`NYPD BLUE' STAR QUITS SHOW TO BECOME NEWS ANCHOR

`NYPD BLUE' STAR QUITS SHOW TO BECOME NEWS ANCHOR

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Wireless Flash) -- "NYPD Blue" cast member Andrea Thompson is leaving the show to become an anchorwoman. "TV Guide" reports the 40-year-old -- who plays Det. Jill Kirkendall -- is leaving the show to begin a 3-month stint as a news anchor in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Thompson claims the main reason for leaving the show is to spend more time with her 7-year-old son, but she admits she's also a news junkie who's looking forward to a new challenge. In fact, to prepare for the new job, Thompson is currently boning up by studying for the S.A.T. exam.