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LOIBNER DEPARTS KSHB-TV 41 AFTER FEW MONTHS

    Breaking News: Michelle Loibner, who joined KSHB-TV41 less than a year ago as the station's weekend sports anchor/reporter, is departing the station in the near future.  She came to the local NBC affiliate after about a six-month gig at WZTV in Nashville.

Michelle Loibner is leaving sports staff at Channel 41

JEFFREY FLANAGAN

The Kansas City Star

Less than a year after taking over for Lisa Holbrook as a sports reporter at Channel 41, Michelle Loibner is heading back south.

Loibner gave the station her notice last Friday — she will work through the end of June — and the station posted her resignation this week.

News of Loibner’s leaving quickly spread to media Web sites earlier this week, including www.bottomlinecom.com , and predictably rumors began flying in chat rooms about the reasons for her departure.

“There’s been some crazy stuff out there,” Loibner said, “like I’ve just been looking for athletes to date. That’s just insulting.”

The truth? Loibner is returning to Florida — she’s a Florida State alum — to join her fiancé, Ron, who has a job in south Florida.

“I want to emphasize fiancé, not just boyfriend,” she said. “I’ve been walking around with a 2-karat ring since I’ve been here, so where people came up with the idea I’ve been looking for someone to date….”

Loibner, who came to Kansas City after being the weekend sports anchorwoman at WZTV in Nashville, also said there were some concerns about her contract with Channel 41 — as in she didn’t have one.

“When I got here there was talk about a one-year contract,” Loibner said. “But as time went on, no one ever brought up the contract anymore. Then January and February came, and there still wasn’t anything signed, and, well, you start to wonder. I guess it just made the timing a little easier to leave. But I wanted to give the station plenty of time to find my replacement, so that’s why I’m staying until the end of June.”

And what might be Loibner’s favorite memory of Kansas City?

“I really enjoyed covering the student athletes in high school,” she said. “That’s really where all the good things about sports start. I’ll miss that.”

Loibner isn’t sure she’ll return to full-time sports anchorwoman work in Florida.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to dive into that again,” she said. “I want to stay in the business, so my agent is looking for some part-time, freelance things for me.”