The discovery of an unexploded aerial bomb from World War II in Cologne forced the evacuation of broadcaster RTL's headquarters on Wednesday, but programming continued without disruption.
Discovery of unexploded bombs is common in Cologne and other German cities, which were heavily bombed by Allied air forces during the war. Specially trained crews are dispatched to defuse or safely detonate the bombs.
An RTL spokeswoman said the network continued broadcasting its full programme from outside the evacuation zone, and that RTL's studio in Berlin temporarily took over direction.
Presenter Roberta Bieling opened her lunchtime programme by cautioning viewers that it could be "a somewhat turbulent show" because of the bomb's discovery.
She continued presenting the programme outdoors from a nearby park after the studios and offices were evacuated.
The American 10-ton bomb was found in the morning during dredging work in the Rhine River. According to the city of Cologne, it was placed on a pontoon for defusing and then transported to a port.
The city announced on Wednesday afternoon that the operation had been successful, but called it "challenging and unusual."
In addition to RTL, other companies such as the HDI insurance group and the headquarters of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are also located within the 500-metre evacuation radius.
According to the city, shipping and rail traffic over the Hohenzollern Bridge across the Rhine will have to be suspended during the defusing work.
This is not the first time RTL's programming has been interrupted by the discovery of an unexploded bomb. A similar incident also occurred during the same midday news programme in 2020.
