Join us at KTLA 5 in welcoming the newest member of our family, Melvin Robert.
A true Angeleno, Melvin was born and raised in Inglewood. His family moved to the area in the 1960s and were one of the first Black families on their block.
“My parents still live here in Inglewood, in the same house that I grew up in, seven blocks from the Forum, and so we would walk to concerts. We would walk to Lakers games. Even still, I’ll park at my mom and dad’s house, and my dad loves the Rams, and we’ll walk to SoFi stadium.”
His family owned a grocery store in town, F & M Market. It was first run by his grandfather and Melvin’s father took over after he passed. The family had the business for 25 years.
Growing up he ran track and played soccer. While he was quite athletic, his heart was in singing and dancing.
“When I was a little kid, I used to sing and dance so much that my dad would say, ‘Melvin, boy, do you always hear music?’ And my little brother would say, ‘He always hears music.’ I do always hear music. Sometimes when I’m walking down the street, I’ve got songs in my head, and I’m moving and grooving to the beat.”
While a student at Loyola High School he discovered his passion for theater. To this day, one of his biggest dreams is to perform on Broadway.
“I’ve been close before, but it wasn’t the right time,” he explained.
Coming from a long line of educators, Melvin embarked on a career in education after college.
“My mom was a teacher for 40 years, and my grandmother, Vera, also was a teacher,” he explained. “I had this extraordinary career for almost 12 years. One of the most formative chapters in my journey as an educator was the time that I spent at Loyola High School.”
While he met many people as an educator, one person made a major impact- his friend and colleague at the time, Trinity.
“She is probably one of the most influential people in my life,” he gushed. “During that time in my life, as much as I loved being an educator, I had these big dreams of being an actor and a singer and a dancer and pursuing a career in TV. At times I didn’t think I was good enough, and she would always encourage me. She’s a huge part of why I’ve gotten to the places in my life that I’ve gotten to.”
“I knew in his heart of hearts, that he had a bigger dream to follow, and he would encourage his students with this quote about becoming intimate with fear,” Trinity explained.
That quote was: Courageous people are intimate with fear. Go to the place that scares you the most. Your power is waiting for you there.”
One day when Melvin gave that advice to a student, Trinity asked him when he was going to take his own advice.
“In that moment, I thought to myself, ‘Dang, she’s right,'” Melvin confessed. “One of the things that started consistently coming up was I want to uplift people. I want to inspire people. I want to share my story in the same way that I watched TV and saw other openly gay men and women. I want to be that for someone too.”
With just an iPad and a microphone purchased from Sammy’s Camera, Melvin went after his dreams. He didn’t have a manager or an agent, but that didn’t stop him.
Melvin would shoot his own stories and after about four years he landed his first on-air job at a digital online news company. From there he worked on the KTLA 5 Morning News as a culture and lifestyle contributor.
In 2018 he joined Spectrum News 1 as a member of their original talent team and helped launch the network. His journey led him to the anchor seat for Good Day LA at the Fox-owned KTTV and and as a co-host for EXTRA.
“There were so many people who told me that I was too old or that it was too late, and questioned why at the age of 30, I would want to go down this path. And I just kept going,” he said. “I had this mantra I would say to myself: ‘I am, I will, I am, I will, I am, I will’ and if anybody would have told me I would have this opportunity. I wouldn’t have believed it.”
Then in 2025, it was announced he was returning to KTLA 5 as an anchor for the station’s entertainment team.
“KTLA 5 Morning News is the morning show in LA. It is iconic. I grew up watching it as a kid,” he revealed. “I interned at KTLA when I was 16. I worked in the sales department, and I remember sneaking down and I would see Gayle Anderson and I would see Sam Rubin. I would see all these powerhouse anchors who were redefining morning television.”
Melvin called the move to KTLA an “extraordinary gift” and a “privilege.” Most importantly, it’s an honor for him to continue the legacy of the morning newscast, especially Sam Rubin’s.
“Sam really wrote the playbook for what entertainment news on TV looks like. It’s a privilege to carry this torch, to carry his torch, and to continue his legacy.”
Watch Melvin Monday through Friday on the KTLA 5 Morning News from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
