CBS Albuquerque affiliate goes dark due to intruder

July 2, 2018

The CBS affiliate in Albuquerque, New Mexico, KRQE-TV, says it was forced off the air for roughly an hour-and-a-half Sunday night after an intruder entered its building.

Two of the station’s newscasts were affected before regular programming resumed.

A reporter/anchor at the station, Madeline Schmitt, told the story on Twitter:

From KRQE Management (1/2) “An unauthorized person entered our building Sunday night and police were called. Our broadcast operations had to cease while police searched the premises…”

— Madeline Schmitt (@madelinedenise) July 2, 2018

(2/2) “…A little more than an hour and a half later police gave us the all clear and we were able to continue our broadcast operations.”

— Madeline Schmitt (@madelinedenise) July 2, 2018

Everyone at KRQE is safe. We did not go on air tonight at 9 and 10 due to a situation that involved police. I will defer any further comment to my managers — but please know that we are all safe. Many thanks to the hard work of @ABQPOLICE!

— Madeline Schmitt (@madelinedenise) July 2, 2018

While events were still unfolding, a reporter for the NBC San Francisco Bay area station, Sergio Quintana, tweeted about them as well:

#BREAKING KRQE TV, the CBS affiliate in Albuquerque went to color bars. There are reports that an #intruder is in the building. It’s been evacuated. KOB TV, the NBC Station is across the street. It’s on lockdown. pic.twitter.com/mIqWNVfOdK

— Sergio Quintana (@svqjournalist) July 2, 2018