Since I can't possibly add on to all the excellent elaborations by nitpicker330 and hongkongfooey, etc. I shall keep my opinions plain and simple.
Point No. 1
You can train any average bloke to be a PIC in no time on any modern jet nowadays on routine ops. Just need good discipline, strong memory retention and a good tad of common sense and you'll be there.
Point No. 2
NOTHING can substitute EXPERIENCE. PERIOD.
Bottom line, it depends on how far an airline is willing to go prior to tossing the 4bars onto anyone. I guess in this case, KFA has weighed all options and preferred the publicity stunt. If point no. 2 is NOT true, do you ever believe that the bean counters in the vast majority of Asian carriers will actually not do the same?
Best of luck to the youngest ATR skipper, as someone has put it rightly, she might just need it some day.