A reporter for Sacramento’s KMAX-TV has been fired following a segment at a local auto show that drew condemnation from classic car enthusiasts.
Angel Cardenas was seen posing on top of a classic car and almost damaging another during a segment on the KMAX (Channel 31) morning show “Good Day Sacramento.”
The station has removed the segment in question from its website, but numerous social media posts captured the moment Cardenas posed on top of a yellow Ford Thunderbird and tapped a second Thunderbird with the door of another.
“Nobody’s looking,” Cardenas said. “Hold on, zoom in. It’s not dented, is it? There’s no paint?”
At the start of the 8 a.m. segment, Cardenas said he felt liberated because the media coordinator who was supposed to conduct interviews at the auto show didn’t start for another two hours. Later, Cardenas jumped on top of a newer Ford SUV hybrid after a company representative said she would “look the other way.”
The SUV made an audible noise when Cardenas jumped on the hood.
“That didn’t sound good,” Cardenas reacted.
“I would get off that now,” co-anchor Tina Macuha said off-camera.
“Oh, no, he told me to get off…I’m going to get in trouble!” Cardenas replied while looking past the camera at an unknown individual.
Cardenas was more subdued during later segments from the auto show, including one on a breast cancer awareness campaign, according to a recording of that day’s show reviewed by The Desk. He was reassigned to cover a local haunted house later in the broadcast.
In a Facebook post, organizers for the Sacramento International Auto Show said they reached out to station management. After complaining, they were told Cardenas was terminated by the station, the post said.
KMAX declined to comment when approached by the Sacramento Bee newspaper on Tuesday. The segment was initially posted on the station’s website but was eventually taken down after a critical commentary piece was published on the automotive blog Tire Meets Road.
“It doesn’t take a news reporter or even someone with the slightest set of manners to know that you should respect someone’s property,” Tire Meets Road contributor Paulo Acoba wrote.
Cardenas worked as a general assignment reporter for KMAX and sister-station KOVR (Channel 13) since 2012. He was previously seen in the Sacramento area on ABC station KXTV (Channel 10) where he worked as a multi-media journalist from September 2000 to December 2011.
KMAX and KOVR are owned by CBS Television Stations, a division of CBS Corporation. KXTV is owned by TEGNA.
Watch the full Good Day segment below:
https://www.facebook.com/MatthewKeys/videos/388178735470970/
