Frank Turner Has Left the Building at WNEM-TV 5, Possibly Over Mask Feud

After five years as a news anchor for WNEM-TV 5 in Saginaw, Frank Turner says he was fired from the local television station. In a Facebook post from Thursday, Turner says he was terminated because of his stance on mask-wearing in the studio.

Turner implies that he was in favor of wearing a mask while in the studio at WNEM but that his opinion was not shared by his colleagues.

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WNEM Disagrees

Management at TV-5 claims that Turner was not let go. In a statement obtained by the media watchdog site FTVLive, the station says that employees are required to wear masks in common areas where social distancing is not possible. They go on to say that news talent in the studio are spaced six feet apart and do not need to wear masks.

"WNEM did not terminate Frank Turner," the station said in a statement. "WNEM has specific COVID-19 protocols in place developed in consultation with medical experts. We wish Mr. Turner the best of luck in his future endeavors."

So which is it? Turner claims that he was "unceremoniously let go" but WNEM says they "did not terminate Frank Turner."

This is a bit confusing.

Turner's 40-year career as a news anchor has included stops in Detroit, Nashville, and Chicago before joining WNEM in 2016. He left the broadcast business in 2006 and founded God's Amazing Grace Ministries.

Turner also authored the book 'Raised from the Dead' in which he documents his 25-year battle with drugs and alcohol. We shared more on Turner's storied past in this article from 2016.