Veteran New York news anchor Bill Ritter fought back emotion as he revealed an early-stage Alzheimer’s diagnosis and announced that he was stepping away from the desk after nearly three decades at WABC-TV.
The 76-year-old journalist delivered the deeply personal news during Friday evening’s edition of Eyewitness News, telling viewers that the programme would be his final broadcast as a regular anchor.
Ritter, who has presented the station’s 6pm newscast since 2001, explained that the diagnosis followed a series of medical tests.
Doctors have told him that his current treatment appears to be slowing the progression of the disease, he said, although he acknowledged that no outcome can be guaranteed.
“There’s no cure yet for Alzheimer’s,” Ritter told viewers during the emotional address.
He explained that unless a major medical breakthrough arrived soon, it was time for him to leave the daily anchor role that had defined such an enormous part of his life.
The announcement brought an extraordinary broadcasting career to a poignant turning point.
Ritter joined WABC in June 1998, initially anchoring weekend news while continuing to work for ABC News and 20/20.
He succeeded legendary broadcaster Bill Beutel on the 11pm programme in 1999 before adding the 6pm edition two years later.
Over the decades, Ritter became a reassuring presence for New Yorkers during terrorist attacks, elections, natural disasters, celebrations and countless moments of breaking news.
His direct delivery and insistence on facts earned the trust of audiences who invited him into their homes evening after evening.
Yet the broadcaster made clear that he will not disappear entirely.
Ritter plans to remain at ABC7, mentoring younger journalists and contributing special reports both on television and online.
One of his central projects will examine Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions, including the emotional and financial pressure placed on patients and their families.
He said he wants to investigate why treatment and long-term care remain unaffordable for so many Americans and what changes might help those confronting the disease.
In that sense, Ritter is not abandoning journalism.
He is turning the most painful story of his personal life into the next subject he intends to investigate.
The mission carries added meaning because his father also lived with Alzheimer’s and died in June 1998 — the same month Ritter began working at WABC.
Since then, the anchor has supported awareness initiatives and appeared at events dedicated to dementia research and care.
Now, he will approach the subject not only as a son who witnessed the disease but as a patient experiencing it himself.
Ritter revealed that he had already begun reducing his workload after turning 75.
He stepped away from the 11pm and later the 5pm broadcasts, hoping to reclaim more time with his family after decades shaped by demanding news schedules.
That desire has become even more important following his diagnosis.
The broadcaster became a grandfather through his eldest daughter around a year ago and is expecting another grandchild through his son later this summer.
His youngest daughter is preparing to graduate from high school next year.
Ritter said his children had described him as brave, but he rejected the praise and instead credited them — along with his wife, Kathleen — for facing the diagnosis with courage.
His words offered a reminder that Alzheimer’s never affects only one person.
It alters the lives of spouses, children, friends and colleagues who must process the uncertainty alongside the patient they love.
Ritter also used the broadcast to thank the people who had shared his professional journey.
He paid tribute to producer Zahir Sachedina, with whom he worked for more than 25 years, proudly noting the symbolism of a Jewish anchor and Muslim producer creating the news together in one of the world’s most diverse cities.
He honoured longtime co-anchor Liz Cho, describing their 23-year partnership as the longest-running on-air team in Channel 7’s history.
Ritter also thanked meteorologist Lee Goldberg, sports anchor Ryan Field and former desk partner Sade Baderinwa, as well as station executives who had treated his family with compassion.
WABC general manager Marilu Galvez praised Ritter as a defining presence at the station whose reporting had always been marked by integrity, intelligence and heart.
She confirmed that he would remain an important member of the ABC7 family while sharing personal updates and resources for others affected by Alzheimer’s.
The announcement was painful precisely because Ritter has spent his life being the person who explains difficult events to everyone else.
On Friday, he became the story.
There were no dramatic graphics or carefully distanced language capable of making the moment easier.
There was simply a journalist looking into the camera and telling generations of loyal viewers that his life had unexpectedly changed.
Ritter concluded with the principles that guided his career: truth, facts and compassion.
He said reporting the news had been an honour and admitted that he would miss speaking directly to viewers each evening.
Then came a final message that reached beyond broadcasting or illness.
He wished his audience health and peace and urged people to take care of one another.
Bill Ritter may have delivered his final daily newscast, but his voice has not fallen silent.
He is stepping away from the anchor desk to spend precious time with his family, support the next generation of journalists and investigate the disease now reshaping his own future.
For a man who dedicated his career to asking difficult questions, it may become his most personal — and most important — assignment yet.
