Bill Ritter Reveals Early Stage Alzheimer’s During 6 p.m. Broadcast

Bill Ritter told viewers on Friday’s 6 p.m. newscast that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and will step down as an anchor effective immediately. He said he will keep working on special projects for Eyewitness News focused on Alzheimer’s and similar conditions.

“It’s ‘early stage’ Alzheimer’s, and they say the treatments I’m getting are keeping it at bay,” Ritter said on air. He added, “For now. But there is no guarantee, because there’s no cure yet for Alzheimer’s.”

Ritter’s ABC7 tenure

Ritter has been at WABC-TV since 1998 and became an anchor for ABC7 Eyewitness News in 1999. He had anchored the 6 p.m. newscast since 2001, after first stepping down from the 11 p.m. newscast he had fronted since 1999.

He later stepped down from the 5 p.m. news as he pared back his duties after turning 75 last year. Ritter told viewers the plan had originally been to spend more time with his family.

Marilu Galvez on Ritter

Marilu Galvez, the general manager of ABC7/WABC-TV New York, said Ritter will continue to be an integral part of the ABC7 family. Ritter said, “So, unless someone finds an amazing cure, and soon, tonight will be the last newscast I anchor.”

For viewers, the immediate change is that Ritter is no longer anchoring the station’s evening newscasts, but he is not leaving all work behind. His role shifts to special projects tied to Alzheimer’s and related conditions, keeping him on the air in a narrower capacity.