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KABC-TV airs from building's lawn after threat

Posted at 8:56 AM, Oct 01, 2015
and last updated 2015-10-01 11:56:09-04
Southern California TV station KABC-TV had to do its afternoon newscast from the building's front lawn after a bomb threat.
 
   
The station's anchors David Ono and Ellen Leyva stood on the grass using trucks to broadcast as though they were reporters in the field for Wednesday's 4 p.m. news.
"In 20 years, David, I've never had this before," Leyva said. "It's a highly unique situation," Ono replied.

Glendale police said they received a call from an anonymous man who said there were multiple bombs inside the building, though none was found.

The KABC newscast included shots of the empty newsroom from an unmanned camera.

The station's helicopter hovered overhead and showed the surreal scene of the makeshift newsroom on the grass.

With limited resources, the newscast focused mainly on the threat itself and included interviews with police and a dog-wrangling member of the bomb squad.

Still, the mood was largely light-hearted. Meteorologist Dallas Raines, whose slick hair and sunny personality have made him a local celebrity, wore sunglasses and used an iPad to show his five-day forecast.

"It's neat not to just forecast the weather, but to be in it," Raines said.

The station's sports and entertainment reporters also appeared on the lawn in their usual timeslots.

KABC's offices are also the home of West Coast operations for ABC national news. The building, along with several others in the area, is owned by Disney, though no others were evacuated.

After the bomb squad gave the all clear, the station's news staff could be seen pouring back into the building to pull together the rest of the evening's newscasts.