Beloved Channel 7 Eyewitness News announcer Bill Ritter has announced that he is stepping down from his anchor role amid a battle with Alzheimer’s disease, the New York Post reports.
The 76-year-old said that he would remain with the ABC New York program to cover the condition that is afflicting him.
“After a series of tests, my doctors have told me I have Alzheimer’s,” Ritter disclosed during a broadcast on Friday.
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 has been with WABC since June 1998.
He 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,” Ritter said.
The father of three also revealed that 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.
Ritter thanked his viewers.
He said: “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 took over the 11 p.m. news broadcast from “Eyewitness News” legend Bill Beutel in 1999. After stepping away from the slot in March 2025, Ritter 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.”
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Tom Wrobleski; Staten Island Advance, N.Y.; (TNS) || © 2026 Staten Island Advance, N.Y.. Visit www.silive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
