Linda Alvarez Jumps Ship at KNBC : Television: The veteran anchor will join the KCBS Channel 2 news team in December.

Veteran KNBC-TV Channel 4 news anchor Linda Alvarez is leaving the station to join rival KCBS-TV Channel 2.

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Alvarez is slated to anchor the daily 7 a.m. newscast and to co-anchor the noon newscast with Tritia Toyota, KCBS General Manager Bill Applegate said Wednesday.

She will continue to co-anchor the 4 p.m. news at KNBC until Nov. 30, then will go to work at KCBS in December.

Current KCBS morning anchor Terry Anzur and noon co-anchor Chris Conangla will continue at the station as reporters when Alvarez arrives, Applegate said.

Alvarez has been at KNBC for eight years. Before that she worked in Phoenix.

KNBC “fiddled around” in its contract negotiations with Alvarez, Applegate said, and allowed her contract to lapse. “How could they do that with someone who has been the preeminent Latino anchor in Los Angeles for all these years?” he said.

Alvarez could not be reached for comment.

KNBC President and General Manager Reed Manville said in a statement: “We were unable to reach a mutually agreeable contract with Linda Alvarez, and we wish her the best of success. She will be missed.”