Veteran New York news anchor Bill Ritter revealed Friday that he has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease, bringing an end to his more than two-decade run behind the WABC-TV anchor desk.Ritter, 76, who has anchored the station's 6 p.m.newscast in New York City since 2001, revealed during Friday's Eyewitness News broadcast that it would be his final night anchoring the program."After a series of tests, my doctors have told me I have Alzheimer's," Ritter said during the broadcast."It's early-stage Alzheimer's, and they say the treatments I'm getting are keeping it at bay, for now," he continued.
"But there is no guarantee, because there's no cure yet for Alzheimer's."'DUCK DYNASTY' STAR PHIL ROBERTSON DIAGNOSED WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASEVeteran New York news anchor Bill Ritter announced that he has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease and is stepping away from the WABC-TV anchor desk.(Linda Rosier/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)"So, unless someone finds an amazing cure, and soon, tonight will be the last newscast I anchor," he added.According to ABC7, Ritter joined WABC-TV in 1998 after an extensive journalism career that included work at the Los Angeles Times, local television stations in California and positions with ABC News.He began anchoring the station's 11 p.m.
Eyewitness News broadcast in 1999 and was added to the flagship 6 p.m.newscast in 2001.
He also anchored the station's 5 p.m.broadcast for several years.WOMAN WITH ADVANCED ALZHEIMER'S REGAINED SPEECH AND MEMORIES AFTER TAKING MAGIC MUSHROOMSBill Ritter has anchored WABC-TV's 6 p.m.
newscast in New York City since 2001.(Heidi Gutman/Disney via Getty Images)ABC7 reported that Ritter will remain with the station in a new role focused in part on reporting about Alzheimer's disease and other neurological conditions, as well as their impact on patients and families."For decades, Bill Ritter has covered and led New Yorkers through the stories that matter most," WABC-TV ...