Bill Ritter reveals early-stage Alzheimer's, steps down from ABC7 anchor desk

Bill Ritter turned a routine evening newscast into a public disclosure about one of the country’s most consequential diseases, telling viewers he was stepping away from anchoring after doctors diagnosed him with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. His announcement on Friday, June 12, marked the end of a decades-long run at ABC7 Eyewitness News and brought a rare, highly visible diagnosis into the center of New York broadcast television.

Ritter said the diagnosis followed a series of tests. He told viewers that unless there is an “amazing cure” very soon, he would not continue anchoring, and ABC7 said his final night at the 6 p.m. desk was the same day. Ritter joined Eyewitness News in June 1998, began anchoring the 11 p.m. newscast in October 1999 and added the 6 p.m. newscast in February 2001, giving him a presence on the station’s most watched broadcasts for a quarter-century.

The announcement landed with added force because Ritter has spent much of his career covering the city he has lived and worked in, including New York’s boroughs and surrounding neighborhoods. He was 76 in February, when ABC7 celebrated his birthday, underscoring how long he had been a fixture on the air. ABC7 also said Ritter had been active in the fight against Alzheimer’s for many years, including on a December 14, 2025 episode of his Up Close program, when he discussed the disease after New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim opened up about his father’s diagnosis.

Ritter’s disclosure also arrives amid a stark national picture. The Alzheimer’s Association’s 2026 Facts and Figures report estimates that 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with clinical Alzheimer’s dementia. The group says nearly 13 million unpaid caregivers provided more than 19 billion hours of care valued at more than $446 billion, and it projects Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost the United States $409 billion in 2026.

The public-health toll extends beyond care costs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Alzheimer’s disease caused 116,022 deaths in 2024 and ranked as the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Against that backdrop, Ritter’s decision to speak openly about his diagnosis carries significance beyond one anchor chair: it puts a familiar face on a disease that affects millions of families, raises the visibility of early-stage diagnosis, and shows how workplaces may accommodate public disclosure while preserving a role for experienced journalists who are no longer able to anchor nightly newscasts.