriski had been incubated for four days, rather than intubated.]

[Corrected at 3:34 p.m : A previous version of this post incorrected stated that Kriski was intubated for four days, instead of two weeks.}

--Greg Braxton

KTLA News reporter Lu Parker, who is best known for being the girlfriend of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, announced on Monday that she is going from covering breaking news to working as a "special feature correspondent" at the Los Angeles station.

Parker, who has been at KTLA-TV Channel 5 for six years, said in a statement that the job change is by mutual agreement, and that she will focus on stories of interest to her while also getting "more freedom to pursue additional projects."

Said Parker: "I am excited at this juncture of my career and am grateful to KTLA for supporting my wishes to evolve in new areas."

Those areas include stories "that inspire and represent residents in Los Angeles" while pursuing several upcoming TV projects and continuing her animal advocacy work through her organization, the Lu Parker Project.

-- Greg Braxton

Photo: Lu Parker. Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

There's something about talk show host Jerry Springer that brings out the worst in his guests. Fights are always breaking out around him. And he couldn't be more pleased.

Springer is celebrating a milestone Wednesday, marking the 20th anniversary of "The Jerry Springer Show," the syndicated talk fest featuring outrageous topics such as mistresses battle wives and threesomes with Grandma. Read the feature on Springer here.

Springer is also being recognized as one of the pioneers of reality television, the genre that has sparked the confrontational "Jersey Shore" and "The Real Housewives" franchises.

Here are some video highlights -- and lowlights -- from Springer's greatest hits:



-- Greg Braxton

 

CBS 2 will join the early-morning news race Tuesday when it adds a newscast at 4:30, station officials announced Friday.

The newscast, which will be anchored by Kent Shocknek and Lisa Sigell, will replace the CBS Morning News.

With the addition of the news broadcast, the pre-dawn local news race will become even more competitive. KNBC, KTLA, KABC and Fox News 11 all have newscasts starting at at 4:30 a.m., hoping to attract early-morning commuters and students.

— Greg  Braxton

KTLA Channel 5 weekend anchor Jason Martinez has resigned from the station, executives said Monday.

No official explanation was given for the departure of Martinez, who resigned "abruptly" last Tuesday, said News Director Jason Ball. Martinez was assigned to the weekend spot in August after anchoring the station's weekday 10 p.m. newscast. 

A replacement for Martinez has not been named.

— Greg Braxton