Roberts escaped the Grim Reaper that claimed more than 1,800 jobs nationwide, including a reported 42 to 50 in Houston, at Clear Channel radio stations and other company divisions. He remains as the morning drive co-host with Brad Davies of The Men’s Room on KBME (790 AM), but the two will soldier on without their sidekick Maggie, whose job was eliminated.

Roberts also will return to nightly television duties Monday when his weekly show Sports Off Center expands to weeknights at 10 p.m. on KTBU (Channel 55). Mike Vance, Stacie Lynn and Dave Knobler remain as his primary counterparts in the humor-based look at sports and other topics.

“We think people will enjoy the show,” said Channel 55 station manager Matt Reiff. “We’re kind of riffing off Soup on E and The Daily Show. If at 10 p.m. you’re bored with what’s going on in the world and don’t want to watch car wrecks and hear about the economy, you can come to us for a little levity.”

Roberts said the cast will do the show live to tape, working four days in the Channel 55 studio and one day at a remote site.

Reiff announced plans several months ago to expand Sports Off Center to weeknights, but production was delayed while the station moved into its new digs off the West Sam Houston Tollway in the building formerly occupied by the short-lived Channel 24 all-news station.