Bill Ritter, the longtime anchor of WABC-TV ABC7 Eyewitness News in New York, revealed on Friday that he has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and is stepping down from his anchor desk effective immediately. Ritter made the announcement live during the station’s 6 p.m. newscast on June 12, 2026.
28 Years at ABC7
Ritter has been a fixture at WABC-TV, the ABC owned-and-operated station in New York City, since 1998. He anchored the station’s 11 p.m. newscast from 1999 before eventually moving to the 6 p.m. broadcast, which he has fronted since 2001. He began stepping back from some duties after turning 75 last year, first leaving the 11 p.m. and then the 5 p.m. broadcasts.
Before joining ABC7, Ritter’s journalism career began in Los Angeles with the Los Angeles Times and continued at NBC’s San Diego affiliate and KTTV-Fox 11 in Los Angeles.
The On-Air Announcement
Ritter delivered the news to viewers himself during Friday’s broadcast. He told viewers, according to Deadline, that his treatments are keeping the disease at bay for now, but that there is no guarantee and no cure yet for Alzheimer’s, and that tonight would be his last newscast as anchor.
He added that the original plan when he began stepping back had been to spend more time with his family, but that the situation had changed. “That idea has now become even more important, because my life has taken a turn,” he said.
Staying Connected to the Station
While stepping away from the anchor desk, Ritter will continue working with ABC7 on special projects focused on Alzheimer’s and related conditions. He even filed the story about his own departure under his own byline on the station’s website.
Marilu Galvez, General Manager of ABC7/WABC-TV New York, paid tribute to Ritter in a statement, calling him a defining presence at ABC7 who has covered and led New Yorkers through the stories that matter most, with exceptional insight, integrity, and heart.
Galvez added that Ritter will continue to be an integral part of the ABC7 family, sharing personal updates and providing resources to help others affected by Alzheimer’s understand the disease and the support available to them.
An ABC Institution
WABC-TV is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company as part of the ABC Owned Television Stations group. Ritter’s departure marks the end of an era at one of the flagship ABC stations in the country. His nearly three-decade run at the station made him one of the most recognizable faces in New York local news.
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