Bill Ritter has bid farewell to anchoring.
On Friday, June 12, the longtime ABC New York news anchor announced his retirement on air, sharing a heartbreaking update about his health.
During the 6 pm newscast, the legendary anchor made a “very personal” announcement, telling viewers that he has been diagnosed with early stage of Alzheimer’s disease.
"My goal was to spend more time with my family. Now, a year ago, I became a grandfather, thanks to my oldest daughter. And later this summer, I'll have a second grandchild, thanks to my son. And in a year from now, my youngest daughter will graduate high school,” he shared.
Ritter continued, "But spending more time with my family has now become even more important, because my life has taken a turn,” adding that doctors diagnosed him with Alzheimer’s after he underwent several tests.
Noting that he’s in the “early-stage Alzheimer’s,” Bill Ritter shared that the treatments are keeping it at bay, “at least for now.”
However, the news anchor revealed that there’s no guarantee for his condition as there is no cure yet for the disease.
"So, unless someone finds an amazing cure and really soon, tonight will be the last newscast I anchor,” he announced.
While he took retirement from working on anchor desk, Bill Ritter, in his statement, shared that he is still going to remain a journalist at Eyewitness News and will help the younger journalists.
"I am going to so miss reporting the news to all of you, with the truth and with facts, no matter where they fall. It has been my honor to do just that. But for now, I wish you health and peace. Let's take care of each other,” he concluded.
The 76-year-old journalist has been a familiar face on New York television for decades. He joined WABC-TV in 1998 and became anchor of the station’s 6:00 PM newscast in 2001.
