Bill Ritter Steps Away From ABC7 Anchor Desk After Emotional Alzheimer’s Diagnosis.

Beloved New York news anchor Bill Ritter has announced that he is stepping away from the ABC7 anchor desk after being diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

The 76-year-old journalist shared the deeply personal news during Friday’s 6 p.m. edition of Eyewitness News, telling viewers that the broadcast would be his final newscast as an anchor. For longtime viewers across New York, the moment was emotional, because Ritter has been one of the city’s most trusted television news voices for decades.

Ritter revealed that after a series of medical tests, doctors told him he has Alzheimer’s. He explained that the disease is still in its early stage and that current treatments are helping keep it under control for now. But he also spoke honestly about the uncertainty ahead, noting that there is still no cure for Alzheimer’s.

That honesty made the announcement especially powerful. Ritter did not try to hide the fear or sadness behind the decision. Instead, he faced viewers with the same clarity and compassion that defined his career.

For many New Yorkers, Bill Ritter has been a steady presence through breaking news, tragedy, elections, storms, community stories and moments of both crisis and hope. He joined WABC-TV in 1998, took over the 11 p.m. newscast in 1999 and began anchoring the 6 p.m. broadcast in 2001. Over the years, he became more than a local anchor. He became part of people’s daily routines.

But Ritter made clear that his life has now taken a turn. He said spending more time with family has become even more important, especially as he enjoys being a grandfather and prepares for new family milestones.

The diagnosis is also painfully personal for Ritter because his father died of Alzheimer’s in 1998. That family history gives his announcement even deeper emotional weight. He knows the disease not only as a journalist, but as a son who has already watched a loved one suffer from it.

Still, Ritter is not leaving ABC7 completely. While he is stepping away from daily anchoring, he plans to remain part of the Eyewitness News family in a new role. He said he hopes to help younger journalists and report on Alzheimer’s, dementia and the growing crisis facing patients and families.

That next chapter may become one of the most meaningful parts of his career. Ritter wants to examine how Alzheimer’s affects families, how difficult and expensive care can be, and what must change so patients and loved ones are not left to face the disease alone.

ABC7 leadership praised Ritter for his integrity, insight and heart, saying he will remain an important part of the station. Colleagues and viewers have also responded with love, gratitude and heartbreak.

For decades, Bill Ritter delivered the news with truth, steadiness and humanity. Now, in sharing his own diagnosis, he has given viewers something just as powerful: courage.

His farewell from the anchor desk is not simply the end of a chapter. It is the beginning of a new mission — one focused on family, awareness, dignity and hope.