Why Elizabeth Alex is still at KSHB

This summer KSHB-TV announced that Christa Dubill would replace Elizabeth Alex as the main female anchor on “NBC Action News.” Alex was eager to move on, having a young daughter Maggie at home and a desire to use her communication skills on behalf of the Olathe-based charity KidsTLC.

Well, Dubill made the move to evenings, Alex joined KidsTLC full time ... so why is she still anchoring the 6 o’clock news?

In a word, it’s working — both for Alex and KSHB.

Mike Vrabac, the general manager for KSHB and KMCI, explained that while looking for Alex’s replacement, he and news director Peggy Phillip had decided to launch a 4:30 newscast. The move is related to KSHB’s decision not to re-up the “Wheel of Fortune” contract next year. Dubill was asked to be the anchor of the 4:30.

But this, of course, meant that Dubill would be on air for four newscasts between 4:30 and 10 p.m. So, Vrabac said, he pitched Alex on the idea of sticking around a while to hold down the fort at 6.

And?

With a few more days left in the November ratings period, KSHB is well ahead of its numbers a year ago at 5 p.m. with Dubill and Mark Clegg co-anchoring. They’re averaging a 10.3 rating compared with 9.6 in 2010. But Alex is up at 6 p.m. too, and at a time when the NBC network to which KSHB is tethered, like a millstone, has not yet found bottom, to be up in two key time periods is huge.

Vrabac said this week that “in the next 30 days” he and Alex will meet to decide if the process is still working for both of them, and if so, she’ll continue into 2012.

“I have really enjoyed staying tied to news in a smaller way,” Alex said this week in an email.

But how’s it working personally for Alex? She told me earlier this year she needed to be home at 7 p.m. to be with her daughter Maggie.

“I am home by 7, just about the time homework is done,” said Alex. “So I have some meaningful time with Maggie in the evenings. I might add she has become quite a volunteer and advocate for KidsTLC.”