Mirthala Salinas quits Telemundo after demotion.

Media: Telemundo pulled the we can't outright fire you but we will make you quit bit. Well played.

Los Angeles television newscaster Mirthala Salinas, whose affair with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa prompted her transfer to Riverside, failed to show up for her first day of work Monday after a two-month suspension. A few hours later, Salinas' employer, the Spanish-language Telemundo network, announced that she would not be returning. Telemundo's KVEA-TV Channel 52 and Salinas "have mutually agreed to end our employment relationship," the network said in a statement. We are not in a position to make any further comment on our discussions with Ms. Salinas surrounding her departure," added Telemundo, which is part of media giant NBC Universal. Telemundo officials had suspended Salinas for covering Villaraigosa while the two were romantically involved and media experts across the nation accused Salinas of having a conflict of interest. Station executives had expected Salinas to report for duty at KVEA's Inland Empire bureau Monday morning. KVEA dispatched its communications directorto the Riverside office to handle an expected onslaught of news crews covering her return.