Beloved WABC anchor Bill Ritter said Friday he’s stepping down from the role and shared he’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in a moving statement to audiences.
The 76-year-old journo said he would remain on “Eyewitness News” to cover the very condition he has.
“After a series of tests, my doctors have told me I have Alzheimer’s,” he said.
“It’s ‘early stage’ Alzheimer’s, and they say the treatments I’m getting are keeping it at bay. For now. But there is no guarantee, because there’s no cure yet for Alzheimer’s. So, unless someone finds an amazing cure, and soon, tonight will be the last newscast I anchor.”
Ritter, who has been at WABC since June 1998, noted his own father died of Alzheimer’s.
“This station wants to dig deeper into the rising tide of Alzheimer’s and other similar diseases and infected patients and their families, how the price of treatment and the price of caring for patients is simply unaffordable, and how this might begin to change all that,” he said.
The father of three shared he has a grandson on the way.
“Spending more time with my family has now become even more important, because my life has taken a turn,” Ritter said.
He concluded his emotional message by thanking his long-time audience.
“I’m going to so miss reporting the news to all of you with the truth and the facts no matter where they fall. It has been my honor to do just that, but for now, I wish you health and peace and let’s take care of each other.”
Ritter was described by journalists who have worked with him as a “real newsman” who is “well- respected” and “actively involved in making the newscast better.”
“He’s everything you want in a New York City anchor. He sets a standard for all of us,” a source said.
Ritter took over the 11 p.m. news for Bill Beutel in 1999. After stepping away from the slot in March 2025, he anchored the 6 p.m. broadcast with Liz Cho.
“For decades, Bill Ritter has covered and led New Yorkers through the stories that matter most. A defining presence at ABC7, he has done so with exceptional insight, integrity, and, most of all — heart, earning the love and respect of viewers and colleagues alike,” WABC General Manager Marilu Galvez said in a statement.
“While he is stepping away from daily anchoring, he will continue to be an integral part of our ABC7 family, including sharing personal updates and providing resources to help others impacted by Alzheimer’s better understand the disease and the resources available to them.
“Bill is strong, brilliant and resourceful, and we look forward to his continued reporting on Eyewitness News.”
Before his transition to ABC, Ritter spent the early ’90s covering the Los Angeles area, according to his bio.
He was a reporter for KCAL-TV throughout 1992, following a stint at KTTV-TV from 1990 to 1991, where he gained prominence for his coverage of the Los Angeles riots and the Rodney King trial.
Earlier in his career, he earned four Emmy Awards for his investigative work at San Diego’s KNSD-TV.
Those honors stemmed from his reporting on a 1989 stock scandal and a 1987 investigation into safety protocols at Sea World of California regarding trainers and killer whales.
In 1993, he launched his long-standing relationship with ABC News.
He began co-anchoring “Good Morning America Sunday” in 1993 and later became a “20/20” correspondent in 1997.
His work there frequently focused on health-related investigative pieces, ranging from prostate cancer awareness to the COVID-19 pandemic.
His professional portfolio spans decades of high-profile national and local coverage, including events such as the TWA Flight 800 tragedy, the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, the OJ Simpson legal proceedings and the death of Princess Diana.
He also provided on-the-ground reporting for notable local New York City cases, such as the Central Park assaults and the tragic death of Leiby Kletzky.
