Denver Broncos fans in Durango were upset to find they could not tune into the first preseason game of 2017 against the Chicago Bears on Thursday evening.
KRQE Channel 13 based in Albuquerque broadcast the game but was having technical difficulties at the 6 p.m. kickoff.
“We are trying to figure out where the signal went because it was there until game time, and then disappeared,” said Bill Anderson, KRQE station manager. “It has been a very frustrating hour. We don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
Steve Kammerer, manager at Steamworks Brewing Co., said people were ultimately understanding that they could not watch the game.
“We have a lot of people come to watch these games, but everyone understands that our hands are tied,” he said. “We have the channel on just waiting.”
Derailed Pour House also felt the impact from the technical difficulties.
“We absolutely do a lot of business when NFL games come around,” said a manager, who declined to give his name. “We did lose quite a bit of business because of this.”
The broadcast returned at about 7:20 p.m., over an hour after it went out. The game was almost at halftime with the Broncos leading 10-0.
The frustration comes after a decades-long fight for Denver TV access in Southwest Colorado, where La Plata County receives television programming from Albuquerque.
mrupani@durangoherald.com
